Potato Review

18 POTATO REVIEW JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2023 CROP STRATEGIES ‘Assess the whole rotation’ As an example, in the Herefordshire area, Andrew believes a rotation such as wheat, potatoes, wheat, maize, wheat, broccoli could work well not only for pro tability but also the diversity of crops can help to avoid pest build-up. “We spend a lot of time analysing and talking about inputs and input costs, such as fertiliser fuel land seed and crop protection costs, but capital expenditure should also come under the spotlight, too. Doing the maths on whether you can justify buying or leasing machinery, or looking at the possibility of hiring it when you need it, can help you assess the costs and risks so you can work out what is the best way forward.” Andrew notes that most providers are quite exible about hiring machinery, so it would be unlikely to put the work window at risk in a di cult year. Every eld is di erent, and he recommends identifying marginal land to build understanding of which areas are making money and those that are not – and also to review the planted area as a proportion of the whole eld. When using their own land for growing, he recommends using technology such as Omnia which creates yield maps which show the parts of the eld that have higher or lower productivity for the combinable crops in the rotation. “While the results are not yet directly relevant to potatoes, it is worth keeping an eye on how other crops in the rotation do, as if elds do not yield well where combinable crops are grown, they are unlikely to produce good potato yields.” “Carefully assessing the lie of the land will help evaluate the best way to plant the eld – and building better understanding of how to optimise e ciency.” Crops will have to work very hard this year to achieve good yields and necessary pro t margins, so clever cultivations and nutrient strategies are called for. He adds that another option for owned land that does not make money or is a high-risk cropping area, is to think of replacing the crop with a low-risk income, such as going into a CSS scheme However, as this would be di cult on rented land, one suggestion would be to plant a short-term environmental mix to provide predators and bene cials for potato pests. Nutrients – are you applying the right amounts? While it is generally accepted that understanding nutrients in the soil will help drive e ciency, Andrew advises growers to look hard at available phosphate levels and assess whether their nutrient strategy is really cost-e ective. “Using a 14:14:21 (NPK) compound is a popular strategy for many potato growers, but when you analyse it against the crop needs, it contains more phosphate (P) than is needed to grow a potato crop,” he said. For example, if soil is Index 3, it roughly needs only 50kg/P/ha, 220kg/N/ ha, and 300kg-350kg/K/ha. “ is implies that you are paying for a compound with too high much P, and although there may be energy savings because it is applied in one pass, these can be quickly be made up in savings on fertiliser if you apply the appropriate nutrition to t crop needs.” He points out that technology tools such as Omnia can help growers by providing the option of using variable fertiliser rates, so growers can use straights to the best e ect. “Another alternative is a tailor-made liquid blend which can be applied at planting, which has a particular advantage if conditions are very dry because it helps the crop uptake it. ere is also a bene t in terms of the carbon footprint - as It is applied into the soil, it helps keep fertiliser in the ground and out of the air.” e better the nutrition information from soils and what the crop needs, the better the nutrient use e ciency and therefore help keep costs under control, Andrew stressed. Although soil health remains key to the future, sometimes compromises may need to be made, particularly if the ground is rented. “If you are renting, your priority has to be feeding the crop rather than improving the ground but this isn’t ideal over a longer term and it is a good idea to discuss soil improvements with the landlord and to make a joined-up arrangement which takes proper measurement of soil indices and PCN levels. Optimise e ciency Andrew goes on to note that other areas to understand are the high costs of fuel and whether a contractor may be more cost e ective, as well as cropping logistics and whether – and where - any savings can be made. ere are some new single pass potato planters on themarket that have the potential to reduce fuel costs because the tractor use will be lower. “ ere are also some activities which you may nd could be tweaked to help keep costs down; for example cultivation practises use a lot of fuel, so keeping these to a minimum can have a real impact. “Costs of fuel are high. If you use a tractor, costs are likely to be around £50 per tractor per hour. If you take into account that excessive cultivations don’t produce higher yields tuber size or improve quality, choosing to keep cultivations to a minimum and reduce their depth is a no-brainer.” Assess fields for characteristics such as slope and shading - and how well previous crops have done. “Metering every store is a good idea because it really helps you gauge what is happening.”