Latest results from cultivations work at Cambridge University Farm show that working the soil at depth has had no effect on emergence this year, due to the dry conditions.
"These are different to our previous results,"admitted Mark Stalham of Cambridge University Farm. "In the past, we've seen large differences created in bulk density and rootability in the top 50cm by destoning at different depths."
In a normal season, working at depth would cause compaction, he noted. "Depending on soil moisture, the optimum depth would be between 20-50cm. The wetter it is, the shallower you should work."
Potato emergence unaffected by working soil at depth due to dry conditions
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