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The Potato Sustainability Alliance released its 2023 North American Potato Sustainability Assessment Report summarizing the adoption of beneficial management strategies, practices and technologies. The report is based on 420 participating growers representing 589,120 potato acres across the U.S. and Canada.
Participating potato growers achieved an overall performance score of “medium,” averaged across outcome scores on biodiversity and habitat, community leadership, human and animal health, optimal production, soil health and water impact.
Key findings in soil health outcomes indicate that 75 percent of growers participate in projects that support and measure nutrient management for soil health. Additionally, 49 percent adopted a new practice to reduce tillage and compaction at the field level in the past three years.
In water impact outcomes, 91 percent of growers who irrigate are using a crop production irrigation plan that has been optimized to consider long-term water availability and challenges in the area.
