Reduced Tillage in an Irrigated Potato Rotation

Soil erosion continues to be a threat to agricultural productivity worldwide, with soil losses in the United States exceeding 3 billion tons annually. Wind and water erosion have caused dramatic declines in soil productivity. Erosion protection and associated conservation of nutrients, organic matter, soil water holding capacity and biota are significant concerns. Pimentel et al. (1995) estimated the annual total onand off-site costs of erosion to be over $44 billion. The type of cultivation, hilling and harvesting practices for potato production may increase soil erosion (Auerswald et al., 2006; Ruysshaert et al., 2006) injure potatoes, increase soil compaction (Perrone and Madramootoo, 1994) and bring weed seeds to the soil surface (Eberlein et al., 1997). Despite these undesirable effects of cultivation, 86% of U.S. potato acreage is cultivated for weed control (USDA, 1999).