Field Selection and Crop Rotation

Return to the Guide to Commercial Potato Production on the Canadian Prairies

.Field Selection

Field selection is one of the most important contributors to high potato yield and quality. Potatoes are a high-value crop and should only be grown on the best land available. Several factors must be considered before a field is selected for potatoes. Some factors such as drainage and herbicide residues can have a significant impact on yield while other factors, such as soil texture and crop rotation, have a lesser impact.

Crop Rotation

Potatoes must be rotated with other crops to slow the accumulation of diseases and reduce the impact of insects such as Colorado potato and flea beetles. When planning crop rotation two factors must be considered:

The length of rotation
The rotational crop

The length of time between potato crops is determined by disease and insect levels (Table 3.4-1). A two or three year rotation adequately controls most diseases as well as reduces the population of Colorado potato beetles and flea beetles. Other diseases such as Verticillium wilt, require longer rotations. A four-year rotation is strongly recommended. Shorter rotations result in a build-up of soil borne diseases and a condition called early dying. This condition can result in yield losses as high as 30%. Cereal grains and corn are generally the best to use in the three years between potato crops. However, the decision about which crop to use in rotation must be made
considering:

The similarity of diseases between potatoes and the rotational crop
Soil conservation (i.e. organic matter, surface cover, trash, etc.)
The herbicides used in the rotational crop see section on Herbicide Residues and Re-cropping to Potatoes

Crop rotation chart

Weather conditions play an important part in disease development. Most diseases are more severe in wet seasons; however, a few types of root rots are most severe under dry conditions. Very favorable conditions for disease development may cause a disease that is a low risk to become a high risk. Conversely, high-risk diseases may not materialize if conditions are unfavorable for disease development. The disease problems occurring on at least the previous four crops should be taken into consideration when planning a crop rotation. Continuous planting to the same crop can eventually cause low risk disease problems to build up resulting in severe crop losses.

Written by P. Haluschak, C. McKenzie, K. Panchuk

Field Selection and Crop Rotation

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