Potato Review

www.potatoreview.com POTATO REVIEW MAY/JUNE 2021 61 EVENTS pest and disease risk prediction platform developed by Fera for CHAP. Based on a network of more than 30 monitoring sites, CropMonitor Pro analyses a host of yield-impacting data, including weather, crop growth stage, disease levels, insect counts and disease spore loads. This is then combined and translated into field-level risk alerts, supporting the farmer in making timely decisions to combat diseases such as potato late blight as well as aphid and slug pressure. Mr Delf said: “Attitudes are changing and farmers are looking to more sophisticated decision support tools such as CropMonitor Pro to support wider integrated crop management (IPM) goals. “This is ideally demonstrated by Dr Ritchie’s presentation, using technology to help overcome on-farm problems such as resistance management. Knowing the level of risk and then applying the appropriate products accordingly means we really get the most from those products. “Of course, this is also important from a financial perspective. Without mancozeb as a multi-site fungicide there will be cost implications for the blight spray programme. Farmers and agronomists will be looking for reassurance that their input investment will be worth it.” To conclude the webinar, Mark Taplin of Harvest Agronomy Ltd discussed a practical view on decision support tools, from an on- farm perspective. For more information about the platform, visit https://chap-solutions.co.uk/ capabilities/cropmonitor-pro/ SCOTTISH POTATOES IN A BIG WORLD THE 2021 SACAPP Conference, held virtually, featured insights and advice from a number of renowned experts and industry figures who discussed where they thought the challenges and opportunities for the future lay for the potato sector. Amongst the large cross-section of industry speakers, Jon Pickup and Christophe Lacomme from SASA reviewed virus control in 2020, looking at the data and putting it into context to provide an insight into the trends and issues we will all be facing in 2021 and beyond, while Dr Mathuresh Singh, fromNew Brunswick, Canada, spoke about how the Canadians have brought virus under control and the different tools used and StevenThomson gave some good pointers on future support for agriculture and how it might affect potato growers, while comparing the direction of travel in England compared to Scotland. Video links to the full conference can be viewed online as follows: Session 1 – Scottish potatoes in a big world - vimeo. com/505332406/c56c5d0218; Session 2 –What is the greatest future opportunity for the potato sector? - vimeo.com/505595242/23c4c55188 ; Session 3a – Technical Seed Production (includes Christophe Lacomme) - vimeo. com/505783187; Session 3b – Technical Sustainable Production - vimeo.com/505804639 PERFECTING POTATOES BASF recently launched a campaign entitled Perfecting Potatoes Together. With the chemistry toolbox for potatoes shrinking, the company is looking to work together with growers and packers, to overcome agronomic challenges in potatoes. At a webinar earlier this month, a panel of speakers made up of Matt Goodson – Marketing Manager of Specialities, BASF; Mike Renouard – Business Unit Director, Jersey Royals; and Hugh Black – Grower in Angus supplying McCains discussed the challenges facing growers, seasonal issues, long-term issues with potatoes, tips to overcome them and what is needed to support growers in the future. For further details, visit www.agricentre. basf.co.uk/en/Real-Results-Circle/ Events/Real-Results-Virtual-Farm.