Potato Review

14 POTATO REVIEW JANUARY 2022 BP2021 breaks,” he said, noting that in addition to the target of controlling black scurf suggested thresholds for action on other diseases are 0.5 dry rot and/or gangrene. “If you know the variety is susceptible or has a resistance rating of less than three, a seed treatment is recommended.” Chitting could be making a come-back Chitting is often considered to be valuable in helping growers manage extended, cold springs with delayed emergence and early maturity of the crop at harvest. This because the process of encouraging seed potatoes to sprout before planting helps them get away sooner once they are in the ground rather than sitting in cold, wet soils and becoming susceptible to diseases such as rhizoctonia. As recent spring weather has led to the persistence of cold soils, it has seen something of a resurgence, particularly among growers who produce for the early markets. Potato grower Sam Daw, who is a partner at Staffordshire-based family farmers W.B. Daw and Son, has been addressing some of the challenges of chitting by creating an innovative way of productionising the process and bringing it into the 21st century. On-show at the Techneat Engineering stand at BP2021 was the Mega-Chit tray system, with a unique format based on plastic trays which can each take 100-125kg. Tom said the aim of having translucent slats was to facilitate light passing through, reducing the time needed for chitting. The removal of the end piece of wood means the whole box can be tipped straight into the planter with a conventional box tipper. This means fewer movements and rolling of the seed potatoes are necessary, so damage to sprouts is minimised. Another benefit is that just five people together can tray up 30t of seed into the system in four hours, a considerable saving in terms of labour compared to conventional chitting trays, he said. Good sampling strategy remains key to PCN control Knowing where the pest is in the field is still the best basis for effective potato cyst nematode (PCN) control, said researcher Dr John Keer of Richard Austin Agriculture. The company has been offering an independent analytical and agricultural consultancy for more than 30 years, including soil analysis and PCN testing. Talking on his stand at BP2021, he reflected that poor sampling technique may lead to ineffective PCNmanagement strategies being followed, resulting in proliferation of PCN and loss of yield. For example, if one cyst in a 100ml sample is missed, it is equivalent to 30 million cysts in a 1ha field. John said: “It is the number of cores rather than core size which is important and I would always recommend a minimum of 50 cores/ha.” He points out that in a high value crop such as potatoes he advises growers s undertake a robust soil sampling, even when land is perceived as being ‘clean’ and free from PCN, as there may be hotspots. “The overall cost of GPS sampling and PCN analysis at one sample per hectare is about £36/ha, yet the impact of a PCN problem can be massive if you get it wrong.” Improving sustainability of drip irrigation Leftover drip irrigation tapes, which are normally piled up as waste after being ripped up at the end of the season, are being given a new lease of life through recycling. “Many growers who have either been struggling to re-use irrigation tapes or finding they have to dispose of them as waste, are now seeking to improve their sustainability credentials,” said irrigation specialist Andrew Howseman of Howseman Agriculture. In 2021 he extended his offer to include Streamline X ReGen, which is made up of 60% recycled plastic and 40% new polymers. “Not only do we now help growers set up, but for a small fee we can also offer the service for irrigation tubing retrieval and reuse,” he said. “We are also working towards a rebate scheme which would help growers offset the price they pay for the following year’s ReGen tape. “This means that now not only do we help growers ensure they make the most “Our first store managers course is programmed for March, and will be covering all aspects of store management from ventilation, sprout suppression and cost control.” Adrian Cunnington, Potato Storage Insight