The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Measure the impact on bottom line
It remains to be seen whether or not new techniques and treatments will yield results and ensure that spuds will become the pick of the crop in Perthshire holding
we have seen benefits, particularly in terms of the cost of the investment.”
Seed spacing will also be explored in more depth as last season suggested using wider spacing could be beneficial.
The team will also continue cultivation and nutrition trials.
Previous cultivation trials have shown that where bedtilling is removed completely, the cost of production reduced while packed yield increased.
The standout performer this year was the triple bedtiller which achieved a packed yield of 43 tonnes at a cost of just £59 per hectare. The control plot yielded only 28 tonnes at £82 per hectare.
Bruce Farms potato manager Kerr Howatson said: “There is clearly a trend on the farm which shows that reducing the number of cultivations, and the depth, does have a positive effect.”
As well as testing the triple bedtiller once more, there will also be a control plot(bedtilling,bedformingandde-stoning at 12in) and a third one that uses the cultivation method recommended by NIAB CUF which removes bedtilling completely and de-stones at the shallower depth of 11in.
On the nutrition side, there will be four trial plots which will vary the amount of nitrogen applied to the crop.
In the 2017-18 trials, the top one in terms of yield and packout percentage was the plot with no top dressing at all.
“We’re keen to prove that making changes in key areas does add real value and isn’t simply a one-off,” said Claire.
The open day at Bruce Farms is on July 10.