Crop rotations of three to five years are recommended for potatoes as a means of managing soil-borne diseases such as scab. Potatoes return little organic matter to the soil, and growers rely on rotation crops to keep potato fields in good condition. Crop rotation also helps to break up insect life cycles.
Rotations that include cereals and forages are ideal for potatoes.
Make sure to have a cropping and pesticide history of land being used for potato production. Certain herbicides have long lasting residues that will adversely affect potato crops. Contact your provincial vegetable specialist for a list of chemicals that are harmful to potatoes.
Potatoes are renowned for leaving large amounts of fertilizer unused, resulting in the potential for high yields from other crops in the following years. This is an attractive feature to land owners who rent land to potato producers.