Soils

Potatoes are a vegetatively propagated crop, and the health status of Scottish seed potatoes is a strategic priority. SASA, the authority responsible for safeguarding the health of Scottish Seed potatoes carries out growing crop inspections for all certified seed. A summary of the 2021 growing crop inspections has recently been released highlighting the high health status of Scottish potatoes, but also bringing timely reminders of threats that need proper management.

The 2021 potato seed crop has been in store for several months, but with some stocks being graded for export it’s timely to review management options for seed treatments.
It is important to take an integrated approach to crop management and to assess each stock on a case-by-case basis.

A novel soil specific approach to P management has allowed better use of soil reserves to reduce P fertiliser by using differing soils capacity to regulate P availability for plant uptake and improve sustainability of food production. The approach is novel as it is the first to make use of high-resolution spatial data directly in nutrient use recommendations.