News on Potato Cultivation from United Kingdom

The UK’s approach to weed management investment needs to be overhauled, if the needs of industry are to be met. That was the conclusion of the first ever major cross-sector review of weed management, commissioned by AHDB and BBRO.

After Great Britain published its potato statistics earlier this month, the North-western European Potato Growers (NEPG) created the overview for their entire region: an 18 percent lower total harvest

Leading handling equipment manufacturer for potatoes and vegetables, Tong Engineering, has announced a number of key new appointments as part of an ongoing commitment to its growing customer base.

Bill Watts has joined AHDB as Arable Knowledge Exchange Manager (Potatoes) for the West Midlands, South West and Wales.

Based on Tong Engineering's proven Fieldloader for in-field and on-farm cleaning and loading of potatoes and other root crops, the Fieldloader PRO has been designed with even greater flexibility, transportability and the gentlest handling in mind.

Rezatec - a UK based company focused on the analysis and interpretation of satellite data - has in collaboration with AHDB Potatoes investigated the effectiveness of using satellite data to map the extent of potato crops in pilot locations across the UK.

The Potato Processing companies in the United Kingdom have released a statement through the Potato Processors’ Association Ltd (PPA), expressing their concern for the impact of current weather conditions on UK potato processing sector.

The total area in Great Britain planted with potatoes is estimated at 119,000 hectares(ha), a fall of three per cent on the previous year. This would represent the third-lowest planted area on record, with an agricultural drought likely to affect yields.

AHDB secured nine emergency authorisations for potato, herb, celery, carrot, parsnip, cherry and plum for UK growers to protect their crops.

The weather has not been kind to potato growers in the United Kingdom. AHDB potatoes offers some helpful tips and guidance to make it a successful potato growing season nevertheless.

This year has seen the latest ever planting of early potatoes in Northern Ireland as farmers battle poor weather conditions, according to industry leaders.

Late Blight control strategies in the United Kingdom will have to change this season if potato growers are to combat the spread of a new aggressive, fungicide-insensitive/ resistant strain of the disease, leading agronomy firm Hutchinsons says.

Although PCN testing of soil for seed potato cultivation is typically strictly regulated, different procedures are in use for the testing of soil for ware potatoes - and which one is used has huge consequences for the reliability.

Following an investigation by the Animal and Plant Health Agency earlier this year, it has been confirmed that ulluco tubers imported into the UK from a number of different sources were infected by harmful viruses, highlighting that there is uncertainty about the disease status of this crop in general.

Levity CropScience, a UK based company specialized in 'smart fertilizers' has announced it will reveal industry changing research at BP2017 on how their products have increased potato yields by at least €1000 per hectare in farms across Europe.

A genetically-modified (GM) Maris Piper designed to resist the devastating plant disease late blight has worked “brilliantly” during the first year of field trials, according to scientists of The Sainsbury Laboratory (TSL)

One of the key features of the biennial British Potato event is the seminar programme and the approaching Brexit is of course a topic that must be front and center at an event in the United Kingdom.

Potato Farmers are reminded to consider safety during harvest, since incidents during the potato harvesting season remain a common cause of serious and fatal injury.