The seeds have been sown for the creation of a world-leading potato hub in Scotland, designed to give those working in the £200 million-plus industry instant access to expert advice.

Recently, drones have been given what might just be their most important ever role: being deployed to protect Scottish potatoes.

Experts fear that in Scotland the combination of scaled back potato planting and a drop in yield due to wet weather could lead to a shortage of potatoes.

Dutch tests on a new strain of potato blight similar to that discovered for the first time in the UK last year have shown some isolates have reduced sensitivity to the common active fluazinam used to control the disease.

Scottish potato growers had a difficult year in 2011 for several reasons, but one of the most significant was the cool, wet conditions, which were ideal for powdery scab to spread.

Matthew Smallwood has been appointed as SAC’s Senior Potato Consultant and will be based at SAC’s Perth Office. Matt will work closely with Dr Stuart Wale, who continues to work for SAC on a reduced-days basis. He will co-ordinate activity with the oth...

SAC 1st Class Honours graduate, Amanda MacLennan, from the Black Isle used the recent Potatoes In Practice Event near Dundee to present the results of her research into Pit rot of potatoes.