Potato Review

www.potatoreview.com POTATO REVIEW NOVEMBER 2021 19 BIOSTIMULANTS A profitable tool in potato crops For the third year, Timac Agro products have been independently assessed in on-farm trials in Cheshire to review the impact of biostimulants across a range of potato crops. We catch up to see how the 2021 results fared. B IOSTIMULANTS are starting to play a pivotal role in potato production. With more extreme weather patterns and fluctuations in commodity prices, growers need to look to protect their assets at all costs. Timac Technical Advisor, David Newton, says although previously overlooked in the sector, biostimulants are becoming more mainstream, with ag-chem companies starting to utilise them in their portfolios. And, with current concerns around fertiliser price hikes, he adds biostimulants will prove valuable in maximising every application. “Using biostimulants is an added insurance policy to protect your crop against any stresses, such as extreme weather, nutrient deficiencies, or when having to apply nitrogen sparingly,” explains David. “Over the last three years, we’ve been able to work alongside our distributor and grower at 3Shires, to showcase exactly how the use of biostimulants can provide a significant return on investment (ROI).” Trials review from 2020 In 2020, trials were carried out at the 3Shires site on Taurus crisping variety, grown on clay loam soils. They were treated with a split dose of Fertiactyl starter and Fertileader Vital Andrew Ollier David Newton ➜