News on Potato Cultivation from United Kingdom

As the potato harvest in the United Kingdom progresses, there are increasing reports of widespread scab.

In Scotland, a group of major potato businesses and public sector organisations have sponsored a £242,000 (USD 313,000) research project aimed at reducing the impact of potato disease blackleg on the Scottish seed potato industry.

AHDB Potatoes' first provisional estimate of total production in Great Britain for the 2016 crop year is 5.22 million tonnes, down 5% from 2015. Average yields for GB are estimated at just under 45 tonnes/ha, down 8% on last year.

AHDB Potatoes has produced provisional estimates of planted areas by variety for Great Britain for 2016.

Work to make potatoes more nutritious by including nanoparticles in the fertilizer formulation is proving promising, according to the AHDB-funded researcher Karen Davies

McCain Foods GB has recognised Park Farm near Leominister for its exceptional achievements over the potato crop year. Bill and Nicky Smith, of Park Farm, have received the Southern Champion Grower Award from popular chip brand McCain.

Elveden Farms, a West Suffolk estate is set to become a Regional Research & Demonstration Hub for potato growers and suppliers, thanks to funding from the Eastern Agri-Tech Growth Initiative.

In the United Kingdom, AHDB Potatoes has announced that it is searching for the first farmer host for its new Scottish Strategic Potato (SPot) Farm.

Branston (Potatoes) Ltd, based near Lincoln in the United Kingdom, has submitted a planning application with North Kesteven District Council for an expansion which would create 19 new jobs.

With reports again highlighting a concerning lack of knowledge amongst young adults and the origin of the food they eat, educating the next generation remains an important focus

After completing a solid and reliable distributor network in Belgium, The Netherlands,Germany and France, Dewulf~Miedema has now completed their dealer restructuring in England, Scotland and Ireland

Experts fear that in Scotland the combination of scaled back potato planting and a drop in yield due to wet weather could lead to a shortage of potatoes.

To support UK Potato Growers in decisions regarding irrigation and water use, AHDB Potatoes (Potato Council) has published a best practice guide 'Irrigation and water use'.

Potato growers and agronomists in he United Kingdom will be better prepared to cope with more aggressive blight strains this season, with a new BlightCast warning tailored to focus on infections now typically occurring earlier in the season at cooler temperatures.

At Lamma 2015 - UK's largest farm machinery, equipment and agricultural services show - visitors to the AVR booth can get intimately acquainted with AVR's new potato harvesters.

Tong Peal has taken screen grading technology to the next level with the launch of a new option on all models of its market leading EasyGrade screen grading modules, designed to increase efficiency and minimise downtime for farms and pack houses.

The potato industry flocked to Harrogate for BP2013, with organisers reporting a 20 per cent increase on the usual 6,000 attendance.

Grimme has introduced its flagship Varitron 470 four-row self-propelled potato harvester to the UK. One machine has been undergoing testing in East Anglia, while another has already been sold for red beet harvesting.