Importance of crop rotation in potato production

Abstract

Cropping sequence and length of rotation play an important role in potato production. Potato yield are very sensitive to the selection and sequence of rotation crop. Usually minimum 3-4 years rotation is used, however often growers allay for short-term, cropping system or monoculture. This is happening due to limited irrigated areas, or respective predecessor crop, but some time also due to quick economical interest which potato crop offer. In researches with 3 and 4 years crop rotation gradually was increase a percentage of potato from 25-33 till 100%. This led to yield reduction with 13 and 19% comparing with rotation 33% of potato, and with 9.17 and 26% comparing with 25% of potato. Shorter rotation drive up production cost, reduce yield and tuber quality, and increase the percentage of tuber attacked by Fusarium, Rhisoctonia, Streptomyces scabies, in special using low class planting material.