Potato Review

SOIL HEALTH IN-FIELD sales@haith.co.uk +44 (0) 1302 831911 www.haith.co.uk Strategic Partner From single machines through to complete turnkey installations, Haith has unrivalled experience and expertise in designing and installing potato handling solutions. WASHERS & DESTONERS POLISHERS TURNKEY SOLUTIONS INNOVATION COMBINED BOX TIPPLERS IN-TAKE OPTICAL SORTERS GRADERS Haith 1/4 Page Advert-June 21 ART.indd 1 07/06/2021 14:07 Phosphate findings Researchers hope new kit will help preserve anion supply and reduce fertiliser use. I T is reported that global phosphate sources may only last 30-100 years at current usage rates, ending the supply of phosphate fertilisers - but a new rapid in- eld soil test kit could help farmers to more precisely utilise this valuable nutrient. Designed as part of the Phos eld project, funded by ERDF’s Agri-Tech Cornwall programme, the test kit provides precise results within just 20 minutes - a massive improvement on the several-day turnaround by laboratories. “Most farmers test their soils for phosphate every three to ve years,” explained Dr Susan Tandy, soil scientist at Rothamsted Research. “ ey usually take several samples from across the eld and amalgamate them to get an average reading.” However, the level of phosphate will vary across elds, and more accurate GPS-located testing would enable farmers to apply fertiliser at variable rates - and thereby achieve more consistent yields. More importantly, phosphate availability can change over time and depends on the soil type, so by testing more frequently and knowing the soil type farmers can be even more accurate in their fertiliser application, she adds. e test has been three years in development, and has been trialled in Ghana, where it could have signi cant bene ts. “ e technique would be extremely useful in developing countries as they have limited lab access to test their soils, Phosphate loss to watercourses causes damaging pollution. Photo by Max Andrey from Pexels