Characterizing Dominant Field-Scale Cropping Sequences for a Potato and Vegetable Growing Region in Central Wisconsin

Emily Marrs Heineman,Christopher J Kucharik

doi:10.3390/land11020273

Abstract

Crop rotations are known to improve soil health by replenishing lost nutrients, increasing organic matter, improving microbial activity, and reducing disease risk and weed pressure. We characterized the spatial distribution of crops and dominant field-scale cropping sequences from 2008 to 2019 for the Wisconsin Central Sands (WCS) region, a major producer of potato and vegetables in the U.S. The dominant two- and three-year rotations were determined, with an additional focus on assessing regional potato rotation management. Our results suggest corn and soybean are the two most widely planted crops, occurring on 67% and 36% of all agricultural land at least once during the study period. The most frequent two- and three-year crop rotations include corn, soybean, alfalfa, sweet corn, potato, and beans, with continuous corn being the most dominant two- and three-year rotations (13.2% and 8.5% of agricultural land, respectively). While four- and five-year rotations for potato are recommended to combat pest and disease pressure, 23.2% and 65.9% of potato fields returned to that crop in rotation after two and three years, respectively. Furthermore, 5.6% of potato fields were planted continuously with that crop. Given potato’s high nitrogen (N) fertilizer requirements, the prevalence of sandy soils, and ongoing water quality issues, adopting more widespread use of four- or five-year rotations of potato with crops that require zero or less N fertilizer could reduce groundwater nitrate concentrations and improve water quality.

Highlights

Coarse textured or sandy soils can present significant challenges to agricultural producers due to their low nutrient and water holding capacities [1]
Sweet corn, beans, and peas are found concentrated in Central Sand Plains, Central Sand Hills, and Forest Transition (Figure 2)
By implementing best management practices through more precise fertilizer applications, deficit irrigation, and crop rotations, the region can address some of the current environmental challenges around water resources facing the region

Summary

Introduction

Coarse textured or sandy soils can present significant challenges to agricultural producers due to their low nutrient and water holding capacities [1]. With precision nitrogen fertilizer applications [2], irrigation [3], and other management options such as crop rotations to combat pest, weed, and disease pressure [4], growers can overcome key limitations that can limit agricultural production on sandy soils. Irrigation is often necessary on sandy soils in temperate crop growing regions of the United States where the climate provides an ideal growing season length and growing degree days (GDD) and approximately 700–900 mm of precipitation, with about 50% or more falling during the growing season. In the U.S, one of the leading potato and vegetable (e.g., green peas, sweet corn, snap beans, carrots) production regions is found in the Midwest across central Wisconsin on sandy soils [5]. The highly permeable sand and gravel layer contains a regional aquifer that sits at a typical depth of 3 to 20 m below the surface [6,8]

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