Potato production in Northeastern North America can lead to stagnant yields and declining soil health. This is why practices such as cover cropping and the use of manure are important. However, these practices also lead to increased weed problems by adding seeds into the weed seedbank. A recent AAFC study explored how cover crops and manure affect weed populations in a potato crop rotation over three years.

To speak more about the study, the process and insights gleaned are Judith Nyiraneza and Andrew McKenzie-Gopsill of AAFC. They discuss the background of the still-ongoing research project, insights into the various cover crop/manure combinations, and discuss why weed seeds in manure did not necessarily evolve into dense weed spread.