2016-07-29 |
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Potatoes in Practice to be held at Dundee
Potato industry representatives, growers and influencers from all over the UK and beyond are expected to descend on Dundee next month to take part in Potatoes in Practice (PiP) 2016, the UK’s largest technical potato field event offering a high-standard mix of science, technology and practical advice.
Growers, seed breeders, exporters, plant health officials, agronomists, scientists, machinery companies, trade and marketing organisations all gather at PiP, making it an essential event in the potato technical calendar. The packed one-day programme takes the form of a full day of agronomy and variety demonstration plots with guided tours, a technical seminar programme, research and trade stands, static and working machinery displays.
2015 Potatoes in Practice
This year’s event will be held on Thursday 11th August, at the James Hutton Institute’s Balruddery Farm, Invergowrie, near Dundee. Attendees will be able to review crop varieties and the results of new crop treatments, attend live machinery demonstrations and discover the latest research on current issues impacting on the farming industry, as well as network with colleagues, suppliers and experts.
For the first time, PiP will feature a range of potato-related talks from members of the visiting European Association of Potato Research (EAPR), chaired by Professor Ian Toth (James Hutton Institute) and Dr Mike Storey (AHDB). EAPR experts. To further demonstrate the positive impacts of international collaboration, we are also pleased to welcome Chinese potato scientists and industry representatives to PiP as part of their visit to the James Hutton Institute that week.
A world-first for the potato industry, the James Hutton Limited will launch a new molecular diagnostic service at PiP, resulting from a 5-year industry-wide collaboration supported by Innovate UK and AHDB. The diagnostic is capable of distinguishing with 100% accuracy between the three main groups of free living nematodes. It offers greater precision than traditional microscopic testing, giving growers significantly more insight into one of the biggest threats to their crop quality and yield.
Live machinery demos will be held again this year. Euan Caldwell, Head of Farm, Field and Glasshouses at the James Hutton Institute, said: “We’ll see technical demonstrations by Grimme UK, and DuPont will hold a clinic on nematicide application. The machinery demos are scheduled to run twice, at 10:50 and again at 14:00, so there’ll be an opportunity for all visitors to see them.”
The PiP seminar programme forms a key part of the technical knowledge exchange with growers, with hot topics being discussed this year. Research on potato cyst nematode (PCN), a significant threat to the UK fresh and processing potato markets with an annual estimated cost of £50 million to the industry, will be presented by Vivian Blok and Xinwei Chen (James Hutton Institute). Bill Watts (Harper Adams University) will discuss growers’ options for management of PCN using bio-fumigation.
Potato storage developments will be covered by crop storage experts Dr Glyn Harper (Sutton Bridge Crop Storage Research) and Dr Mark Taylor (James Hutton Institute).
Claire
Hodge, AHDB Potatoes’ Knowledge Exchange manager for Scotland,
said:
“In one packed day, Potatoes in Practice provides seasonal, relevant
advice from experts on varieties, crop nutrition, pests and disease issues.
This year we will benefit from the visiting EAPR group of international
potato researchers, and there’s a fantastic chance to hear from business
and breeders on marketing and variety selection.
“You can see the latest commercial varieties and agronomy on the field plots, plus products and equipment on the science and trade stand exhibits and working machinery displays.
“PiP is unmissable for anyone in the potato industry - with attendance rising steadily, it is GB’s largest potato field day offering something for everybody.”
