b"MovingSOIL HEALTH AND disease management are always topics that potato growers are interested in learning more about. At the Canada-Manitoba Crop Diversification Centre (CMCDC) ManitobaField Day in Carberry, Man. on Aug. 9 the latest research projects the CMCDC and MHPEC Inc. teams are focusing on were featured. While the teams are working on a number of projects, Potatothree of the highlighted included a nitrogen leaching study, cover cropping and non-chemical black dot management. Reducing Nitrogen ApplicationsResearchWhen it comes to applying nitrogen to potato crops, timing is paramount, Haider Abbas, applied research specialist at CMCDC, explains during the field day.Forward If we apply too much nitrogen at once, and we apply irrigation at the same time, there is a potential of seeing some nitrogen within the root zone. But a majority of nitrogen leach down from the potato active root zone and that becomes Soil health and diseasecontamination to groundwater, he adds.From the team at CMCDCs study, theyve discovered potatoes management research highlightedneed more soil nitrogen than is usually available during the row at CMCDC Field Day.BY: ASHLEY ROBINSON closure stage. Abbas explains that preseason fertilizer choices, soil type and irrigation or how rainfall amounts work together can affect the amount of soil nitrogen available. He adds using urea on lighter-textured irrigated soils can cause nitrogen deficiency by row closure. This has also been noticed in pre-plant broadcast applications of environmentally smart nitrogen (ESN), that can delay the release of nitrogen until enough moisture and heat is available.To test for nitrogen contamination of groundwater, the CMCDC team tests nitrogen concentration at .2, .4., .6, .8 and one metre levels. For potatoes, .6 metres is the active root zoon while one metre is the full root zoon, Abbas says. If the groundwater comes above 2.5 metres deep, it can potentially lead to nitrogen leaching.A group checks out the cover cropping plot at CMCDCs field siteTheres a potential of during dry days that this groundwater at Carberry, Man. during a field day on Aug. 9, 2022. PHOTOS: ASHLEY ROBINSON becomes available to potato plants and it's through upward rise or capillary rise it becomes available to plants 44SPUDSMART.COM Fall 2022"