Cast on seed potatoes

Project’s main players are used to working together

The three key players in the Spot farm already have a clear head start on the project as they have been collaborating on finding solutions to the industry’s loss of diquat for the last seven years.

Farmer Jim Reid, Eric Anderson of Scottish Agronomy and Colin Herron of Mccain have worked together on field trials to find mechanical and non-mechanical aternatives to chemicals.

Eric said: “Losing diquat challenges the ability to cease the growth of the crop at a point that is right for the grower, in order to get the tuber size correct.

“Finding a solution is difficult, but not impossible.”

Colin added: “We’re not starting from scratch because we recognised several years ago we would be losing these desiccants, and the alternative – flailing – has the potential to cause quality issues.”

The group predicts soil health and climate change targets will dominate discussions at Spot farm meetings as soils move up the climate change agenda.

However, Eric says Scottish farmers should not feel threatened by the prospect of increased interest in soils, and insists growers can capitalise on the current debate.

However, he warns that understanding of the subject is at a very simple level.

“Neither the politicians nor the bean counters understand food production, agriculture or soils, and the Scottish Government currently has a climate change policy but not an agriculture policy, which is concerning,” he said.

“What they understand is the simple concept of net zero carbon, and there is a real opportunity for agriculture to positively engage with the philosophy of net zero.

“Farmers are land managers on 85% of the country, and we are part of the solution.”

Colin said all aspects of seed potato sustainability would be investigated by the Spot farm, including the feeder stock of seed going in to the processing crop, financial sustainability and commodity supply.

“Mccain has global sustainability and climate footprint targets,” he said.

“And financial sustainability is vital for everyone involved in the industry. It comes from cropping sustainability, looking after the soil, and improving quality and yields in order to keep costs down.

“We need to ensure the economics are right from a GB perspective given that our competition is across the water,” he added.

Greg Dawson of Scottish Agronomy, Colin Herron, Jim Reid, AHDB senior knowledge exchange manager Claire Hodge, Rob Scott, Eric Anderson.