Potatoes

The bi-annual Seed Potato Industry event will be held online for the first time, delivered by the Hopin digital platform on the 24th November.

McDonald’s has announced two new partnerships with its long-standing potato supplier McCain and charity The Prince’s Countryside Fund. Both partnerships are part of McDonald’s ongoing commitment to support both the future of farming and work alongside its suppliers to introduce sustainable innovations.

AHDB research has identified potential desiccation blind spots for potato growers, putting them at risk of virus and disease if they do not follow an integrated approach to new desiccation regimes.

Mixed weather patterns across many regions of the UK and Ireland is leading to localised outbreaks of late blight in potatoes, according to Corteva Agriscience.

Nominations are now open for two prestigious awards recognising individuals who’ve made significant contributions to the UK potato industry. The Potato Industry Award is a lifetime achievement accolade, whilst the

The Chemicals Regulation Division (CRD) has approved the use of Funguran Progress to control late blight in organic potato crops.

The UK planted area for potatoes has held up despite a turbulent season for growers, according to the AHDB.

Resistance strains to the highly popular blight fungicide fluazinam developed in the UK population probably because of over use of a single active. Looking at The Pesticide Usage Survey, going back several years, the usage of fluazinam has been as high as 384,000 hectares in 2010.

Rain showers and warming temperatures have heightened the threat of potato blight with Hutton Criteria disease warnings declared across many of the UK’s key growing regions.

Hutton periods are now being recorded in England and the focus needs to shift to blight control in potatoes.

British farmers have persevered in the face of adversity to compete 89 per cent of the potato harvest during the wettest year so far since 2012.

A ban on feeding maleic hydrazide-treated potato waste to livestock has now been lifted, leaving growers free to use the active ingredient without fear of losing their end markets.