Potato Review

CONTENTS www.potatoreview.com POTATO REVIEW NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019 3 Editor’s letter Well autumn is upon us, and what a wet one it started out as, with plans to lift into store initially delayed by heavy rainfall across Great Britain and some growers unable to get the crop out of the ground, particularly in the north-west. And the rain keeps coming! With such a soggy start to the season, we all need something to brighten our days, and what better than the approach of BP2019, the biannual show making a welcome return to Harrogate on November 20th and 21st? Show organiser Steve Wellbeloved told Potato Review this year’s show will be the largest to date, with numerous new product and service launches. Uncertainty over Brexit hasn’t deterred mainland European companies being heavily represented this year. Be sure to read our full preview to see what’s on o er, and we’ve also included the full 12-page show guide at the centre of this issue. On the rst night of the show, we’re looking forward to seeing many of you at the rst British Potato Industry Awards, organised by Potato Review , and judging by the number of entries we’ve had, plenty of recognition is due to both individuals and companies. We’re looking forward to hearing about their achievements and seeing them receive their awards. Ely grower Andrew Lee tells us about his decision to take on three new harvesters, Harper Adams potato expert Dr Matthew Back gives us a timely reminder on rhizoctonia solani , with some top tips, and we headed to the Cambridgeshire fens to take a look at some of the latest o erings from Continental potato breeders and their UK marketing agents. We were heartened by the letters and emails we received about our organics feature in the last issue. While still a relatively small sector of the market, it’s one that’s growing in popularity owing to consumer demand, and something to keep an eye on. It’s always good to hear your feedback - thanks to those readers who took the time to get in touch. 11 BP2019: We speak to the organisers and sponsors 24 HARVESTERS: Grower discusses fleet update NEWS: Round-up of what’s happening in the industry 04 AHDB ON THE SPOT: Boosts for a resilient industry 52 60 EXPERT RECAP: Rhizoctonia solani MACHINERY: Most recent developments 33 12-PAGE SHOWGUIDE - BP2019 30 GROWING INDOORS: Expert views and research 21 PROFESSIONAL TRIBUTE: Nick Green hands over to the next generation 09 Stephanie Cornwall Editor VARIETIES: The search for low input varieties MH: A promising future 46 57

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