Potatoes

UPL is offering 30 free potato store fogging treatments in September.

After putting a unique box and bag unloader through its paces, AKP Group has reported a 33% increase in efficiency and a 50% reduction in forklift movements.

On top of basic hygiene measures, potato growers are being urged to disinfect stores with peroxyacetic acid, applied as a wet fog, to reduce the carry-over of damaging diseases ahead of this year’s harvest.

Market data sourced from Mordor Intelligence predicts that the potato market will grow to a staggering $137 billion (over £105 billion) by 2029.  

Potato crops have endured long periods of weather conditions highly conducive to blight this season. Reports of blight outbreaks submitted for testing with the Fight Against Blight campaign have now topped 135 incidences across the UK. 

Potato growers are calling for political action as the future of homegrown potatoes comes under increasing pressure.

Late planting and slow emergence of potatoes in cold, wet conditions could leave crops more exposed to the effects of stress at the all-important tuber initiation stage this season, warns a Syngenta expert. 

Syngenta’s decision support agronomy advice for potato growers, BlightCast and Quantis Heat Stress Alert, have now been coupled into one convenient and easy to use digital platform, myField.

A discussion at Groundswell highlighted the potential to grow potatoes in a regenerative way – producing good, quality yields thanks to good soil analysis and careful management, leading to a reduction in inputs while maintaining yields.

Following a review done by the UK’s Health and Safety Executive, the governmental body proposes to withdraw approval for the active substance mancozeb, a multi-site fungicide.

Potato cyst nematodes and wireworm are amongst the greatest challenges facing growers. Without better control of both, the economic viability of potato production is under threat, but with fewer crop protection solutions to this dilemma finding a way to protect yields and quality is proving difficult. Agrii explains more.

Seed potato producers are being urged to treat disease-susceptible stocks with a fungicide during the first grading window after the tricky harvest hindered earlier applications.