Potato Review

www.potatoreview.com POTATO REVIEW MARCH 2022 9 NEWS SPONSORED BY Establishing strong plants Total crop nutrition advice to boost plant health and improve crop yield. Best environmental contender amongst carb sources AN environmental impact report by the Barilla Center For Food & Nutrition reveals that potato CO 2 emission figures compare very favourably to other carb-strong foods like bread, pasta and rice. The report calculates that the CO 2 emission of potatoes is 1,205g per kilogram produced. The same report reveals emissions are 1,050g for bread, 1,660g for legumes, 2,155g for pasta and 3,755g for rice. Potatoes use 55 litres for every kilogram produced while bread uses 1,170l/kg, pasta 1,775l, rice 2,585l and legumes 2,710l. The Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition Foundation (BCFN) analyses the environmental, economic and social aspects of food. Its research findings are revealed in a the form of a ‘double pyramid’, with an inverted pyramid on the right revealing how foods are classified in terms of their environmental impact. Potatoes appear in the second layer of the nutrition pyramid which shows high nutritional value as well as in the environmental pyramid showing low impact. Data for its report was obtained from publically-available databanks and scientific research studies and the values obtained for the environmental indicators refer to 1 kg (or litre) of food. It takes 5m² to produce a kilogram of potatoes, which is half the area of rice and just 28% of the land needed to produce a kilogram of legumes. Timelyadviceas rot-testing increases MORE and more seed suppliers and ware growers have been using testing services in recent years to identify crops that are at higher risk of developing soft rots in store, so they can be earmarked for sale earlier in the season or stored using cold stores rather than ambient facilities. Fera’s Bacteriology Diagnostic TeamManager Brian Carter said tests such as those provided by Fera are increasing in popularity because storage and marketing regimes can be planned accordingly. Although severe and advanced symptoms of Blackleg are usually easy to spot, early stages and latent infection can be harder to see and can lead to large losses in stored crops if not detected before harvest. Another advantage is where growers or suppliers have the choice of two or more similar seed stocks and want to identify those with the lowest risk of developing Blackleg over the growing season. Brian said: “Splitting into sub-samples reduces the potential for a few infected tubers to skew the overall result. We then report the level of bacteria found. If colony counts are below 1,000 then it’s considered a low-level risk, while between 1,000 and 100,000 represents an intermediate level and moderate risk. Anything over 100,000 you are looking at quite a high level and elevated risk of disease development.” He went on to add that it’s important to have a representative sample of tubers, not just those with signs of rotting. “It is important to understand that the test result gives a snapshot of the time when it is carried out, so while it provides a good indication of risk level, it is not predicting whether or not crops will develop soft rots in store for example,” he said. “A crop with a moderate level of bacteria may store well for a reasonable time in a good facility, while one with a lower level may develop soft rot symptoms in a di erent environment.” A s farmers throughout the UK are kicking o the Spring season, attention for potato growers should be upon successfully establishing the crop. Planting the seed in prime conditions, with the correct levels of nutrition, sets the plant up to thrive throughout the growing season. Consider dressing the seedwith an application of BiomexDusterwhich, whilst improving soil health, works to stimulate the growth of roots leading to increasedplant tolerance to abiotic stress, improved emergence, earlier bulking, increased vigour andnutrient uptake. Remember to ensure there is plant available phosphate in the ground, which canbe enhanced by the use of Polymex. Plant establishment will also be aided by the correct base fertiliser choice, ensuring youhave an optimum level of nutrition ready to supply seed uptake. Using soil analysis tomake the correct agronomic decision, andprotect soil health, a FACTS quali ed advisorwill be able to advise on the best formonplaced fertiliser for the crop. Suspension fertilisers prove a helpful choice for potato growers due to their bespoke nature, and timemanagement bene ts. Contractor- applied suspension fertilisers are contract applied, freeing upprecious time as the season gets underway for the farmer, and evenly coats the crop right up to the eld edge. As crops start to emerge towards the end of April, ensure you’remonitoring crop growth with SAP analysis, and in contact with your cropnutrition agronomist who can assess the plant and advise on the best ICMprogramme, implementing foliar feedingwhere needed. Contact the Liquid Fertiliser Experts Call: 01526 396000 Email: agriculture@omex.com Visit: www.omex.com