Innovation for seed potato growers wins boost

Supported by the European Knowledge Transfer and Innovation Fund (KTIF) through the Scottish Rural Development Programme (SDRP) SoilEssentials have partnered with Grampian Growers, a farmer owned co-operative based on the East Coast of Scotland and SAC Consulting, SRUC’s consultancy division to increase the uptake of the innovative Tuberzone potato technology. Tuberzone is relatively new technology based on GPS, drone and satellite imagery and other remote sensing tools that can revolutionise seed potato production by predicting the final crop yield and size distribution during the growing season. It also gives growers access to management data (UAV, satellite imagery, spatial soil and water models, crop canopy measurements etc). Although the 12-month project will be focused on a distinct group of 35 growers of one seed potato variety, the general product outcomes will have value for others and can be shared with other seed potato growers.

Grampian Growers have conducted on-farm trials using SoilEssentials Tuberzone service, monitored by SRUC potato specialists, and are convinced of the benefits it can provide when growing one variety of seed potatoes across a number of farms for a specific market.  These benefits include increased uniformity of tuber size, in-season yield prediction and economic optimum burndown timings, which influences the number of tubers and yield of crop within the optimum size range and ultimately, the profitability of the crop. They are keen that their farmer members adopt the technology en masse, with the necessary backup support to ensure collective buy in and greater impact.

More information about Tuberzone can be read here: