Potatoes
How mixed cropping boosts soil health and diversity
ntegrated cropping systems have no detrimental effect on potato yields but can en- hance soil properties and bio- diversity, say scientists at the James Hutton Institute. Different ways to increase sus- tainable legume cultivation and consumption are being investi- gated by 24 institutions across Europe. The project is being co- ordinated by Pete Iannetta, from the James Hutton Institute’s eco- logical sciences group.
I
A paper examining plant re- sponses to a mixed cropping sys- tem that can maintain yield while enhancing soil properties and bi- odiversity would be of particular interest to UK arable farmers – including potato growers, sug- gested Dr Iannetta.
“The paper recognises that the
intensifi cation of arable produc- tion since the 1950s has result- ed in increases in yield – but this has been only at signifi cant cost to the environment, raising serious concerns about long-term conse- quences for the sustainability of food production systems.” Dr Iannetta added: “While a range of policies and practices have been put in place to miti- gate negative effects in terms of pollution, soil degradation and loss of biodiversity, their effi cacy has not been properly quantifi ed.” Researchers designed a se- ries of trials to compare conven- tional arable management with a low-input, integrated cropping system designed to maintain yields while enhancing biodiver-
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APRIL 2019 • ANGLIA FARMER 39
The integrated system maintained potato yields, says project coordinator Pete Iannetta
sity and minimising environmen- tal impact. Over the fi rst rotation, only winter wheat yielded less under integrated management. Yields were maintained for the remain- ing fi ve crops – spring and winter barley, winter oilseed rape, pota- toes and fi eld beans – suggesting a negligible impact on econom- ic returns. “Benefi cial broad-leaved weeds were signifi cantly more abundant in the integrated man-
agement system across all crops, whereas grass weeds showed no overall response to treatment,” explained Dr Iannetta. “Soil carbon, pH and soil con- centrations of the main plant growth-limiting macronutri- ents were enhanced under the integrated management system which was therefore successful in meeting the goals to enhance biodiversity and reduce environ- mental impact without jeopard- ising crop yields.”
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