This document summarizes a field experiment studying the effects of different pre-crops, cover crops, and manure application on organic potato production. The experiment was conducted in eastern Austria over two years. Results showed that soil nitrogen content and potato tuber yield varied significantly between years. While some pre-crops increased soil nitrogen in one year, pre-crops did not significantly affect tuber yield or quality overall. Cover crops and manure also did not consistently improve tuber yield or quality in the high fertility soil. A positive effect of cover crops was seen only on large tuber size in one interaction.

1. ICOAS2015
5THINTERNATIONALCONFERENCEONORGANICAGRICULTURESCIENCES,
14-17OCTOBER2015,BRATISLAVA –SLOVAKIA
Effect of Pre-crops, Cover crops and Manure
Application on Organic Potato Production in a
Field Experiment in eastern Austria
Tsolmon Nyamdavaa
University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Department
Sustainable Agricultural Systems

2. Material and Methods
• Trial site: Raasdorf (150 m above sea level,
9.8° C, 520 mm; Calcaric Phaeozem, silty
loam (2.2 % TOC, pH-7.6)
• Preceding crop species: Lucerne, field pea,
spring barley
• Soil amendments: cover crops, farmyard
manure
• Succeeding main crop: Potatoes (Ditta)

3. Material and Methods
Potato yield parameters: Soil parameters:
•Total fresh matter,
marketable, dry matter
yield
•Tuber size distribution,
external and internal
quality
•Water content
•Inorganic N availability
(NO3
- - N and NH4
+ - N)
(in March, up to 90 cm)
Statistical analysis: SPSS software (Version 18.0), ANOVA, Tukey’s
test (α = 0.05 / 0.01)

4. Results
• Soil Nmin content,
potato tuber yield
differed significanty
(P < 0.01) between
years
• No significant
effects by pre-crops
on tuber yield and
quality
Figure 1 Two-way interaction for soil NO3
- - N content
Legend: +CC: with cover crop, -CC without cover crop

5. • Four-way interaction
effect occured for
total tuber yield
• No clear benefits of
cover crops and
manure
• A positive significant
cover crop effect on
large sized tubers
only.
Results
Figure 2. Complete (pre-crop, cover crop. Manure and year)
interaction effect for tuber yield
Legend: +CC: with cover crop, -CC without cover crop

6. Conclusions
• Field pea can be increase the soil Nmin in silty loam
soil in unfavorable year
• Cover crops and manure not consistently enhance
potato tuber yield and quality in a high fertility soil.