Branston doubles up at Potatoes in Practice
13 August 2009
Branston is taking a double-sized plot at this year’s Potatoes in Practice event to showcase its exclusive potato varieties. With the growth of its Seed team and expansion into the processing sector, the UK’s leading supplier of potatoes has broadened its variety portfolio considerably this year. Members of the Branston Seed and Agronomy teams will be on hand for information and advice on exclusive and traditional potato varieties, as well as Branston’s range of environmentally friendly biocontrols.
“Potatoes in Practice provides an ideal opportunity for us to show how we’ve grown this year, said David Nelson, Branston Field Director. “Our Seed team has more than doubled in size and we have exclusive marketing rights on an excellent range of varieties. “There has been a lot of interest recently in our biofumigants, our slug control - Nemaslug® Xtra and our PCN trap crop - Foil-sis, which is being developed to combat Potato Cyst Nematode and Root-Knot Nematode. Growers are increasingly keen to find natural alternatives to control pests and diseases, so we’re continuing to develop our range of biocontrols.”
In addition to its own plot, Branston has teamed up with WRAP to show the results of a compost trial at the site. The trial plot was divided into four sections with different proportions of quality compost and inorganic fertiliser applied to each. Jim Aitken, Senior Field Manager at Branston’s Scotland site has also worked with WRAP and SAC on a larger scale trial of the quality compost. “At field-scale we found that quality and yield of the crop grown with compost was at least as good as that with standard inorganic fertiliser and it could save at least £65 per hectare,” said Mr Aitken. “The main benefits though, are likely to be seen in the longer term. Repeated use of compost should result in higher levels of nutrients and organic matter along with improved soil structure and moisture retention.”
From Branston’s partnership with Germicopa, varieties at this year’s event will include the crisper Sassy, the gourmet salad variety Juliette and the distinctively coloured Blue Belle. Branston varieties from other breeding houses include Bounty and Rubesse from Cygnet PB, Saphire and Piccolo Star from Van Rijn, Safari from Stet and Lanorma from Den Hartigh. Two new Phureja cross varieties from Branston’s partnership with the Scottish Crop Research Institute (SCRI) will also be on display: Inca Bella and the as-yet unnamed 00 H44 B3.
Potatoes in Practice, held on Thursday 13 August, at SCRI’s Balruddery Farm, Invergowrie is the UK’s premier field event for growers, advisors and industry representatives.