News on Potato Cultivation from Europe

The potato industry flocked to Harrogate for BP2013, with organisers reporting a 20 per cent increase on the usual 6,000 attendance.

Grimme has introduced its flagship Varitron 470 four-row self-propelled potato harvester to the UK. One machine has been undergoing testing in East Anglia, while another has already been sold for red beet harvesting.

From 10 till 16 November, Dewulf presents its potato and carrot harvesters at Agritechnica. The company highlights the fact that there are only novelties to discover in the exhibition booth of Dewulf.

Koppert is presenting the most recent test results for Proradix Agro at the PotatoEurope trade fair in Emmeloord, the Netherlands.

Despite one of the most challenging years in British farming history, with early droughts followed by widespread floods, PepsiCo surpassed the target of a one-third reduction in water use using drip irrigation at the same time as growing 'more crop per...

With the threat posed to potato crops by nematodes, Polish growers are expected to welcome the announcement that Vydate®, a nematicide from DuPont that is already used to help maintain the quality and marketable yield of crops in the UK and the Netherlands.

British potato growers can now specify their Amistar delivery in the returnable Syngenta Link-Pak packaging for the 2013 planting season.

Tecnoma highlights its expanding range of self-propelled sprayers at Interpom-Primeurs.

Vanderstichelen Grimme highlight a range of their agricultural machinery at the Interpom | Primeurs. And if the 2010 Interpom | Primeurs is any indication, their potato harvesters and planters will again make a 'massive' impression.

Sustainable potato production across the EU could be under threat from potato cyst nematodes (PCN) and free living nematodes (FLN) without a comprehensive review of sampling and management options.

Smartphone App to predict potato yield PepsiCo and Cambridge University have joined forces to introduce mobile technology to crop planning, with a new smartphone app that will help farmers predict future harvests.

Bayer CropScience announced today the completion of its purchase of AgraQuest, Inc., a global supplier of innovative biological pest management solutions.All required transaction waiting periods have expired without objection from the relevant competit...

Bayer CropScience will have two new products available for potato growers in two to three years' time, subject to approval.

The blight fungicide containing Initium and dimethomorph, Zampro DM, has had reduction of tuber blight incidence added to its label, in addition to the control of late foliar blight.

The decision support system “Blight Management” (“Skimmelstyring”) could in the future give Danish potato growers more effective control of potato late blight and reduce the use of fungicides.

Potato growers in the UK could save money, boost yields and help the environment through a new irrigation benchmarking tool.

Scottish arable farmers who have up until now had a range of pesticides to deal with crop disease and pest problems now have greatly reduced resources as a result of European Union legislation.

Irrigate with the right amount of water, at the right time, in the right place, growers were urged by Dr Jerry Knox at the well-attended Potato Council East of England day (September 1, Tuddenham, Bury St Edmunds). Improved water efficiency may not ne...