Tag Archives: AHDB Potatoes

£150K potato storage fellowship cultivates cutting edge fruit research

Dr Richard Colgan, of the Natural Resources Institute (NRI) is to build on crop storage work from the horticultural sector in one of three AHDB Potatoes awarded fellowships.

Using apparatus and expertise from the fruit sector, the three year programme will investigate the effects of mineral nutrition on the storage behaviour of tubers. Specifically, the work will examine resistance to senescent and low temperature sweetening, alongside the impact of respiration and diffusion characteristics on the long-term storage potential of tubers.

Assisting Dr Colgan in the project will be Cláudia Gonçalves da Silva Carvalho. She will initially undertake short placements within industry before commencing an 18 month postdoctoral position in the second half of the Fellowship.

Commenting on the project, Adrian Cunnington, head of the Sutton Bridge storage facility, said, “Potatoes coming out of storage have to meet specific customer quality levels or else be threatened with rejection. Having the ability to identify and assess threats and predict what happens next in storage helps growers to make the right choices to keep tuber quality consistent; and this project will bring forward the ability to make those decisions.”

Photo Credit: University of Greenwich

The post £150K potato storage fellowship cultivates cutting edge fruit research appeared first on Hort News on 10 Feb 2016.

Nematicide Stewardship Programme announces new training

The Nematicide Stewardship Programme (NSP) used the BP2015 event in Harrogate on the 12th November to announce a new training partnership with ARTIS.

“We are excited about the training partnership with ARTIS,” said NSP Chair, Dr Sharon Hall. “The use of Nematicides remains critical to many growers in producing a quality product and maintaining current rotations and this new partnership will deliver high quality training on a sustainable basis to the industry.”

The NSP group is a joint initiative that brings together different industry organisations and companies to ensure these vital products remain available for future use on potatoes and other key root crops.

“It’s crucial for all operators to attend,” added Dr Hall. “Industry has requested that Red Tractor Assurance incorporates a requirement into its standards specifying that all staff applying nematicides must have completed the course by March 2017.”

The winter programme of operator training workshops takes place in throughout the country and will be provided for free of charge while funding is available. Places can be booked at www.artistraining.com.

Photo Credit: AHDB Potatoes. Andy Alexander (NFU); Neil Beadle (Dupont); Sharon Hall (Potato Processors’ Association); Alan Horgan (Certis); Mark Britton (Syngenta); Sue Cowgill (AHDB Potatoes); John Keer (Richard Austin Agriculture Ltd).

The post Nematicide Stewardship Programme announces new training appeared first on Hort News on 17 November 2015.

GB seed potatoes promoted under new branding

AHDB Potatoes used the recent Potato Europe event in Belgium to introduce overseas buyers to their new identity.

AHDB Potatoes (formerly known as Potato Council) were on the GB seed and science stand at the event emphasising the high health, high quality reputation of British seed potatoes and providing a high-profile marketing and networking platform for GB seed exporters and related science organisations.

This year’s newly-branded stand showcased varieties and expertise from organisations and companies including as Greenvale, Cygnet PEP, Skea Organics, Sutton Bridge Crop Storage Research, James Hutton Ltd, Scottish Government, IPM Potatoes and Cullen Allen. According to AHDB potatoes, the stand welcomed hundreds of international visitors over the two-day event. Visitors were also able to enjoy tasty cooked samples of GB varieties, supplied by the exhibitors and cooked freshly on the stand.

Greenvale’s General Manager in Scotland, Gordon Stark reported, “We attend this event every year. It’s vital for us to maintain our high profile with the international potato community and we see new people each time, as well as keeping in touch with existing contacts and friends.”

The international potato and horticulture communities will also see AHDB Potatoes and AHDB Horticulture exhibiting together alongside leading GB potato and horticulture organisations at next February’s Fruit Logistica event in Berlin (3-5 February 2016).

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AHDB Potatoes urges growers to grade safely

AHDB Potatoes has issued a series of ‘Safe Potato operations’ training modules covering grading and other key activities ahead of this year’s harvesting period.

According to Phil Bradshaw, AHDB Potatoes Technical Executive, harvesting and grading operations within the GB potato industry have seen two fatalities and four serious injuries in the past five years. AHDB reminds growers that they have a legal duty of care to their staff in preparation for the harvest.

“These modules are designed for training groups of employees in safe harvesting and grading practices” explains Phil. “At the end of the module you can test understanding and print a certificate of training for each participant. The certificate should be retained as proof of your training.

“The training focuses on the safe operation of grading and harvesting machinery with emphasis on the safe stop procedure. This is in addition to the need for care in the set-up of machines to avoid damage, in particular the bruising of potatoes.”

The ‘Safe Potato Operations’ training modules are available at potatoes.ahdb.org.uk/safe-potato-operations.

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‘Managing Blackleg’ event big draw for Scottish growers

A workshop held by AHDB Potatoes in Scotland last month attracted 60 growers and industry representatives to Gordon Rhind’s farm at Forres in Morayshire.

Gerry Saddler of SASA has been working on secondment with AHDB Potatoes looking at Blackleg management. He advised attendees that, “Blackleg is a problem all over Northern Europe and it is by far the biggest reason for the downgrading and rejection of seed in this country. In Pre-Basic four crops (PB4), post-harvest surveys revealed that 100% of crops tested were infected with Pectobacterium atrosepticum, the Blackleg pathogen. We still don’t have all the answers [but]there is no ‘silver bullet’ and the Blackleg problem needs to be tackled from several angles in conjunction.”

AHDB Potatoes stresses that, ‘Seed health needs to take all variables into account. Tactics such as separation of PB fields for years 1 and 2, isolation of PB fields from outside sources and diagnostic testing for contamination on the tuber surface and systemically are recommended.’ Ian Tooth of the James Hutton Institute pointed out that it was important to ensure good drainage and to harvest high-grade stocks as early as possible.

The event was developed with the host farmer by AHDB Potatoes’ Technical Executive, Claire Hodge who is also working on the Blackleg research project. Claire commented, “This meeting clearly demonstrated that industry are keen to learn more about what research is underway to understand Blackleg and even more importantly, what they can do to minimise Blackleg in their seed crops.”

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AHDB rebrand includes HDC and Potato Council

New branding and a proposed new way of working for the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) have been formally launched at the Cereals event in Lincolnshire last week.

The move, which was first announced in January, will see AHDB’s sector-focused activity delivered under six brands: AHDB Beef and Lamb, AHDB Cereals and Oilseeds, AHDB Dairy, AHDB Horticulture, AHDB Pork and AHDB Potatoes. Cross sector projects will be delivered as AHDB.

Speaking at the launch, AHDB Chair Peter Kendall stressed that sector specialisms would continue as part of the new plan: “Key to our new way of functional working will be retaining sector expertise and the input of AHDB’s Sector Boards. We will also continue to ensure that levies raised in a sector will be spent for the benefit of that sector.

“Our role is to help put a number of building blocks in place to support the future growth of a competitive farming industry. By working together, sharing expertise and skills across our organisation, I know that AHDB can build on the excellent work it is already providing for all our levy payers.”

The main AHDB Board has also agreed to start a reorganisation of AHDB’s senior team into wider functional roles. This is to drive collective delivery of activity in five areas covering industry strategy, technical, communications and market development, finance and HR.

This post first appeared on HortNews.