In potatoes we nearly always see an advantage from placing N and P – Arable Farming

While we may think there would be no comparisons from a farming point of view, there are some interesting similarities.

For one, my daughter lives in a village called Umhausen and the rest of the Oztalers call them carrot crunchers, or the local equivalent, as they grow veg on the flat fields in the summer .In Otztal in the winter they farm snow and it’s becoming more unpredictable. They have emptied all the reservoirs which were low after a hot, dry summer ,so the snow-making machines were not working at all while we were there. The lift companies are now paying the local farmers to build more reservoirs to ensure water is available for snow making.

Nothing much has changed in the world of potato and sugar beet growing while we were away and the cost of inputs is the ongoing topic for discussion.

Inputs need to be managed carefully, but just cutting back as they’ve gone up is not the best way and using them effectively and with attention to detail will be the key to success – it won’t come out of a can.

With beet we would be hard pressed to better the Brilliant Basics from BBRO and some of the other findings from the Beet Yield Challenge (BYC).

These include good farm hygiene to limit the survival of virus yellows, and ensuring soil pH is not below 6.5 and is preferably around 7. This means testing properly for pH and not just relying on the bulk sample from a soil test.

Other considerations include ensuring the drill is set correctly and seed goes where it needs to be and at the correct rate. Keep plants strong and don’t damage them with herbicides. And managing soil health with careful cultivation and organic amendments has shown to improve financial return, one of the key findings from the BYC which Hutchinsons helped to set up.

In potatoes it is a similar story, and attention to detail will be key. Marginal fields have been taken out as the cost of production and risk is too high. Other problems include high PCN levels, poor soil structure or water availability. We just can’t afford to grow on these fields.

Plans are being finalised for fertiliser. Placement has to be considered as it means fertiliser goes where its needed, and early season availability is essential. We nearly always see an early canopy advantage from placing some N and P, which sometimes expresses itself in terms of yield. With some potential for cost savings too it just makes sense. The crop needs to have the bulk of its nitrogen available early so again putting it in the ground is best and just leaving a little as a top up around T1.

I’ve never understood applying a lot after planting and seeing the prills sitting between the rows only to be accessed too late in the crop’s life if at all, and the science says its wrong too. We looked at substituting some of the base nitrogen for foliars in some plot trials last season and we’re yet to get the correct balance.

Seed inspections are ongoing, with decisions being made to keep it, treat or not, and then box or chit it before planting. The bags the seed comes in are for transport and not storage.

For PCN, let’s make sure we get the right variety in the right place, understand the difference between what’s resistant and tolerant and if using any treatment, ensure everything is calibrated correctly and put in the right place.

If we get all these things right, we at least have a chance. Then it is down to the weather and our seasonal decisions.