Productivity parameters and soil health dynamics under long-term 2-year potato rotations in Atlantic Canada

Crop rotation effects, due to emerging soil ecological interactions and processes that occur with time, can have a major impact on crop productivity and soil health. 2-year potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) rotation studies were conducted during an 11-year period on a fine sandy loam (Orthic Podzol) under a cool, humid climate in Prince Edward Island in eastern Canada. Rotation partners included Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.), red clover (Trifolium pratense L.), and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). The study objective was to assess trends in yield parameters, populations and diversity in nematodes and soil-borne pathogens, and soil structural stability and organic matter retention with time. Italian ryegrass had the largest biomass of both herbage (6.5 Mg ha⁻¹) and roots (4.8 Mg ha⁻¹), compared to red clover or barley. Averaged across 9 years, potato tuber yield was highest under Italian ryegrass (35.0 Mg ha⁻¹) and lowest under red clover (31.1 Mg ha⁻¹) rotations. Differences in tuber yield among rotations was associated with soil N limitation and nematode activity, but was not evident until Year 6. Population densities of specific plant parasitic nematodes recovered from roots and soil were generally low and varied according to host plant. Root lesion (Pratylenchus spp.) and root-knot (Meloidogyne spp.) nematodes were more prevalent under red clover compared to other rotational crops. Stunt (Merlinius spp. and Tylenchorhynchus spp.) nematodes were more common under Italian ryegrass. The main organisms associated with tuber-borne disease were Rhizoctonia solani, Streptomyces spp., Fusarium spp., and Helminthosporium solani. The greatest reduction in tuber-borne diseases occurred with the potato–red clover rotation but significant differences were infrequent. Soil structural form throughout the soil profile (to 30 cm depth) was not adversely affected by the rotational treatments during the duration of the study, while soil structural stability at the soil surface (0–10 cm) was significantly improved. Losses of soil organic C, during the 11-year period ranged from marginal (4%) for rotations with Italian ryegrass, to significant (16%) under the barley rotation. Computer simulations, using the Century model, illustrated the importance of C inputs to maintain soil organic matter levels. Overall, potato crop productivity and soil organic C were generally maintained in rotations that contained Italian ryegrass, but declined under rotations with red clover and barley.