Evaluation of “Green Manure” Rotational Strategies for Potatoes in Upstate New York
North Country potato growers, needing to rotate their fields, are faced with limited choices. Having a short growing season and because soil ph needs to be kept fairly acidic mean many of the options other vegetable growers employ are not available to potato growers. Wishing to maximize soil benefits while away from potatoes, growers have expressed the desire to look at rotational crops they are unfamiliar with. Sudangrass has been successfully employed by onion grower throughout the state as an excellent way to increase organic matter, break up soil hard pans and decrease soil pathogens. In recent years, crops in the mustard family used as green manure have shown soil benefits as well. We looked at yellow mustard and oilseed radish in combination with sudangrass as green manure in a rotation with potato.