Potato Review

www.potatoreview.com POTATO REVIEW JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020 19 measurement and varietal responses to water and nutrient management,” his nominee stated. Highly Commended was O.W. Wortley and Sons Lt, with nominees stating: “In just three generations the Wortley Family has grown its farming enterprise from an initial 10 acres to 4,500 acres through a proper understanding and adoption of novel forms of husbandry and new techniques.” T he Agronomy Award winner was Dr Mark Stalham NIAB CUF, Cambridge. Nominees stated: “He would probably prefer to describe himself as a scientist rather than an agronomist but he has acquired a well-deserved reputation for his ability to pass on practical advice to farmers” and “Mark is renowned for his contribution to research on irrigation efficiency, varietal susceptibility to common scab and the importance of cultivation timings to reduce the impact of soil compaction.” H ighly Commended was Andy Alexander. One nominee stated: “I am sure I am just one of many individuals and companies who have benefited from Andy’s in-depth knowledge and generosity with his time over the year” and another saying: “Andy has contributed to numerous industry committees and groups which have been influential in maintaining tools of production and driving stewardship and good practice.” Best practice praised W inner of the Environmental Award was the Nematicide Stewardship Programme. Nominees stated: “The number of operators attending the NSP training courses and completing the additional on-line units illustrate the success of the NSP in reaching its target audience and significantly improving both application machinery and best practice.” H ighly Commended was Chris Wilson & Dillington Farms. Father and son team Chris and Ollie were said to have environment concerns at the top of their list when making management decisions.” F era Science Ltd took the Innovation Award. Nominees felt its efforts to raise the UK service standards for PCN testing, identification, viability and monitoring supported the coordinated industry effort to reduce the impact of PCN and accelerates this turnaround. B -Hive Innovations was highly commended in this area. Formed by shareholders of Branston Limited in March 2017 as a stand-alone agri- tech business to solve the real challenges facing the fresh produce industry, B-hive works by innovating new and/or cross-pollinating technologies from other industries to enhance fresh produce offerings to the consumers. ➜