United Kingdom
February 10, 2014
Cambridgeshire potato growers Russell Smith Farms has won a free Amistar applicator calibration and service, ready for the new potato planting season this spring. The farm’s crop manager and independent potato consultant, Andrew Nottage, won the prize in the Syngenta Amistar LinkPak competition following the company’s Peterborough Potato Science Live event.
Other winners of the Amistar LinkPak competition prize, worth over £400, include Robin Cropper, of Moss End Farm, Ormskirk in Lancashire and Norfolk grower Paul Wortley of O W Wortley & Sons, Methwold near Thetford. Robin had picked his winning competition card at the Potato Science Live event held in Shropshire, whilst Paul attended an event in Swaffham.
Russell Smith Farms grow over 250 hectares of potatoes, primarily for the pre-pack market along with home-grown seed. Andrew Nottage reported that growing potatoes across eight farms in the Duxford area had enabled rotations to be maintained at a minimum of one in six, which had historically helped to minimise the impact of soil pests and diseases.
But, with previously uncropped land increasingly scarce, he believed the targeted use of Amistar and Nemathorin would further limit soil-borne issues and assure sustainable long-term cropping.
“We have used Amistar since its introduction for potatoes, particularly on land that we know to be infected with Black Dot pathogen or varieties more susceptible to skin infections - such as Estima, or Charlotte where a prolonged seven to eight week skin set could allow Black Dot to develop,” he said.
“Skin finish has always been the main objective, but we are also looking to prevent soil-borne Rhizoctonia in order to achieve consistent tuber size and maturity at harvest.”
The farm still operates its two original Team Sprayers Amistar applicators, one of which has been moved onto a new Grimme belt planter for the coming season’s planting. “The applicators have proven extremely reliable, with regular servicing every season. Using the direct injection unit and the LinkPak helps to keep everything as simple and quick as possible for the operator; so he can really concentrate on getting the planting right.”
Andrew highlighted that belt planters had proved more adaptable in dealing with a range of potato seed sizes, compared to cup planters. That had been especially useful when switching between different varieties, without the downtime of changing cup inserts. There was also the option to plant two or three row systems with the same machine. Although spacing may not be quite so precise with belt planters, he reported trials had shown that potato plants could compensate adequately, with no loss of overall yield or tuber quality.
- Andrew Nottage had been General Manager of Russell Smith Farms after more than 20 years with the business. More recently he has established an independent potato agronomy consultancy for growers across the UK, including continuing with the Russell Smith Farms potato cropping.
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