b'ANOTHER SEASONS PROMISECovering the Bases with Cover CropsWELCOME TO THE inaugural edition of Another Seasons Promise, a regular column in Spud Smart on potato agronomy. The name comes a lyric from one of my favourite songs, Field Behind The Plow by Canadian folk singer-songwriter Stan Rogers. For those that dont know me, Im fortunate to work for the Prince Edward Island Potato Board as a research and agronomy specialist. In this role, I get to work directly with potato producers conducting on-farm research trials, collaborating with RYAN BARRETT,researchers on local and national-level projects and doing research andagronomy extension projects throughout the year. Ive agronomy specialist with thebeen working in this role since 2016, and I love getting Prince Edwardto know folks in the industry and discuss ways to keep Island Potato Board improving yields and margins for producers while also A fall-seeded cover crop of daikon radish in a field that will improving the sustainability of growing potatoes. be planted with potatoes the following spring. Enough about me. youre here to read about potatoPHOTO: RYAN BARRETT agronomy! I thought that for my first column, I should touch on the topic that many in the industry might have heard me speak about before: cover crops. Cover cropshelp grab on to some of that nitrate and carry it over to the have definitely become a buzzword for many, with lotsnext growing season instead of losing it over winter. of attention on conference schedules and in researchHere in P.E.I., more than 20 site-years of on-farm trial projects. Lets dig into fall-seeded cover crops a littledata has shown that growing a fall-seeded cover crop more and explore how they may be a fit for your farm. in the year before potatoes resulted in an average yield Firstly, theres no one size fits all approach to coverbump of 30 cwt per acre. Many of these cover crops were crops. What works in P.E.I. may not work in Alberta orestablished after forage crops (grass/legume mix usually), Ontario. Like any production practice, we have to keep inbut some came after cereals or oilseeds as well. It didnt mind that Canada is an enormous country with massiveseem to matter what you chose as a cover, be it oats, barley, variation in climate, soil types, and crop rotations. All thatrye, radish, mustard anything was better than nothing. being said, I still think that theres a case to be made forSpecies with low pounds per acre seeding rates can often fall-seeded cover crops on many farm operations. be seeded at the same time as tillage with a seed box on The number one reason without doubt for employingyour tillage implement, saving a trip over the field. If fall cover crops: keeping your soil in the field. Noyoure new to fall cover crops, my first advice is keep it matter where you farm, soil erosion by wind or water is asimple and cheap to start. Find out what works and what significant threat to the long-term viability of fields anddoesnt on your farm and build from there.we should prioritize production practices that provideOver the long-term, there are also indications that fall armour to our fields and keep topsoil from blowing awaycover crops can help build soil organic carbon. Higher or being lost with runoff water. Not only does that keeporganic carbon improves the health and water holding your fields productive, but it often keeps the neighbourscapacity of soils and should soon carry a value in carbon happy too. credits for many farms in the not-too-distant future.At the same time, there are other reasons that oftenThere are multiple reports and presentations on fall make fall-seeded cover crops a win-win for both thecover crops on our P.E.I. Potato Agronomy website if farmer and the environment. If you farm in Easternyoud like to explore this more. Until next time, I hope Canada, where high precipitation and sandy soils makethat everyone has a safe and productive meeting season nitrate losses a frequent reality, quick-growing covers canas we gear up for another seasons promise. 40SPUDSMART.COMWinter 2024'