Leading UK potato supplier Branston has launched new trials to pioneer the net-zero production of potato crops, as Luisa Cheshire reports in a news story for Fresh Produce Journal.
Branston this week (10 May) began plantings for its second year of extensive field trials, using sustainable fertilisers, reduced cultivations, varieties and improved soil health, alongside improvements in storage and transport.
The company was awarded £2.1 million by Innovate UK in 2022 to carry out a net zero project over a three-year period, alongside partners including agri-tech firm B-hive Innovations, the University of Lincoln, crop storage technology firm Crop Systems Ltd and growers in Lincolnshire and Scotland.
Branston said its net zero project aims to sustainably change the way that potatoes are grown, stored, and transported, while still producing a commercially viable crop – and in turn delivering a staple food that is better for the planet.
“Potato growers all want to know how they can reduce their fertiliser, fuel and electricity consumption as part of their net zero strategies, so they are extremely engaged in what we are trying to do,” said Andy Blair, the technical field manager leading the project for Branston.
Source: Fresh Produce Journal. Read the full story here
Photo: From L-R: Branston’s David Armstrong and Andy Blair. Credit Branston via Fresh Produce Journal
