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MUSTARD COVER CROPPING AND GREEN MANURING BEFORE POTATOES
Growing a cover crop to be incorporated into the soil as a “green manure” is a technique many potato growers use to enhance soils. The benefits of cover crops / green manures include controlling erosion, enhancing soil organic matter, stimulating growth of beneficial microorganisms, and in the case of mustard green manures, reducing population densities of some soil-borne pests important to potatoes in a process known as “biofumigation”.
The best use of mustard requires some planning and management. Our WSU expert in the process is Andrew McGuire, WSU Extension Agronomist. He has composed guidelines to maximize the benefit of mustard cover crops / green manures. More information about using mustard green manures can be found here.
https://s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/2172/2018/07/Green-manure-label-3.pdf http://csanr.wsu.edu/mustard-green-manures/
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