Potatoes in Practice set for Balruddery Farm

The UK’s leading potato field event Potatoes in Practice (PiP) will take place at the James Hutton Institute’s Balruddery Farm near Dundee next week.

Plant health officials, agronomists, scientists, machinery companies, trade and marketing organisations will have stands and the latest science, technology and practical advice will be on offer for growers, seed breeders and exporters.

The packed one-day programme next Thursday takes the form of a full day of agronomy and variety demonstration plots with guided tours, a technical seminar programme, research and trade stands together with static and working machinery displays.

The seminar programme focuses on four key subjects: market intelligence, apps and diagnostic tools, late blight and agronomy.

AHDB head of strategic insight, David Swales, will outline the challenges and opportunities for the potato industry from Brexit and give a consumer trends update.

The diagnostic tools session will see demonstrations of new tools PotatoSize, Buntata and BlightWatch.

The blight session includes a presentation on the Hutton Criteria for blight risk analysis, and the agronomy session will feature talks on the rise of potato cyst nematodes (PCN) in ware potatoes and Scotland’s green cover trials.

On-site demonstration topics will include the past, present and future of the fight against blight.

AHDB director Rob Clayton said: “PiP is a vital event for our industry. It’s the only time we see the breeders, seed houses, growers, researchers and manufacturers together for one event.”