Potato Review

28 POTATO REVIEW JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020 AHDB ON THE SPOT BY JIMMY PHILLIPS Potatoes Communications Manager, AHDB What is AHDB doing to help you meet this year’s big challenges? I f 2019 was the dress rehearsal, then in 2020 things are about to get very real. Potato growers will soon be planting the rst crop that cannot be desiccated with Diquat or stored with CIPC. I know that a question on most of your lips will be: “What have AHDB done to help?” On sprout suppression, we have commissioned eight additional research projects since 2016, each looking at a di erent aspect of life without CIPC. We have also launched our Storage Network, a scheme that means that all store managers can get a one- to-one visit from a storage expert, either from AHDB or one of our new external partners, to talk through how the latest research ndings might apply in their store and make recommendations on storage post CIPC. You can nd details on both of these and more at ahdb.org.uk/storage-hub. When it comes to Diquat replacement, we ran national eld trials across our SPot Farm network, meaning growers fromNorth, South, East andWest had a chance to come and discuss the work and how it might apply at their farm. Our Strategic Farm results days are held throughout January, so depending on when you read this, you might still have time to book a place at ahdb.org.uk/events. One of the things I love about our SPot events is that element of learning from each other. We’ve put a trial on, normally based on results from a research project, at a commercial farm in as close to ‘business as usual’ conditions as possible. e results are normally enlightening, but that’s just the start of it. Within the audience there are often many hundreds of years of farming experience, and it is when that is blended with trial results that we see the biggest breakthroughs. 2020 will be only my fourth growing season, having joined the industry after 10+ years in the energy sector. I can honestly say that the technical skills and dynamism of potato growers has blown me away. e way you manage the ever-changing variables that a ect the production of a healthy potato crop is inspiring. I also believe in the work that AHDB has done to help you meet these two big challenges, and it is my job to make sure as many growers as possible know about what we’re doing. I know that when people make it to SPot Farm events, or engage with our storage team, the feedback is excellent. But I also know that we are far from universally popular. If you’re reading this and thinking ‘I had no idea about the storage network’, then I’d love to hear from you. If there is a way I can make sure more growers and store managers know about what we’re doing then I want to hear about it. My contact details are at the top of this page, please get in touch. Finally, one issue I have not mentioned here is virus. We have plans to launch a national virus forum this year, so please stay tuned or contact us if you would like to know more. Email: jimmy.phillips@ahdb.org.uk | Tel: 024 7647 8933