Minimising Bruising Campaign
What you do at planting can play a major role in minimising the bruising of the harvested crop.
See Planting Advice Card below |
Bruising is a significant factor affecting the competitiveness of the GB potato industry and is the biggest single cause of consumer complaint. Growers responding to our National Bruising Survey in January 2004 estimated that bruising is costing them £200/ha, that is £26 million to growers alone each year!
We led a cross industry campaign to help minimise bruising and cut losses to the industry by helping everyone involved in the production and handling of potatoes increase their awareness and understanding of bruising and how by team effort they can help reduce this costly problem.
Bruising risk assessment advice sheets
Fourteen risk assessment advice sheets are available covering the agronomic factors that can influence a crop's susceptibility to bruising. The advice sheets contain the latest findings from research, practical actions to take and give information on how to assess a crop's bruising susceptibility risk.
Download risk assessment sheets ...
Harvester settings guide
The Harvester Settings Guide, written by Fraser Milne, SAC machinery expert, with the support of the Agricultural Engineer's Association and the harvester manufacturers is a quick reference source of practical information for harvester operators.
The guide is in several parts:-
- A booklet describing the principles of good harvesting to reduce damage
- Summary cards that identify key generic settings for a range of soil conditions
- Manufacturer specific cards that identify key settings for specific harvester models
Download or order a harvester settings guide ...
Reminders of best practice
Everyone involved in the production and handling of potatoes has a part to play in minimising bruising. To act as reminders of the actions that will help to contribute to reduce bruising, a trailer driver's advice card and series of harvest checklists are available:
- Grading checklist, printable
- Harvesting checklist, printable
- Managers checklist, printable
- Picking checklist, printable
- Trailer driver checklist, printable
- Information on the Safe Use of Potato Harvesters AIS 13, printable
To act as daily visual reminders staff room posters, in-cab stickers and stickers for harvester/trailers/grading area are available.
How to complete a damage and bruising assessment ...
BPC Bruising Forum 2006
On 22nd February 2006, technical staff from potato production companies, machinery manufacturers and researchers participated in our third bruising discussion forum. The objective of the forum was to give participants the opportunity to hear about all current levy funded R&D and discuss future needs for R&D and KT activities for bruising. The report below summarises the key issues raised by the participants and contains a summary of the breakout sessions where participants discussed the future needs for R&D and KT priorities for bruising.
BPC Bruising Forum 2006 - report (pdf 103Kb)
Speakers' handouts:
Mark Stalham Cambridge University Farm (pdf 215Kb)
Fraser Milne SAC (pdf 83Kb)
Ron Croy Durham University (pdf 1933Kb)
Jeremy Wiltshire ADAS (pdf 649Kb)
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