Potatoes

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.

Population monitoring has revealed little change in the British late blight population during 2023, but the threat from resistant strains in Europe looms large and will require the use of robust anti-resistance fungicide strategies next year.

Burdens’ specialist vegetable machinery department is looking for more dealers for the Struik range of potato equipment.

British potato farmers have been facing significant challenges in recent years. The costs of production have all increased substantially and the sector is also being asked to become more sustainable. Everybody wants more predictability in the cost of inputs, marketable yield and the selling price at the farm gate. More and more UK potato farmers are turning to biostimulants to mitigate these challenges. Maxstim Ltd CEO Richard Salvage and CSO Dr Colin Fleming, who are both research scientists at the Institute of Global Food Security at Queens University, Belfast, explain.

National potato supplier Branston has appointed a new general manager for its pioneering protein extraction facility, in preparation for full scale production and commercialisation of potato protein in early 2024.

With preparations for the new year in motion and the harvest season typically concluded, the British Potato Show (BP2023) will return on 22nd-23rd November to the Yorkshire event centre in Harrogate.