News on Research from United Kingdom

They’re one of the UK’s most loved staples, providing around half of our carbohydrate intake as a nation and supporting over 20,000 farm, transport and manufacturing jobs.

The British Potato Industry Event 2025 is back this November, uniting professionals from across the potato supply chain for two action-packed days of networking, innovation, and industry insights.

Fera scientists have made breakthrough progress with industry-steered wireworm research, highlighting where and when the pest is expected to pose the highest risk to arable and fresh produce crops over the next two decades. 

GB Potatoes has announced that Alex Godfrey will be taking over the reins as Chairman after being elected at the Annual General meeting on the 12th December. Alex takes over from Mark Taylor who has been the Chair ever since the launch of the organisation in 2022.

The potatoes sector is to benefit from the delivery of seven industry projects funded by residual levy reserves, after a grant agreement was signed between AHDB and GB Potatoes.

This year’s Hutchinsons Potato Demonstration Day, held at Worth Farms, Holbeach, Lincolnshire, focussed on potential solutions to address some of the key challenges faced by UK potato growers.

John Sedgwick, the UK Potato Supply Manager at Lamb Weston, has been officially named the new Board Chair of the UK Potato Processors’ Association (PPA).

The concept of foliar applied preparations is based on science, but when they were initially introduced in the late 1990’s many of the initial products had drawbacks, such as leaf scorch, low active volumes per application, poor uptake and even phytotoxicity.

The UK's leading potato sprout control technology provider has confirmed it is exhibiting at SPot Store on 14th May.

The Fera-led R&D project, Enigma I, is reporting impressive results halfway through its investigation into sustainable wireworm control – a pest issue causing significant annual yield losses in root vegetable and salad crops.

Former Chief Executive of NFU Scotland, Scott Walker, has been appointed as the new part-time CEO for GB Potatoes.

B-hive Innovations, a cutting-edge, agri-tech research and development business is embarking on a new collaborative programme that aims to reduce the risk of potato bruising and develop technologies that could reduce supermarket waste.

A biostimulant brand that is increasingly popular with potato growers will make its debut at this year’s British Potato show in Harrogate. Algifol, which is a seaweed-based biostimulant, will be on stand 123A in Hall 1 at the November event.

European Space Agency (ESA) has been supporting research in frying cooking methods in microgravity to fill in knowledge gaps on Earth and in space. Frying potatoes in space seems to be possible!

A new predictive method has shown a way to better select parents for new potato varieties, offering a blueprint for better potatoes and a way to speed up the production of higher yield varieties.

Defra and UKRI, as part of the Farming Innovation Programme, recently announced funding for 'Potato-LITE' – a multimillion pound project over four years

Ground-Sensing technology TuberScan - developed by Agri-tech business B-hive Innovations and partners - is entering its final phase of testing both overseas and now in the UK following the start of this year’s weather-delayed potato growing season.

With weed control a key challenge for farmers, and reduced sensitivity to some herbicides a continuing problem. New product trials by FMC have demonstrated that effective controls are on the horizon.