Potato Review

www.potatoreview.com POTATO REVIEW MARCH/APRIL 2023 25 VARIETIES AND TRIALS Agronomy Focus UK Product Manager Gavin Towers shared some tips on how to help Babylon to reach its potential. “It’s a high yielding variety, the highest yield in 2022 was 33 tonnes / acre and 25–28 tonnes is a realistic target for this variety.” He recommends avoiding very light soils and always irrigate to maximise the yield and prevent scab. It has virus resistance and spraing resistance, but it is worth considering treatment for rhizoctonia. “ e plant has slow initial development, warm it to break dormancy and plant it with the eyes open. Use normal planting depth and average tuber set, small seed at 30cm, large seed at 36cm. Increasing potash will help prevent bruising which can be an issue with Babylon.” “Babylon has long dormancy and is suitable for long term storage. It has held its fry colour and chipping quality through to May withMaleic Hydrazide (MH) and cold storage at 7oC. Babylon can be available for year-round supply from o the eld right through to the end of May” He notes that it is safe to use Sencorex (metribuzin) for weed control, and at harvest, he advises a three-week gap between haulm killing and lifting. e customer base is clearly there – it’s gone before its even in the ground,” he said. He said Babylon has several characteristics that make it fairly easy to manage particularly early maturity, drought resistance and good dormancy in store. “Agronomically, we have found it pretty good, we mange late blight with a usual robust plan. It’s a high yielding variety. Put it on better land to meet its potential.” Ware grower sees improvement in yield Father and son team Steven and Daniel Sizer are increasing their area of Babylon despite reducing potato area overall. Across 222 hectares at Russell Farm, Lakenheath, Su olk, they are lengthening the rotation owing to PCN. ey anticipate that Babylon will be their main potato variety in the years ahead. ey rst grew half an acre of Babylon in 2017, the area increased to 25 acres last year all destined for the bag trade. “We saw an immediate improvement and better size and shape than Agria,” Steven said. “If you know how to grow Agria, you will be ne with Babylon.” Daniel agreed: “We are happy with it, there’s an instant yield advantage over other varieties. It yielded 23–26 tonnes/acre last year, which is the best since I returned to the farm. e customer feedback is good, so we are carrying on with it. Babylon seems to store better than other varieties too.” ey set their store to 8oC, although Agrico say it stores well as low as 7oC. For farmers considering Babylon, Daniel points out that they chit seed in store ahead of planting as initial development is a slow. ey have experimented, but now use roughly the same seed spacing as Agrico’s recommendations. Chip shop appeal Most importantly, Babylon appeals to chip shop owners and their customers at the end of the chain. President of the National Association of Fish Fryers, Andrew Crook, said: “It makes a lovely golden looking chip, crisp on the outside with a great avour.” Barry Froud of Dorset-based produce supply company Alan Froud Ltd agreed. “Babylon is one for the future we think, shops are pleased with it, and it usually takes a lot of time to get acceptance of a new variety.” He was keen to emphasise that it is a team e ort from plant breeder to the fryer to make good chips. “We are here as a team, the whole supply chain to sell, good quality. I’m frequently asked which are the busiest chip shops, the answer is the ones that buy good quality sh, potatoes and pies.” “There are good yields in every country growing Babylon. It can survive heat and drought. It’s a really strong variety.” Alex Moore, Sales Manager, Agrico Father and son team Steven and Daniel Sizer are increasing their area of Babylon despite reducing potato area overall. Andrew Crook with chips from Babylon.