Potato Grower

52 POTATO GROWER | DECEMBER 2016 52 POTATO GROWER | DECEMBER 2016 GOOD, CLEAN DIRT Determining soil health on your operation Colorado Potato Administrative Committee By Jim Ehrlich Executive Director at the very top of the list. CPAC partners with researchers at Colorado State University to find solutions to growers' production challenges, including the elusive soil health target. Soil health research projects have included cover crop studies to determine the optimum species diversity for soil-borne disease control, nematode control and water savings; studying the effectiveness of microbial soil inoculants for nematode control; and the impact of soil amendments on nutrient cycling in the soil. In October the Colorado Department of Agriculture awarded CPAC with a specialty crop block grant (SCBG) to improve soil health in potato production systems. Thanks to the lobbying efforts of the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance, which includes the National Potato Council and many other state potato organizations, the 2008 farm bill created mandatory funding for the SCBG program. The purpose of the SCBG program is to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops. Specialty crops are defined as "fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops (including floriculture)." We are very excited to receive this award. It will allow CSU researchers like Courtney Jahn, Jane Stewart and others to work with local growers on the practices they are already implementing to improve soil health on their farms and evaluate additional practices that may prove valuable in improving soil health. The grant proposal includes an important economic component that will help growers understand the return on investment of techniques they may adopt to increase the soil health of their farms. Hopefully this project can become a catalyst for a larger, nationally focused soil health project in cooperation with a large, geographically widespread team of dedicated university researchers, numerous state potato organizations and the Alliance for Potato Research and Education. Soil health is of vast importance, but achieving it is a monumental challenge, particularly when it has multiple meanings to growers based on their unique experiences. Every grower worth his weight in salt knows that "soil health" is a critical component of his farm's profitability and ultimate sustainability. But ask a grower to define "soil health" and you will likely get nearly as many answers as farmers you ask. They all know it is of vast importance, but achieving it is a monumental challenge, particularly when it has multiple meanings to growers based on their unique experiences on the land they farm. Every grower wants fertile soil free from the diseases and pests that plague their best-laid efforts in trying to achieve a great-yielding, high- quality potato crop year after year. In the San Luis Valley of southern Colorado, potato growers face many challenges. The greatest may be the limited choice of crops that can be grown at a 7,600- foot of altitude and its resulting relatively short growing season. While potatoes, small grains and alfalfa thrive in our environment, other economical crop options are somewhat limited. The result is crop rotations that are less than optimal for our "soil health" goals. This is also true for many other potato-producing regions in the U.S. The last three years, several state organizations in concert with various university researchers have been involved in an effort to promote soil health research on a national level. But so far we have not had the success we hoped for. A primary goal of the Colorado Potato Administrative Committee (CPAC) is unifying the region's potato growers to ensure their long-term sustainability and profitability. Funding critical production research is a priority for CPAC, with soil health and potato breeding Behlen Curvet Potato Storage …tailored to t your operation. Flexibility in Capacity • 51 feet • 60 feet • 68 feet • Heavy gauge steel walls & roof. • Frameless supports allow greater airflow. Energy Efcient • Reflective, white color-coated exteriors save electricity & keep potatoes cooler. • Adaptable for air circulation equipment. Building Systems Call 208.745.1105 www.steelvisionconstruction.com www.steelvisionconstruction.com 163143BehBui16h.indd 1 10/31/16 9:53 AM

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