b'cooled then reheated) or basmati rice. The experiment was then repeated withOyster Cove Farms of Hamilton, P.E.I. for the study, the release notes.a nine day break in-between each trial. Blood samples were collected fromShe used splash pans in cover crop fields to measure soil movement participants, along with having them wear a glucose monitor to track changescaused by rain drops, the soils vulnerability to be transported through erosion, in blood sugar levels while sleeping. and the amount of carbon and nitrogen in it. Nitrates in the soil were mea-No differences in glucose response were found in-between meals whichsured at different times throughout the fall, spring and summer.contained potato dishes or basmati rice. It was actually found participants"All three winter cover crops, winter rye, winter wheat and spring barley, overnight glycemic readings were more favourable after eating a meal whichshowed substantial promise. They decreased the risk of soil erosion and re-included potato side dishes than basmati rice. duced the amount of carbon and nitrogen that would be lost in soil, compared with no winter cover control. In fact, winter rye was found to perform the best," Nyiraneza says in the release.Not only does winter rye and wheat recover quickly in early spring, but Study Finds Spuds Excellent Source of Iron it can also provide additional protection during snow melt when risk of soil It has been found potatoes are an excellent source of iron and can play anerosion is very high, the release notes. It also allows growers to harvest it as a important role in helping to reduce iron deficiencythe leading cause ofsecond cash crop.anemia, says a study recently published in the Journal of Nutrition. Nyiraneza will continue this cover crop research as part of Living LabAt-The study of iron-deficient women in Perus Huancavelica region who atelantic and in partnership with other AAFC scientists (Aaron Mills and Andrew 500 grams of potatoes per day for two weeks found the rate of iron absorptionMcKenzie-Gopsill) and Ryan Barrett, research and agronomy specialist at the from those potatoes was much higher than that reported for other crops.Prince Edward Island Potato Board. Barrett is conducting trials in commercial People absorb only about two to 10 per cent iron in most other vegetables,farm fields with cover crops both following potato harvest, to complement but participants in this study absorbed 28 per cent of the iron in the yel-low-fleshed potato they ate.Nobody expected the potato to have such a high level of iron absorption, Gabriela Burgos, a nutritionist at the International Potato Center (CIP), which undertook the study in collaboration with ETH Zrich and Perus Instituto de Investigacin Nutricional, says. She adds this was the first human study of iron bioavailability in potato ever done, and it produced the kind of pleasant surprise scientists hope for.Burgos explains most vegetables and legumes, contain high levels of phytates and other compounds which inhibit iron absorption, whereas potatoes have low phytate levels and plenty of vitamin C, which enhances iron absorption.The studys results are especially significant because they took place in the framework of an initiative to increase the iron levels of potato through conventional breedinga process called biofortification, the study notes. The resulting varieties will be disseminated in areas where iron deficiency is a problem.An efficacy study still needs to be conducted to demonstrate there is significant improvement in the iron and zinc status of people who incorporate biofortified potatoes into their normal diets, the study says. Cover Crops Planted After Potatoes Help SoilA study completed by an Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) scientist found winter cover crops planted after potatoes can be beneficial to the environment and to soil quality, AAFC says in a news release.Judith Nyiraneza, an AAFC scientist, did a two-year study which tested the performance of winter rye, winter wheat and spring barley as winter cover crops planted following the harvest of potatoes. Nyiraneza partnered with MULTIPLE MODES OF ACTION - Fungicide & BactericideDouble Nickel harnesses multiple modes of action to protect your crop while being safeon beneficials and has no MRLs. WINTER 2021 SPUDSMART.COM 71WWW.UAP.CA'