Tests of a New Catch Crop Technique in Organic Potato Production

Abstract

In the study the use of catch crops in potato production was evaluated. White mustard and rye were compared in terms of leaching prevention. Irrigation and N management are important aspects of sustainable potato production. Nitrogen is an essential nutrient for potatoes and tends to have a determining effect on tuber yield. Nitrogen in farmyard manure may be released too late to be fully utilised by the potato crop and is prone to leaching. Potatoes are generally grown on light-textured soils and any residual N present in such soils may be carried beyond the reach of the shallow potato roots by irrigation water or rain, due to the low soil water-holding capacity. All potato production in Sweden causes N leaching, which can be minimised by growing a catch crop. In the comparison white mustard took up more N but most of it had mineralised by the following spring, while rye took up less N but made it available later in the following season.

Published in

Acta Horticulturae
2010, volume: 852, pages: 163-168

Conference

4th International Symposium on Ecologically Sound Fertilization Strategies for Field Vegetable Production, SEP 22-25, 2008, Malmo, SWEDEN

SLU Authors

• Ahlström, Christine

  • Horticulture, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Agricultural Science

Publication identifier

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2010.852.19
• eISBN: 978-90-66057-42-5

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/118161