Abstract
The growing demand for organic sweet potato production underscores the need for sustainable pest management and soil health strategies. This study evaluated six winter cover crop systems followed by summer sweet potato, with and without biopesticide applications, to manage Meloidogyne incognita and insect pests while assessing soil health indicators. Marketable yield was the highest after wheat (20,679 kg/ha), exceeding the fallow treatment by >2,000 kg/ha. Biopesticide use further increased yield (+700 kg/ha), reduced insect damage by 36%–40% ( p ≤ 0.05), and enhanced crop value by $33/ha. At planting, M. incognita densities were similar across treatments, but by midseason, they were the lowest following rye. Wireworm damage did not vary by cover crop, although biopesticides provided significant protection. Cover crops also shaped nematode communities, with crimson clover, wheat, and mixed systems supporting higher structural index values later in the season, while enrichment index and fungi to bacteria ratios remained unchanged. Soil microbial respiration peaked at planting, especially after wheat and the cover crop mix, and microbial biomass increased across all cover crop treatments, with rye supporting the highest growth. Radish and wheat showed trends toward lower M. incognita populations and greater economic returns, although the effects were not statistically significant. Canonical correspondence analysis revealed nematode communities, microbial abundance, and soil CO 2 flux as key drivers of yield. In 2022, yield was negatively associated with M. incognita but positively correlated with fungi to bacteria and Gram-positive to Gram-negative bacteria (GP: GN) ratios; by 2023, yield was instead negatively associated with fungivorous nematodes and microbial respiration and positively associated with protozoa biomass and protozoa to bacteria ratios. Overall, combining cover crops with biopesticides improved yield, reduced pest pressure, and enhanced soil biological function, demonstrating a promising strategy for sustainable organic sweet potato production.
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Claims 20
Claim · model-written summary
Marketable sweet potato yield was highest after wheat, exceeding the fallow treatment by more than 2,000 kg/ha.
- Taxon
- sweet potato
_Flower.jpg?width=60)
Ipomoea batatast0 - Treatment
- after wheate1
- Outcome
- Marketable yielde1
- Direction
- higheste1
- Value
- 20,679 kg/hae1
- Comparator
- fallow treatmente1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
_Flower.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
t0“organic sweet potato cultivation”
e1“Marketable yield was the highest after wheat (20,679 kg/ha), exceeding the fallow treatment by >2,000 kg/ha”
Claim · model-written summary
Biopesticide use increased sweet potato yield by 700 kg/ha.
- Taxon
- sweet potatoIpomoea batatast0
- Treatment
- Biopesticide usee2
- Outcome
- yielde2
- Direction
- increasede2
- Value
- +700 kg/hae2
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“organic sweet potato cultivation”
e2“Biopesticide use further increased yield (+700 kg/ha), reduced insect damage by 36%–40% ( p ≤ 0.05), and enhanced crop value by $33/ha”
Claim · model-written summary
Biopesticide use reduced insect damage in sweet potato by 36%–40% (p ≤ 0.05).
- Taxon
- sweet potatoIpomoea batatast0
- Treatment
- Biopesticide usee2
- Outcome
- insect damagee2
- Direction
- reducede2
- Value
- 36%–40%e2
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“organic sweet potato cultivation”
e2“Biopesticide use further increased yield (+700 kg/ha), reduced insect damage by 36%–40% ( p ≤ 0.05), and enhanced crop value by $33/ha”
Claim · model-written summary
Biopesticide use enhanced sweet potato crop value by $33/ha.
- Taxon
- sweet potatoIpomoea batatast0
- Treatment
- Biopesticide usee2
- Outcome
- crop valuee2
- Direction
- enhancede2
- Value
- $33/hae2
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“organic sweet potato cultivation”
e2“Biopesticide use further increased yield (+700 kg/ha), reduced insect damage by 36%–40% ( p ≤ 0.05), and enhanced crop value by $33/ha”
Claim · model-written summary
Wireworm damage in sweet potato did not vary by cover crop.
- Taxon
- sweet potatoIpomoea batatast0
- Interactor
- Wireworme3pest
- Outcome
- Wireworm damagee3
- Direction
- did not varye3
- Qualifier
- by cover crope3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“organic sweet potato cultivation”
e3“Wireworm damage did not vary by cover crop, although biopesticides provided significant protection”
Claim · model-written summary
Biopesticides gave significant protection against wireworm damage in sweet potato.
- Taxon
- sweet potatoIpomoea batatast0
- Treatment
- biopesticidese3
- Interactor
- Wireworme3pest
- Outcome
- protectione3
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“organic sweet potato cultivation”
e3“Wireworm damage did not vary by cover crop, although biopesticides provided significant protection”
Claim · model-written summary
By midseason, Meloidogyne incognita densities in sweet potato were lowest following rye.
- Taxon
- sweet potatoIpomoea batatast0
- Treatment
- ryee4
- Interactor
- M. incognita
_penetrates_a_tomato_root_-_USDA-ARS.jpg?width=60)
Meloidogyne incognitae4pest - Outcome
- M. incognita densitiese4
- Direction
- loweste4
- Qualifier
- by midseasone4
- Comparator
- across treatmentse4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
_penetrates_a_tomato_root_-_USDA-ARS.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
t0“organic sweet potato cultivation”
e4“At planting, M. incognita densities were similar across treatments, but by midseason, they were the lowest following rye”
Claim · model-written summary
At planting, M. incognita densities in sweet potato were similar across cover crop treatments.
- Taxon
- sweet potatoIpomoea batatast0
- Interactor
- M. incognitaMeloidogyne incognitae4pest
- Outcome
- M. incognita densitiese4
- Direction
- similare4
- Qualifier
- At plantinge4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“organic sweet potato cultivation”
e4“At planting, M. incognita densities were similar across treatments, but by midseason, they were the lowest following rye”
Claim · model-written summary
Crimson clover, wheat and mixed cover crop systems supported higher nematode structural index values later in the season in sweet potato.
- Taxon
- sweet potatoIpomoea batatast0
- Treatment
- crimson clover, wheat, and mixed systemse5
- Outcome
- structural index valuese5
- Direction
- highere5
- Qualifier
- later in the seasone5
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“organic sweet potato cultivation”
e5“Cover crops also shaped nematode communities, with crimson clover, wheat, and mixed systems supporting higher structural index values later in the season”
Claim · model-written summary
Enrichment index and fungi to bacteria ratios in sweet potato soil remained unchanged across cover crops.
- Taxon
- sweet potatoIpomoea batatast0
- Outcome
- enrichment index and fungi to bacteria ratiose6
- Direction
- remained unchangede6
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“organic sweet potato cultivation”
e6“enrichment index and fungi to bacteria ratios remained unchanged”
Claim · model-written summary
Soil microbial respiration in sweet potato systems peaked at planting.
- Taxon
- sweet potatoIpomoea batatast0
- Outcome
- Soil microbial respiratione7
- Direction
- peakede7
- Qualifier
- at plantinge7
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“organic sweet potato cultivation”
e7“Soil microbial respiration peaked at planting, especially after wheat and the cover crop mix”
Claim · model-written summary
Microbial biomass increased across all cover crop treatments in sweet potato systems.
- Taxon
- sweet potatoIpomoea batatast0
- Treatment
- cover crop treatmentse1
- Outcome
- microbial biomasse1
- Direction
- increasede1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“organic sweet potato cultivation”
e1“microbial biomass increased across all cover crop treatments, with rye supporting the highest growth”
Claim · model-written summary
Rye supported the highest microbial biomass growth in sweet potato systems.
- Taxon
- sweet potatoIpomoea batatast0
- Treatment
- ryee1
- Outcome
- growthe1
- Direction
- higheste1
- Qualifier
- microbial biomasse1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“organic sweet potato cultivation”
e1“microbial biomass increased across all cover crop treatments, with rye supporting the highest growth”
Claim · model-written summary
Radish and wheat showed a non-significant trend toward lower M. incognita populations in sweet potato.
- Taxon
- sweet potatoIpomoea batatast0
- Treatment
- Radish and wheate1
- Interactor
- M. incognitaMeloidogyne incognitae1pest
- Outcome
- M. incognita populationse1
- Direction
- lowere1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“organic sweet potato cultivation”
e1“Radish and wheat showed trends toward lower M. incognita populations and greater economic returns, although the effects were not statistically significant”
Claim · model-written summary
Radish and wheat showed a non-significant trend toward greater economic returns in sweet potato.
- Taxon
- sweet potatoIpomoea batatast0
- Treatment
- Radish and wheate1
- Outcome
- economic returnse1
- Direction
- greatere1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“organic sweet potato cultivation”
e1“Radish and wheat showed trends toward lower M. incognita populations and greater economic returns, although the effects were not statistically significant”
Claim · model-written summary
Canonical correspondence analysis identified nematode communities, microbial abundance and soil CO2 flux as key drivers of sweet potato yield.
- Taxon
- sweet potatoIpomoea batatast0
- Treatment
- nematode communities, microbial abundance, and soil CO 2 fluxe1
- Outcome
- yielde1
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“organic sweet potato cultivation”
e1“Canonical correspondence analysis revealed nematode communities, microbial abundance, and soil CO 2 flux as key drivers of yield”
Claim · model-written summary
In 2022, sweet potato yield was negatively associated with M. incognita.
- Taxon
- sweet potatoIpomoea batatast0
- Interactor
- M. incognitaMeloidogyne incognitae1pest
- Outcome
- yielde1
- Direction
- negatively associatede1
- Setting
- In 2022e1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“organic sweet potato cultivation”
e1“In 2022, yield was negatively associated with M. incognita but positively correlated with fungi to bacteria and Gram-positive to Gram-negative bacteria (GP: GN) ratios”
Claim · model-written summary
In 2022, sweet potato yield was positively correlated with fungi to bacteria and Gram-positive to Gram-negative bacteria ratios.
- Taxon
- sweet potatoIpomoea batatast0
- Treatment
- fungi to bacteria and Gram-positive to Gram-negative bacteria (GP: GN) ratiose1
- Outcome
- yielde1
- Direction
- positively correlatede1
- Setting
- In 2022e1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“organic sweet potato cultivation”
e1“In 2022, yield was negatively associated with M. incognita but positively correlated with fungi to bacteria and Gram-positive to Gram-negative bacteria (GP: GN) ratios”
Claim · model-written summary
By 2023, sweet potato yield was negatively associated with fungivorous nematodes.
- Taxon
- sweet potatoIpomoea batatast0
- Interactor
- fungivorous nematodese1other
- Outcome
- yielde1
- Direction
- negatively associatede1
- Setting
- by 2023e1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“organic sweet potato cultivation”
e1“by 2023, yield was instead negatively associated with fungivorous nematodes and microbial respiration and positively associated with protozoa biomass and protozoa to bacteria ratios”
Claim · model-written summary
By 2023, sweet potato yield was positively associated with protozoa biomass and protozoa to bacteria ratios.
- Taxon
- sweet potatoIpomoea batatast0
- Treatment
- protozoa biomass and protozoa to bacteria ratiose1
- Outcome
- yielde1
- Direction
- positively associatede1
- Setting
- by 2023e1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“organic sweet potato cultivation”
e1“by 2023, yield was instead negatively associated with fungivorous nematodes and microbial respiration and positively associated with protozoa biomass and protozoa to bacteria ratios”
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