The Potato Partnership: Tackling Key Agronomic Challenges for UK Potato Growers

A collaborative approach to addressing the most pressing threats facing this high-value crop.

In this Tramlines podcast episode, we bring you insights from key figures in the potato industry:

• James Wrench from East Suffolk Produce,
• Graham Tomlin from VC's Potatoes, and
• Don Pendergrass, Technical Manager for Non-combinable Trials with Agrii.

Their discussion reveals how the Potato Partnership is working to support UK potato growers in addressing critical challenges.

What is the Potato Partnership?

The Potato Partnership represents a collaboration between multiple organisations working together to address both immediate and future challenges facing potato growers.

As Don explains, "It's a working partnership between a number of organisations... to engage with the practical challenges that growers are facing when producing potatoes."

Rather than being limited to a single organisation, this applied partnership brings together diverse expertise and resources, focusing on delivering practical solutions that benefit growers across the UK.

James Wrench describes it as "a distant relation to the old AHDB demonstration farms," continuing the valuable work that growers found beneficial while adapting to the post-AHDB landscape.

Filling the Knowledge Gap in a Post-AHDB World

With the end of the AHDB potato levy, the industry lost its central body responsible for dealing with key challenges. The Potato Partnership has stepped in to focus specifically on agronomic challenges, which James describes as "very significant" in an era of declining available active ingredients.

Graham Tomlin highlights how things have changed: "In the past, data was coming from the AHDB and was being provided to growers and agronomists. But now, you've got to go out and actually make these things happen because it isn't there for everybody to access."

Key Agronomic Challenges Being Addressed

The Potato Partnership is tackling several pressing issues:

1. Loss of Key Chemistry

Don identifies the loss of mancozeb as a significant concern, alongside increasing resistance issues with late blight pathogens. This creates new challenges for managing diseases like Alternaria. The potential restriction of herbicides like metazachlor by the end of 2024 presents further challenges ahead.

2. Potato Cyst Nematode (PCN) Management

PCN control represents one of the most visible and impactful areas of the partnership's work. James notes: "The PCN work is one of my favourite trials because there's always time to see differences... as a grower, having something where you can clearly see the differences is really exciting."

3. Virus Transmission

Graham highlights that virus issues have become increasingly topical, with virus spikes occurring over recent years due to changing conditions. The partnership is examining both chemical control methods and innovative approaches like companion crops to reduce transmission.

4. Evaluation of Biologicals

With traditional chemistry under regulatory pressure, growers are being presented with numerous biological alternatives. As Don explains, these "tend not to be as efficacious," making it essential to understand which ones work and how to use them effectively through replicated field trials.

Practical Impacts for Farmers

For James, the PCN trials have delivered tangible results: "I can certainly cite examples where we've changed our plans, utilizing experiences from the Potato Partnership trials... taking varieties we've seen in trial and utilizing them to commercial effect out in the field where we have got issues."

This practical application of research demonstrates the partnership's value in helping growers make informed decisions about variety selection and treatment approaches. As James notes, it's particularly important with challenges like PCN that "aren't going to go away."

Who's Involved in the Potato Partnership?

The Potato Partnership brings together:

• Leading agricultural businesses (Agrii, East Suffolk Produce, VC's Potatoes, James Heskey Farms)
• Crop protection manufacturers (both conventional and biological)
• Potato breeders providing varieties for trialling
• Research organisations like CUPGRA
• Agricultural input manufacturers

This collaborative approach ensures a wide range of expertise and resources, examining problems from multiple angles through integrated approaches rather than focusing solely on chemical solutions.

Regional Trials Results Meetings

The Potato Partnership will soon embark on a UK tour to share their findings through regional trials results meetings. The schedule includes:

• Hereford (first day).
• Essex (second day).
• Yorkshire and Scotland (later in February).

These meetings aim to:

1. Share recent trial results and findings.
2. Facilitate grower and advisor interaction.
3. Enable questions about trials, especially for those unable to attend open days.
4. Guide future priorities based on regional feedback.
   
   
   

An Open Invitation to All

One of the most remarkable aspects of the Potato Partnership is its commitment to open access. James emphasises: "Absolutely anybody can attend... It doesn't matter what insignia you have on your top."

This approach directly addresses the post-AHDB concern about information being siloed or behind paywalls. As James observes: "Everyone in the partnership has been very generous with their time, their knowledge, and making this stuff available to growers."

Why Farmers Should Attend the Regional Meetings

Don highlights that these meetings address "challenges that are relevant right now as well as those that are coming." Attendees will:

• Learn about new integrated approaches to potato production
• Understand differences in environmental performance
• Discover product options that are working (and those that aren't)
• Contribute to discussions about emerging issues
• Become part of a collaborative problem-solving community
  
  
  

What Next for The UK Potato Industry?

The Potato Partnership exemplifies how the industry can come together to address challenges in a post-AHDB environment.

By combining practical trials, open knowledge sharing, and a collaborative approach, it's creating valuable resources for potato growers facing increasingly complex agronomic challenges.

As Graham summarises: "We can't stand still in this industry. We've got to improve, and replicated trial work showing things that growers can change is absolutely important."

To find out more about The Potato Partnership, visit www.thepotatopartnership.co.uk and for details on upcoming events, click on the events tab to find out more.