14 minute read
Potatoes & Root Crops
| Potatoes & Root crops Sustainable Spr out Contr ol
Biox-M is a well-established and highly effective treatment to control sprouting in potatoes in store and is in widespread use in the UK and on the continent on crops destined for both fresh and processing markets. Although approved for use in the UK in 2012, the 2020 harvest season is the first to have seen widespread adoption of Biox-M as the principal product available for sprout control in this country. And, understandably, much of the immediate focus for new users has been on store management, efficacy and cost. Growers, storekeepers and end-user customers have been on a steep learning curve to ensure that they get the best from an unfamiliar product, which requires a very different approach to store management. However, this significant change to sprout control is not taking place in a vacuum. At the same time, British farm support is being turned on its head, with a shift to reward farmers for the delivery of public goods, many of which have a sustainability angle. And the world is moving, perhaps rather slowly, to address the challenges of climate change and to understand the role that farming and the management of farmland has to play in climate change mitigation. Biox-M is very much part of the wider sustainability tool-box, which customers and consumers expect growers to consider. Biox-M comes from a naturally occurring perennial crop, spearmint (mentha spicata), grown in a number of countries around the world – India, China and the US are large exporters. Carbon is sequestered in the crop and in the soil (perennial crops sequester carbon in soil much more effectively than annual crops). Spearmint oil is extracted by a simple process of steam distillation, used to extract many essential oils. To deliver a uniform product with a minimum level of carvone, the oil is blended to produce Biox-M. There is no synthetic, persistent or harmful chemistry involved.
Biox-M:
• Is a naturally occurring product, in widespread use in the food industry; • Is approved for use on organic
potato crops; • Has no harvest interval or MRL; • Does not leave persistent residues in the fabric of stores and boxes used for storage, • And is therefore suitable for use in stores, which may subsequently be used for the storage of other crops or seed potatoes; • Is effective at higher storage temperatures, reducing the risk of acrylamide development on processing; • Sequesters carbon during growth, removing 1t of CO2 for every 1,000t of potatoes treated; • And should be a component of the sustainability plan for every farm and every customer; effectively carbon neutral.
Biox-M is the natural and sustainable sprout control for potatoes.
Local mayor kicks off potato planting season for PotatoEur ope 2021
On the third Thursday of April, the first potatoes for the PotatoEurope harvesting demonstrations were planted under ideal weather conditions. By pressing the start button, acting mayor of Noordoostpolder Jan Westmaas sent autonomous implement carrier Robotti on its way to plant the first potato. The remainder of the big task was handled by planting machines of AVR, Dewulf and Grimme, aided by Case IH tractors. The planting of the potatoes for the harvesting demonstrations is another important step in the preparations for the PotatoEurope event, to be held on September 1-2 at the location of Wageningen University & Research (WUR) Field Crops in Lelystad. The potatoes of the chosen Aromata variety were planted under supervision of WUR Field Crops Farm Manager Jacob de Jong. The potatoes of this variety from potato breeding and trading company Schaap Holland are 35-50 millimeters in size and have been planted with a spacing of 28 centimeters. They are being grown on two plots with a total surface of 25 hectares at the event location of PotatoEurope 2021 in Lelystad, where the trade fair and a considerable number of demonstrations will take place on September 1-2. ‘The fieldwork, and thereby an essential part of the preparations for the upcoming edition of PotatoEurope in Lelystad, is proceeding according to plan. What helps is the good soil structure thanks to the frosts of last winter’, De Jong evaluates. It is the first time that potatoes have been planted with the Agrointelli Robotti, an autonomous implement carrier that can independently perform various agricultural tasks. The robot was responsible for pulling the Miedema CP 42 potato planter, a multipurpose 4-row cup planter. This first-of moment suits within the framework of the Robotisation project, a cooperation between WUR, Agrointelli and Dewulf, for which a part of the PotatoEurope demonstration plot has been reserved. After the Robotti had initiated the start of the first planting work on the potato demonstration fields, the task was taken over by 4-row planters Ceres 440 from AVR, Miedema Structural 4000 from Dewulf and Grimme’s GB439. The planters were pulled by two showpieces of sponsor Case IH: Maxxum CVX 145 and Puma CVX 175. ‘With planting the potatoes for PotatoEurope 2021, things are becoming more concrete. We are very proud of this absolute first, planting potatoes aided by a Robotti robot for the very first time. During PotatoEurope 2021 in September, the Robotti will also harvest these potatoes. Besides, today it became clear once again that we have set up a great cooperation with all parties involved, among whom manufacturers such as AVR, CASE IH, Dewulf and Grimme, WUR, Schaap Holland and of course the members of the press who were present. This is a great base for the further composition of PotatoEurope 2021’, Kuno Jacobs of organiser DLG Benelux summarized the day filled with potato planting. PotatoEurope is an international event exclusively dedicated to the entire potato industry chain. The event takes place each year, in one of the event’s four partner countries: Germany, Belgium, France, the Netherlands. On September 1 and 2 the organisation expects to welcome more than 275 exhibitors and about 16.000 visitors. Visit PotatoEurope.nl for more information, including: • Technical characteristics of the machines • Photos and video (next week) of the planting event
| Potatoes & Root crops FARMING INDUSTRY IGNORING VALUABLE RESEARCH AS FROSTS HIT
ALincolnshire farmer believes many in the industry are ignoring valuable research into how best to protect crops from extreme weather conditions and are losing millions of pounds as a result. As well as growing potatoes, sugar beat cereals and peas at Rose Villa Farm in Spalding, Lincolnshire, Marcus Palmer is the sole UK distributor of Algifol, a seaweed-based biostimulant. Marcus says recent unexpected frosts, combined with almost no rainfall in April, will have had a drastic effect on many growers, who rely solely on chemical fertilisers. Mr Palmer says that despite academic studies being produced since 2009, UK farmers are sadly ignorant of the natural properties of biostimulants such as Algifol. One such academic papers - De Saeger, J., Van Praet, S., Vereecke, D. et al. Toward the molecular understanding of the action mechanism of Ascophyllum nodosum extracts on plants. J ApplPhycol 32, 573–597 (2020) - written in 2019, said that the use of brown seaweed enhances play tolerance against environmental stresses such as drought, salinity and frost. While the studies have not shown how or why the biostimulant improves the plant's ability to cope with extreme weather, they have clearly demonstrated that the Ascophyllum nodosum extracts in Algifol and its lipophilic fraction significantly increased tolerance to freezing temperatures in vitro and in vivo assays. Seaweed extracts have been used for many years and in several areas, including medicine and agriculture. Still, despite calls for the use of inorganic fertilisers to be reduced, the need to maintain or increase yields has maintained the popularity of traditional methods. One Cambridgeshire farmer has witnessed the benefits of applying Algifol to a field of frost-damaged early potatoes and still uses Algifol to this day to improve the quality of his produce Greg Gowler, who farms 450 acres in Cambridgeshire with his son Adam. In May 2017, Greg saw his early potatoes had turned black following a sharp frost. However, just one day after applying Algifol, at the rate of one litre per hectare, the leaves recovered quickly and went onto produce a good crop for him. "We had a real hard frost, and it hit my early potatoes badly," says Greg. "I was in a bit of a panic but having used Algifol before, I knew how good it was so I gave Marcus a ring. He arranged an express delivery. "I was amazed at how the crop recovered. The leaves went from black to normal in a matter of days, and with continued applications through the season, I got a very pleasing yield. I still use Algifol to this day." Manufactured in Germany by NeoMed-Pharma, Algifol contains significant levels of trace elements, vitamins, enzymes, amino acids, carbohydrates, polyuronides and growth-regulating plant hormones. As well as having a yield-enhancing effect, NeoMedPharma says its biostimulant also helps lower the crop's carbon footprint by improving fertiliser uptake through better rooting and improved photosynthesis, thus reducing leaching and losses to the atmosphere. "Lincolnshire, in particular, has been hit by hard frosts recently, and I've heard from lots of people that their crops have been affected," says Marcus. "When you combine these frosts with a lack of rainfall, it's quite a challenge to achieve good crop establishment. I think there could be millions of pounds worth of damaged crops in fields around Yorkshire and Lincolnshire at the moment, which could be revived by using a biostimulant such as Algifol. There is increasing awareness of biostimulants, and lots of the big fertiliser and chemical companies are introducing their own brands. Algifol has been established for a long time and is proven around the world. Our customers, once they've tried it, rarely go back. It really is that effective." Algifol can be used on all crop types, with MJP Supplies recommending a one litre
The Gowler family - Greg left Adam right - Daniel centre
per hectare rate of application via a trailed or mounted sprayer. The product can be applied alongside most crop protection products. "The algae used to produe Algifol grows on rugged, rocky shores, where it is whipped by waves and at low tides endures dryness, sun and frost. The seaweed grows 30 times faster than land plants and has, over millions of years, adapted to the incredible stress of their location," adds Marcus. "The best part for farmers is that Algifol passes this stress tolerance onto plants!"
To find out more about Algifol or to purchase a trial pack, visit www.mjpsupplies.co.uk; email marcus@mjpsupplies or call 07702 293 727
B -HIVE DEVELOPS UK ’S FIRST POTATO PROTEIN EXTRACTION PROCESS
B-Hive Innovations
B-hive Innovations is an Agri-tech R&D business based in Lincoln. B-hive develops innovative technologies for fresh produce industry to increase marketable yield, better crop utilisation, adding new value and reducing food waste in the supply chain. Branston
Branston is one of the UK’s leading suppliers of potatoes - for leading UK retailers and wholesalers - as well as providing seed for potato growers. It has sites in Lincoln, Scotland and the South West, with Lincoln also being the home of its award-winning prepared foods factory. Working closely with its producer groups across its three sites, Branston is supporting the development and adoption of new technologies including HarvestEye to gain value from every single potato and promote sustainability.
AGRITECH R&D business BHive Innovations is leading the way in crop valorisation after developing a new process that will extract food-grade functional protein from potatoes. Following extensive research, their extraction process will be put into practice at a new £6m protein plant facility, where construction started last week at national potato supplier Branston's headquarters in Lincolnshire. The commercial factory will include bespoke technologies and capabilities to meet the growing demand for UK-grown, plant-based food ingredients. B-Hive will work alongside Branston to deliver the facility as part of a collaborative project to improve potato crop utilisation. The factory will be the first of its kind in the UK converting humble potatoes into clean-label functional protein, which has applications in vegetarian and vegan foods. A starchbased co-product will also be generated, with the potential to create a range of applications. Alison Wright, R&D project manager at B-Hive Innovations, said: “We established the process following years of research resulting in gentle extraction of food-grade functional protein that is free from allergens. Our work has been made possible by the support of collaborative partners and funding from Innovate UK, which we are incredibly grateful for. “Consumers are aware of the healthy fibre and starch content in potatoes, but they don’t always consider the protein fraction. Market research revealed there was a growing demand for UK-grown, clean-label, 100% plant-based ingredients, highlighting a commercial need that fitted perfectly with Branston’s drive to utilise all harvested crop.” Innovate UK helps business develop new products, services and processes that they need to grow through innovation. Their drive towards net-zero provides funding opportunities in multiple areas including transforming food production and improving agricultural supply-chains. Vidyanath (Vee) Gururajan, managing director at B-Hive Innovations, said: “We’re delighted to have developed a process to support sustainability and crop utilisation for the potato industry. We are very grateful to the Innovate UK funding during the initial stages of the project and the partners who have continued to work with us in scaling up this project from concept to commercialisation.” For more information about B-Hive Innovations, visit www.bhiveinnovations.co.uk.
Aprolonged period of dry weather followed by early May's rainfall is likely to require a change of herbicide strategy for potato growers this season. The bulk of weed control in the sector is carried out using resid‐ual chemistry applied to ridges shortly after planting. But with April's average rainfall dropping below 15mm – when growers typically see 72mm –weeds have not had the moisture to germinate and some growers have seen ridges degrade. Corteva Agriscience's Field Tech‐nical Manager, Craig Chisholm, says this scenario means recent rainfall – or irrigation – will stimu‐late both surface weeds and those coming from depth. He said: "The dry, cold weather means potato growers are in a different position this year when it comes to weed control and strategies will have to be adapted to 2021's conditions. "Dry ridges will lose soil from their sides, causing disruption of the seal required for residual herbi‐cides to be effective, and will al‐low weeds to germinate and grow away unchecked once stimulated by the arrival of moisture." Leaving weeds unchecked can hit yield and slow down harvesting machinery, but a greater threat may come from increasing the risk of blight through sheltering leaves or contributing to a more favourable microclimate. Craig added: "The aim is always to start with a clean field then tackle any late germination but, with such limited rainfall, a more effective course of action would be to apply a herbicide when weeds begin to actively grow." Titus, containing the active in‐gredient rimsulfuron, targets the key problem weeds and will be an invaluable tool in a dry season when pre-emergence activity will be negatively affected. Titus may be used in tank mix with metribuzin, where varieties permit, or alone with a wetter to provide post-emergence activity across all potato varieties, ex‐cluding seed crops. Craig said the key weeds to target are charlock, cleavers, chickweed, hemp-nettle, small
nettle and volunteer oilseed rape. Polygonums and couch grass should also be taken out. He said: "We have seen rain since the Bank Holiday weekend and in many areas this will stimulate germination after the damage was done in terms of a pre-emergence herbicide. "We would advise a mixture of Titus plus metribuzin and a wetter to broaden the weed spectrum, but care should be taken to check that the variety is tolerant of metribuzin before adding to the mixture. "Being a sulfonylurea herbicide Titus will work most effectively against small actively growing weeds, so application should target weeds at cotyledon fourleaf stage." Application timing should be from rosette stage of the crop until 25cm, after which hitting the target weeds would be impaired. Titus can be used on all varieties except seed crops.
About Corteva Agriscience Corteva Agriscience is a publicly traded, global pureplay agriculture company that provides farmers around the world with the most complete portfolio in the industry including a balanced and diverse mix of seed, crop protection and digital solutions focused on maximizing productivity to enhance yield and profitability. With some of the most recognized brands in agriculture and an industryleading product and technology pipeline well positioned to drive growth, the company is committed to working with stakeholders throughout the food system as it fulfills its promise to enrich the lives of those who produce and those who consume, ensuring progress for generations to come. Corteva Agriscience became an independent public company on June 1, 2019, and was previously the Agriculture Division of DowDuPont. More information can be found at www.corteva.com.
