Project Overview
FNE06-575
Project Type: Farmer
Funds awarded in 2006: $8,079.00
Projected End Date: 12/31/2007
Region: Northeast
State: Pennsylvania
Project Leader:
Annual Reports
Commodities
- Agronomic: potatoes
Practices
- Crop Production: cover crops
- Pest Management: biological control, botanical pesticides, disease vectors, integrated pest management, prevention
- Soil Management: green manures, organic matter, soil quality/health
Proposal summary:
Potato growers in the western U.S. are successfully using mustard as a biofumigant in potato-wheat rotations, but climate and soils in the Northeast and the West are very different. This study will evaluate a mustard cover crop as a biofumigant to improve potato quality while reducing pesticide requirements and improving soil tilth. The study team will try to determine the nutrient and fertilization needs of the mustard and the mustard’s overall effect on nematodes and soil pathogens. Outreach will be through presentations at local and regional meetings and articles.
Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or SARE.