PiP focus on industry’s changing priorities
Potatoes in Practice, Britain's most important field gathering for the potato industry in 2008, takes place at Gourdie Farm, by Invergowrie, Dundee on Thursday August 7. Sponsored by Potato Council and hosted by SCRI, Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) and CSC Potatocare, it is now well established as the leading field-based event for growers, merchants, seed suppliers, packers and processors to catch up on the latest potato-related research.
This year it's more important than ever to stay informed, notes Potato Council seed and export manager Mark Prentice. "There's been a seismic shift in priorities for the potato industry since last year's Potatoes in Practice (PiP) event.
"Growers have experienced massive increases in input costs. Withdrawals and threatened revocations of a number of key pesticides, tighter regulations and a changing spectrum of pest and disease threats all conspire to challenge the way you can profitably grow potatoes."
The focus of PiP 2008 is to explore how the latest levy-funded and other potato-related research address today's priorities.
"Potatoes in Practice is the best opportunity you get to see the broad range of potato research carried out on your behalf. All the field work on show at PiP is geared towards delivering solutions to current challenges.
"You simply can't get a better understanding of how it relates to your own on-farm situation than by coming to the event and discussing the issues first hand with the experts who will be there."
Free to attend, seminar topics cover the carbon footprint of potato production, virus awareness and how changing consumer interests are affecting the market.
It's also a chance to be guided round a wide range of field trials that are meeting industry's current priorities. This year there are three distinct areas of interest into which the trial work has been grouped:
• Herbicide use, pesticide residues and haulm destruction – featuring alternatives to paraquat and linuron
• Pest and disease control, diagnostics and virus-related work – featuring a demonstration on Dickeya dianthicola, previously known as Erwinia chrysanthemi
• Nutrition, composting and greenhouse gases – featuring fertiliser demonstrations that focus on varying rates of nitrate and phosphate
Both in the field and in the event marquee there will also be a host of industry-leading companies showcasing the latest products, research and services. Meanwhile machinery dealers and manufacturers will display the latest models and technology.
