b'flail mower and then incorporate their biomass to the upper surface of the soil using a chisel plow. At the Farm of the Future, we have completely stopped using the moldboard plows. Sometimes we have to make two passes of chisel plow to terminate the crop, which is not only quite expensive, but disturbs the soil twice. And we want to minimize soil disturbance. We are in the process of evaluating different methods of terminating existing cover crops before making the hills. These methods include a first pass of Kvick Finn and the second pass of chisel plow, then two passes of chisel plow or termination using glyphosate followed by one pass ofA fumigation shank.PHOTO: JEFF MILLERchisel plow.Once the field is prepared, we makeTheres no doubt that fumigation is hard on the our hills using the basket hiller. Hillingsoil. And I would say I dont know of anybody who and seeding of cover crop is done simultaneously in the one pass. enjoys fumigating. If we can make it go away, I think it would be a wonderful thing.SS: How did potatoes perform in the fields where fall ridging wasJEFF MILLERdone with cover crops planted?MF: The potatoes planted through hillswait 14 to 21 days between applicationmillion of COper hour. 2shows excellent performance of potatoand planting. We want to wait as longNow, once they applied the fumigants, crop. In New Brunswick definitely we areas possible to disturb the soil so that wethen they had a significant drop in lucky so far that we have received highkeep the fumigation down in the soil, andrespiration in both the chloropicrin and heat units and good rain this season.well wait at least three weeks. After thatthe metam sodium. The drop was greater Additionally, we planted whole seedwell mark out our rows. for metam than was for chloropicrin. of potatoes instead of cut seed, whichSometimes youll hear people say that resulted in high set off uniform tubers. InSS: What are the effects ofchloropicrin is not as harsh on the North America, most of the growers plantfumigation on soil? soil health as metam, and from that cut seed but if you go to Europe, growersJM: Theres no doubt that fumigation isstandpoint, thats true.plant the whole seed and we encouragehard on the soil. And I would say I dontAs the season went on, though, you saw our growers to plant the whole seedknow of anybody who enjoys fumigating.an increase in both the chloropicrin and rather than the cut seed. If we can make it go away, I think it wouldmetam sodium. By the end of the season be a wonderful thing. But it does offerthere was no difference in the respiration SS: When should fumigation besome tangible benefits, and I think whatbetween the soil that had not been done? gets lost in some of the messaging. fumigated and those that had. Both metam JM: Fumigation in my area is typicallySome work that was reported in theand chloropicrin were similar by harvest. done using ripper shanks and they mayAmerican Journal of Potato Research inWith fumigation you are taking out some be quite deep. The disc ripper is typically2021 Carl Rosen and a group looked atof the pathogens and you are taking out going in 15 to 18 inches, whereas with amultiple trials over multiple years and theysome of the good guys if you will, but they disk the depth is closer to six-to-eight- measured the soil microbiology basicallydo come back. inches. During fumigation, the shankby the carbon dioxide release, over a depth may be close to 15 inches, but24-hour period. the fumigation injection depth may beAnd so, they had soils that were around nine to 10 inches deep.not fumigated and soils that received And then after I fumigate, I willchloropicrin and metam sodium. AndFor more information on fall field prep usage visittypically wait three weeks to mark outbefore anything had been done, all ofspudsmart.com/getting-your-potato-field-ready-rows. The metam sodium label says tothem were releasing over 50 parts perfor-winter/ and watch our latest webinar about it.SPUDSMART.COM Fall 202249'