Potato Review

CONTENTS www.potatoreview.com POTATO REVIEW JULY/AUGUST 2020 3 Editor’s letter It’s certainly been an eventful couple of months for Potato Review - even if we’ve been in lockdown and unable to get out and about to the usual trials and trade events! Never an industry to down tools and think ‘woe is me’, it’s been great to see so many knowledge-sharing and launching products and events online. While we acknowledge that it’s not quite the same as getting out there in person, we’d urge anyone who’s not yet joined the online conferences, videoed machinery launches and virtual shows to keep checking Potato Review’s website for updates - www.potatoreview.com/events . We’ve got some really insightful commentaries and reports for you to read this month, covering the latest advice on desiccation and ailing, virus testing, nutrients, sustainability and remote farm audits. On top of that, we report on how planting has got o to a good start, what we discovered from a visit to US growers, what consumers revealed in recent taste trials and why McCain has opted for ethynol. It’s been heartening to chat to so many people and hear how our industry is continuing to tick over, and as always I’d urge anyone to drop me an email at stephanie.cornwall@warnersgroup.co.uk if you have any news or insights you’d like to share with me. NEWS: 04 17 44 NUTRIENTS: How do you measure quality? INDUSTRY UPDATES 20 INTERNATIONAL FOCUS: What canwe learn fromthewest? FLAILING/DESICCATION: Cost increase depends on approach VIRUS: Consider seed testing 11 14 GRAMPIAN GROWERS: Focussing on future innovation 8 Stephanie Cornwall Editor SUSTAINABILITY: New growing considerations STORAGE McCain shares trial ndings REMOTE AUDITS CONSUMER TASTES PLANTING 23 36 29 33 40