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High profile for resource management at World Potato Congress
Doris Blaesing of the RM Consulting Group in Australia and Anton Haverkort of Netherlands-based Wageningen University acknowledge that, at first sight, making decisions about how to use the resources of labour, land, machinery, stores, water, pesticides, fertilisers and energy more efficiently may seem complicated. Pressure on growers to develop sustainable production systems on top...
10 May 2012 -
The aphid monitoring service has gone ‘live’ for the 2012 season
Growers and agronomists already registered for Aphmon alerts and reports need to login to the Aphmon website and review their settings. The Potato Council-funded network of 100 Yellow Water Traps (Aphmon) is now live. Growers signing-up for this Fera-hosted service can receive timely notice of which species are flying before significant virus pressure builds. Potato...
10 May 2012 -
Water – Environment Agency reduces the cost of taking high flows
Potato Council technical executive Chris Steele looks at the latest information on the water situation. Despite restrictions being lifted in the South West of England, the Midlands and parts of Yorkshire due to the recent rainfall, parts of East Anglia and South East England still remain in drought. Some growers have been unable to re-fill their reservoirs because of the...
10 May 2012 -
Exceptional turnout for the first South West Potato Day
Despite inclement weather, the first South West Potato Day (April 26 at Frogmary Green Farm, South Petherton, Somerset) was a big hit with growers arriving from as far afield as Cornwall. More than 70 delegates engaged with the speakers concerning practical information on subjects such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions and the latest news from the Metaldehyde Stewardship Group....
10 May 2012 -
Ageing in store
If you are storing potatoes until this time of year, tuber ageing is going to affect your crop and probably in more ways than one. How? The simplest effect is through potatoes losing moisture. Weight loss results in softening and shrinkage, maybe even compression damage. Dehydration is a fairly simple, physical process and we understand what we have to do to limit it - keep humidity high and...
1 May 2012