Cover Crops Are Field Tools That Increase Sustainability In Regions From.

With continued population growth and the threat of climate change, important agricultural systems across the world will be susceptible to erosion and lower yields if soil and water quality are impacted. Potato systems are important world crops and are staples in the USA and in South America; however, these systems require intensive tillage activities, which can make them susceptible to erosion. With such great challenges posed in front us, it is becoming clear that conservation agriculture is a tool that can be used to maintain sustainability. One of the field tools in conservation agriculture will be the use of cover crops. Cover crops have been reported to continue to increase yields of the following potato crop, to reduce erosion, to scavenge and recycle nutrients to the potato crop, and to produce several other important benefits. With the leadership from Virginia Tech we are cooperating in conservation agriculture to develop cover crops (cropping systems) and even software tools that can help in assessing and implementing sustainable systems. We will present some analysis of cover crop systems in regions of North and South America and how these tools and research are coming together to help farmers produce higher yields and incomes while maintaining sustainable systems. These efforts will be presented at the oral seminar.