DisCoverCrop
Sustainable potato farming in Europe trough crop diversification with cover crops
Project Overview
DisCoverCrop is an EU-funded research project that aims to determine effective cover crop strategies for potato production in northwestern Europe (Estonia, Sweden, Norway, Netherlands and Germany) and provide evidence-based communication for their use.
Through field experiments conducted across different locations and climate conditions, in both research farms and farmer-led field trials (living labs), we evaluate established and novel cover crops, assessing their impact on soil health, disease suppression, microbial biocontrol integration, and potato yield.
Why cover crops in potatoes matter
Potato production systems heavily rely on mineral fertilizers, pesticides, intensive tillage, and short crop rotations. This leads to reduced soil organic matter, diminished water holding capacity, compromised soil structure, and decreased biodiversity. Cover cropping emerges as a promising solution to address these challenges by providing continuous vegetative cover that prevents nutrient losses, counteracts soil erosion, and increases soil biodiversity.
