Residue management for potato rotation in Prince Edward Island

The cost of soil erosion to producers in Prince Edward Island is more than $5 million annually. These costs do not account for the loss of long-term s ustainability of the land. Major soil associations in Prince Edward Island have potential rooting depths of only 25 to 40 cm (10 to 16 in). The impact of soil erosion is critical on such shallow soils. Methods to reduce soil erosion are required. This study investigated the benefits of residue manag ement and the retention of surface dead plant material in a 2-yr grain/pota to rotation and a 3-yr grain/forage/potato rotation. Residue management in the 2-yr rotation reduced soil erosion as estimated by rainfall simulation by as much as 50% and tuber yields were not affected. Residue management re duced soil erosion up to 90% in the 3-yr rotation and tuber yields were imp roved by 7%. Tillage costs were reduced by $60 to $160 per ha ($25 to $64 p er ac) using residue management with an average savings of $100 per ha (40 per ac). Residue management uses new tillage practices and may require modi fications to planters and harvesters to accommodate the increased plant res idue.