Variety changes in late-blight resistance to be revealed at Potato Council winter forum

Potato growers will not want to miss out on the latest details on variety resistance to foliar blight to be revealed at the Winter Forum taking place at Sutton Bridge Crop Storage Research, Spalding, Lincolnshire on February 22.

The new blight genotypes 13_A2 now makes up more than 70 per cent of the British late-blight population, explains Potato Council head of R&D Dr Mike Storey, who will be chairing the forum.

In addition, it has been found to be more aggressive and virulent than other strains.

A three-year project, supported by Potato Council, was undertaken by SASA, SAC, SCRI and the Savari Research Trust to re-evaluate the resistance scores of varieties rated 5 or more to foliar late blight.

This new data will go live on the Variety Database shortly after February 22. Some varieties have experienced quite a change, so everyone will want to log-on to view the changes.

Bidwell consultant Neil Cameron (in conjunction with Andersons) will also be releasing the latest cost data at the event, helping growers benchmark their costs against the industry’s best.

Benchmarking is an essential tool when you are preparing to negotiate contracts, says Potato Council technical executive Phil Bradshaw.

This is because it helps ensure you have a clear appreciation of the commercial value of your prospective contracts.

To book a place at the event potato industry levy-payers should contact Miya Kotecha at Potato Council on 02476 478782 or email her at  mkotecha@potato.org.uk