New potato machinerys not made for Scotland
New potato machinerys not made for Scotland
GLOBALISATION of potato machinery manufacturing could see Scotlands growers return to more traditional sources of hardware, delegates at last weeks SAC Association of Potato Producers annual conference in Perth were told.
"Through mergers and acquisitions, the big machinery manufacturers are now operating in a global market," said SAC engineer Fraser Milne. "When they develop new equipment they are looking to the markets where they will get most return."
That means North America and mainland Europe, where fields are large and not so hilly. But while bigger tractors and cultivation equipment might be fine there, Scotlands soil structure was already struggling, he warned.
"In future we might find ourselves relying much more on local blacksmiths and engineers to produce the smaller, simpler, custom-built machines we need for our own farm conditions."
Traditional 1t boxes are also becoming a problem with the larger kit. "We need 2t boxes. These are in development, but there are still some problems with ventilation."
However, developments in field equipment did have the potential to reduce operating costs, he acknowledged. Combining the tiller and separator, or the separator and planter, could see two-jobs rolled into one. Precision farming also promises benefits.
Pictures from satellites or spotter planes could help track crop development, allowing growers to identify areas of good and bad crops in a field and then market the potatoes accordingly. Harvesting and selling a more uniform crop would have obvious financial rewards, he said. *
Associations aim
The SAC Association of Potato Producers was set up in 1999 and now has about 70 farmer members. Its aim, says Barry Mitchell of SAC, is to keep growers up to date with the latest technical developments and to undertake practical trials for them.
Adjuvant advice alert
Potato growers should demand to see all the data before buying spray additives this spring.
Manufacturers literature gives figures showing the benefits of particular adjuvants, but often fails to indicate whether or not trials were replicated or if the results are statistically significant, warns Paisley Universitys head of pesticides research Richard Thacker. "Ask these people to give you more information and to tell you about the trial results in full before you buy their products," he advises.
Some adjuvants, especially the stickers, do have something to offer potato growers, particularly in windy weather, he says. "But we need hard scientific data to assess the efficacy of these products, with detailed economic and environmental analyses. More research is needed."
In 1999, over 40 companies were involved in manufacturing and distributing more than 300 different adjuvants in the UK. "Its no wonder people get confused about these products."
BOOTS TOO BIG?
• Machinery getting bigger.
• Global markets main target.
• Scottish fields small, soils unstable.
• Back to basics result?
Investing in locally built, custom made potato machinery may be a better bet than buying global goliaths, advises SACs Fraser Milne.