Potato Review

NEWS GRIMME VARITRON 470 4 Row Self-Propelled Harvester The Gen3 GRIMME VARITRON 470 makes harvest easier and more productive thanks to a more powerful topper with advanced suspension; different intakes for alternative crops; reversible webs and elevators with Speedtronic control; a Non-Stop Bunker extension – ideal for higher trailers and opening-up fields; PLUS easier, fail-safe operation using Smartview. GRIMME VARITRON 470 – UK spec now includes a picking off table option. N – SAME DNA Scan the QR code to find out more Biostimulant certi cation THE new EU regulation implemented on July 16th, 2022 requires all biostimulants and micronutrients to be registered and, despite the UK having left the EU, is still likely to require similar regulation by 2023. European crop health specialist Olmix Micromix was one of the first companies to obtain certification to market products aected by the new EU regulation 2019/1009 on fertilisers and biostimulants. Marketing Manager Grant James said: “We’ve got to have some alignment in standards so that we can trade between the EU and UK but ultimately it’s good news for farmers. Currently there are a lot of products on the market which aren’t necessarily formulated – or as eective – as described. These new regulations mean that manufacturers will have to state exactly what’s in the products and their ecacy on yield and quality.” Regulating the biostimulant and micronutrient industry should engender more confidence and trust in the products, which have a genuinely beneficial role to play in crop health and productivity, Grant added. Facilitating positive change – new report A BASELINE benchmark of UK arable and horticulture’s greenhouse gas emissions, including a section geared towards potato growers, is now available following the launch of a new industry report. The work has been conducted by Crop Health and Protection (CHAP) and Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) to help sectors identify areas for improvement and opportunities available to facilitate positive change. This is all with a view to growers reach net zero, optimise opportunities to capture carbon, and potentially support other sectors in the drive to reducing the impact of climate change. Innovation Network Lead for CHAP, Dr Harry Langford, said: “Farming and wider land management are fundamental to achieving a net zero economy and stabilising global temperatures. This report was instigated to provide a baseline and knowledge-base to support every farmer to make ambitious changes, and every innovator to develop ambitious solutions, to deliver a sustainable and resilient future for UK agriculture. “The sooner we innovate and transition, the greater the benefits will be, and the greater the role UK businesses will have in leading the world’s transformation.” To formulate the data in the report, an evidence base of existing greenhouse gas emission assessments for UK arable and horticultural crops was pooled. International data was also included for comparison purposes. This was then evaluated to produce benchmark emissions for key crops, identifying the most important emission sources. Opportunities for reducing emission hotspots were also identified, and opportunities to increase carbon removals. Finally, a brief overview of new technologies available to mitigate emissions were also identified. The report was collated for CHAP and AHDB by ADAS, and can be requested by emailing CHAP.