Location: New England Plant, Soil and Water Research Laboratory
2023 Annual Report
Objectives
Objective 1: Develop sustainable cropping systems that include effective management practices to improve soil health, crop productivity, and economic viability, and reduce soil borne diseases for food production systems of the Northeast.
Sub-objective 1.1. Develop and implement sustainable cropping systems consisting of effective management practices that maintain or improve soil health, productivity and market quality, reduce soilborne diseases, and enhance profitability for potato-based production systems.
Sub-objective 1.2. Develop and evaluate crop and soil health management practices for conventional and organic vegetable production systems to improve crop productivity, economic viability, and reduce impacts on the environment.
Approach
Our approach to building sustainable cropping systems for improving crop productivity and enhancing economic viability for food production systems in the Northeast is through the development of improved biological and cultural management practices and incorporating these into integrated cropping systems. There are many practices and amendments that have been previously identified, in ours and others research, as providing beneficial responses for these production systems. However, much research is still needed to determine the best ways to utilize and implement these practices in production agriculture. In our previous research, through long-term cropping systems studies, we determined the areas that are the most crucial constraints to productivity in potato production systems, as well as some factors that were less important. Critical constraints were water availability, soil health, and disease pressure, whereas previously studied criteria such as fertility and soil physical properties were not critical factors. Further research indicated that a specific 3-yr cropping system containing a disease-suppressive rotation crop and a small grain could maintain low disease while achieving high yield, and be profitable. In addition, a system with organic amendments added periodically could substantially increase yield and productivity. This proposed research is building directly on this previous research, further developing and refining management practices that have shown the greatest potential for reducing soilborne diseases, enhancing soil health, and improving crop yields in a sustainable manner. Management practices of particular importance include the use of disease-suppressive rotation crops, cover crops, green manures, and organic amendments. Focus will be placed on developing practical cropping systems that can be readily implemented and provide useful benefits to growers. Special emphasis will be placed on the biological processes involved and the role of soil microbial communities in developing disease-suppressive, yield-enhancing cropping systems.
Progress Report
This project consists of a series of research studies using crop and soil management practices to improve crop productivity and economic viability, and reduce diseases, with the goal of building and developing more productive and sustainable cropping systems for conventional and organic food production systems in the Northeast. Over the course of this project in our long-term potato cropping systems research at Presque Isle, Maine, we monitored enhanced cropping systems incorporating reduced tillage, cover crops, organic amendments, and disease-suppressive rotation crops for improvements in crop productivity, disease suppression, and economics, and have established that a 3-yr soil improving system (with history of compost amendments) has built and maintained improved soil properties in water-holding capacity, organic matter (OM) and nutrient contents, aggregate stability, and cation exchange capacity (CEC), relative to all other systems, as well as higher tuber yields and higher microbial activity relative to a standard rotation. The disease-suppressive cropping system, which included a disease-suppressive green manure rotation crop also improved yield, had higher OM content, and increased microbial activity relative to the standard rotation, as well as reducing soilborne diseases (black scurf and common scab) by 10-30%. These results demonstrate that soil health management practices can be effectively incorporated into viable potato cropping systems to improve soil and crop health as well as enhance long-term sustainability and productivity. In our organic vegetable research in St. Albans, Maine, numerous management practices, including the use of different cover crops, mulches, biological control organisms, and various soil amendments (compost, silicon, humus, biochar) have been assessed for their efficacy and value in improving organic vegetable production. In both studies, characterization, analyses, and assessment of the soil microbiome in relation to numerous factors are being finalized, demonstrating the benefits of incorporating soil health management practices into improved cropping systems. The project has resulted in more than 15 peer-reviewed publications and numerous abstracts and presentations. Overall, this research provides information needed to improve crop production and sustainability for potato and organic vegetable production, which can lead to improved agricultural viability and rural economic vitality in the Northeast.
Accomplishments
Review Publications
Li, K., Wang, Y., Ge, T., Larkin, R.P., Smart, A., Johnson, S.B., Hao, J. 2023. Risk evaluation of Benzovindiflupyr resistance of Verticillium dahliae population in Maine. Plant Disease. https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-06-22-1384-RE.
Larkin, R.P. 2022. Long-term effects of compost amendments and brassica green manures in potato cropping systems on soil and crop health and productivity. Agronomy Journal. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12112804.
