British growers are benefiting from longer potato-based rotations that help improve economic performance and reduce disease pressure, finds new report.
In a Fresh Produce Journal article, Nina Pullman writes that longer potato rotations can deliver almost 40 per cent more food than cereal-based rotations, according to a new report by GB Potatoes.
Research that has compared potato-based with cereal-based farm rotations has found significant benefits to yields, disease resistance, and a mixed farm’s economic performance.
“Potatoes are key to many rotations with the growers I work with,” said Harvest Agronomy agronomist, Mark Taplin.
“Without them, and a reliance on cereal crops means that the economic performance of the farm can be very marginal at the moment.”
Potato rotations of six years are now common in the UK with many growers rotating fields for longer.
UK potato rotations are some of the longest in the world, as some countries still grow potatoes one in every three years, the report said.
“We are leading the way in using long, robust rotations to deliver large volumes of nutritiously dense food from every hectare, while improving the sustainability of production,” said GB Potatoes CEO, Scott Walker.
Agronomist Mark Stalham said crops with longer rotations have helped British potato growers achieve reduced disease and pest risk.
Potato packer Branston has said using rotations on its concept farm has helped bring low-carbon potatoes to the Tesco shelves.
Source: Fresh Produce Journal. Full article here
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