POTATO GROWER CHALLENGE
POTATO GROWER CHALLENGE
The farmers weekly/Aventis
Potato Grower Challenge
2000 aims to promote crop
knowledge, husbandry skills
and an awareness of
environmental and consumer
issues. Here Charles Abel
profiles one of the runners-up
who does more than most
TO maintain potato profits Peter Venables is pursuing alternative markets to supplement chip shop production developed over 40 years on the sandy loam soils at Baynhall Farm, Kempsey near Worcester.
"We can irrigate for yield here, but not for skin finish, so secondary pre-pack is the best we can hope for. With the right dry matter and fry colour second early chipping has been the more reliable outlet. But we need to expand the crop area to contain costs, which is why we now grow pre-pack Estima on silt across the River Severn and organic Sante 15 miles away on Bredon Hill."
Meeting customer requirements is a key concern. "In future I want to move conventional production closer to the organic system," says Mr Venables.
Using methods seen by the public to be more acceptable, together with even tighter control of available chemicals and the more stringent requirements of the Assured Produce scheme will go some way towards satisfying a public that has become almost paranoid over food safety, he says.
A good rotation is an important starting point, chippers following four veg crops on the sandy loam, pre-pack Estima following four cereals on the silt and the organic crop following a two year grass/clover ley and one cereal.
Every field is analysed for nutrients and PCN in autumn and base nutrients applied as liquid at planting. "Crops look better and yield better than with granular placement," says Mr Venables.
Nitrogen contents in the liquid are adjusted according to target market and reduced further where calcium nitrate is planned for later to reduce internal rust spot risks. Sap testing directs foliar feeding.
Strict volunteer control, clean seed and a one in five rotation mean PCN counts have never topped 2cysts/g and nematicides have not been used for 15 years. "It is something we have just got to stay on top of." Adding turf to the rotation could further boost volunteer control through regular mowing.
Careful cultivations ensure good seed/soil contact and speed emergence, a crucial factor given the late planting and early harvesting to avoid flooding risks and enhance cashflow.
Land is sub-soiled, ploughed and bed-formed by late October, then bed-tilled if required and stone and clod separated pre-planting.
Seed is kept once to contain costs and Dutch is considered healthier than Scottish for blackleg-prone varieties. All seed is split graded 35-45mm and 45-55mm, so planting rates can be fine tuned to meet market demands.
Tight chits are grown to speed emergence, Accord getting 350 day degrees, while Estima and Sante receive 250. Tuber counts help avoid sourcing up to 6% excess seed. All seed is checked for disease and treated accordingly to maximise skin quality.
All conventional crops are irrigated according to ADAS Irriguide advice. A move to booms is planned to improve accuracy.
Blight spraying is guided by ADAS advice, a Spra Coupe being used to apply product at high forward speed using tilting nozzles to improve canopy penetration.
"We make sure we go through the crop a different way each time, which seems to help control."
Test digs to check tuber shape and size direct crop desiccation, the goal being to maximise the baker fraction in pre-pack crops.
Acid is shunned so a Greenburner bought to follow flailing in the organic crop is being compared with Harvest this season. Skin set was good last year. "It was also very evident that blackgrass was controlled very well in the ridges after Greenburning," he adds.
Farm staff use the Grimme Variant lifter with Dahlman-type rollers and a watering kit to cut damage in dry conditions. Crops are graded on-farm and bagged for merchants to sell into the chip-shop trade or loaded into boxes for storage and pre-packing by MBM.
Environmental policy includes a strict rotation to avoid the need for nematicide, avoidance of acid for desiccation and use of OP insecticide on seed areas only, and only pre-flowering.
Organic spuds
Last year 9ha (23 acres) were tried on heavy clay 15 miles away at Bredon Hill. Yields varied greatly, but look more consistent on twice the area this year, thanks to better seed-bed preparation and organic nutrition. Minimal rainfall means little blight. "Weve had less than 2in since planting on May 15 – it must be one of the driest potato fields in Europe." Late planting with repeated cultivations before and re-ridging after have kept mainly broad-leaved weeds at bay. Sante is grown for its blight resistance and market demand, with crops marketed through a range of packers supplying leading supermarkets. "It really is crop marketing made easy." Mr Venables would like to expand the crop to 24ha (60 acres), with irrigation to guarantee pre-pack quality. The latter is unlikely in the short-term, he admits.
Judges views
The judges were impressed with Mr Venables enthusiasm for the crop, making the most of opportunities as they arise and managing crops for maximum returns. Overheads are cut by buying equipment second-hand and using a professional contractor for planting. "The condition of the organic crop shows Mr Venables is right on top of agronomy issues," says Aventis Crop Science judge Bill Lankford. However, marketing could be more pro-active, says BPC judge Damian Baker. "Mr Venables is clearly seizing opportunities as they arise, but could perhaps do even more to fine tune his systems to meet the precise needs of buyers more closely in future," he says.
PETER VENABLES
* 56ha near Worcester/Evesham.
* Chipping, pre-pack + organic.
* 647mm rain, part irrigated.
* 52t/ha Estima pre-pack on silt, 40t/ha Accord chipping on sandy loam, 31t/ha Sante organic on heavy clay.
* £712/ha var costs – £270 own seed, £219 fert, £31 herbi, £108 fungi, £24 icide, £60 desiccant.
Organic spuds
Last year 9ha (23 acres) were tried on heavy clay 15 miles away at Bredon Hill. Yields varied greatly, but look more consistent on twice the area this year, thanks to better seed-bed preparation and organic nutrition. Minimal rainfall means little blight. "Weve had less than 2in since planting on May 15, – it must be one of the driest potato fields in Europe." Late planting with repeated cultivations before and re-ridging after have kept mainly broad-leaved weeds at bay. Sante is grown for its blight resistance and market demand, with crops marketed through a range of packers supplying leading supermarkets. "It really is crop marketing made easy." Mr Venables would like to expand the crop to 24ha (60 acres), with irrigation to guarantee pre-pack quality. The latter is unlikely in the short-term, he admits.
PETER VENABLES
• 56ha near Worcester/Evesham.
• Chipping, pre-pack + organic.
• 647mm rain, part irrigated.
• 52t/ha Estima pre-pack on silt, 40t/ha Accord chipping on sandy loam, 31t/ha Sante organic on heavy clay.
• £712/ha var costs – £270 own seed, £219 fert, £31 herbi, £108 fungi, £24 insecticide, £60 desiccant.
Production methods that meet customer concerns are a key part of Peter Venables (left) potato strategy, seen here in an organic crop of Sante, with competition judges Bill Lankford of Aventis, BPCs Damian Baker and Charles Abel of FW(right).
Judges views
The judges were impressed with Mr Venables enthusiasm for the crop, making the most of opportunities as they arise and managing crops for maximum returns. Overheads are cut by buying equipment second-hand and using a professional contractor for planting. "The condition of the organic crop shows Mr Venables is right on top of agronomy issues," says Aventis Crop Science judge Bill Lankford. However, marketing could be more pro-active, says BPC judge Damian Baker. "Mr Venables is clearly seizing opportunities as they arise, but could perhaps do even more to fine tune his systems to meet the precise needs of buyers more closely in future," he says.