THE long-term effects from the closure of the Straits of Hormuz are going to be felt for many months to come, and we’ve been living in hope that at some point we’d see a slight downwards movement in the costs of fuel and fertiliser.
While it is very hard to reduce the cost, or usage of diesel, fertiliser is something that can be looked at. Most growers are now producing their crops with less fertiliser than previously used, not only because of cost, but also to manage a crop to the point of senescence at the right time.
The RB209 has been the industry’s guidance document for many years now and is used to give guidance on the use of nutrients in a crop. When AHDB potatoes was disbanded, section 5 of RB209 was no longer updated which, in the current climate of world disorder, is not helpful.
One of the projects identified by the industry was a review of section 5 of RB209 and this was included as one of the projects funded by the residual levy funds for the benefit of the whole industry. Over the past year a small group of industry experts, including some who were involved in the original work for section 5 along with growers and agronomists, have been reviewing the entire document. The group, Chaired by Mark Willcox, has now reached the point where a revision will be submitted to the AHDB for publication in 2027. This will be in digital format, not only to keep costs to a minimum but also to allow for further updates to be made as and when necessary.
There were no major revisions needed to most of the document, but tweaks to wording were felt necessary to make the messaging clearer and more concise. The only major change has been to the table showing the determinacy groups of varieties. The previous table was very out of date and didn’t reflect the varieties now being grown. To get around this, a new table will appear that shows the top 50 varieties grown in GB and their determinacy groups as well as some slight changes to varieties that were previously described, but where now it was felt that their nitrogen requirements had changed. Some older varieties have been left in the table to act as familiar reference varieties, so that newer varieties can be compared to widely understood, more traditional varieties.
Reference to carbon measuring is also now mentioned as this is something that is now being looked at more closely and as information is more readily available on inputs, as well as being requested by end users it was felt that reference should be made to this topic. Likewise Cover crops, both their nutrient requirements and their nutritional benefits will start to feature more in the publication going forward as more information is gathered.
Of course, the RB209 is only for reference, and advice should always be sought from a FACTS-registered adviser, but it is still a valuable document that can help growers investigate their utilisation of nutrition for the potato crop.
This is a good example of GB Potatoes acting on behalf of the industry to deliver what is needed by growers, driving down cost while producing larger, more marketable, crops in a sustainable and environmentally-friendly manner. We would welcome your comments on the new version when it is released in Spring 2027. We will be working with our research partners, CUPGRA, to look at work going forward and, where possible, utilise the results from trials being conducted by various organisations. While we don’t have the funds, and indeed we are not allowed to commission new research using residual levy funds, there are areas where we can invest to access the data needed to keep the likes of RB209 section 5 up to date.
Keep an eye on our website to find out when the new version is released and, as always, don’t hesitate to get in touch if you would like to know more about the large amount of work that GB Potatoes is doing on behalf of the British potato industry.
Without our members, it would not be possible to do the vital work that is being done, and to do more, we need more members. So, if you believe in our industry, like we do, why not consider joining us? It’s a small investment for a viable and sustainable sector.
Graham and other members of the GB Potatoes team contribute to a regular column in British Potato Review magazine, sharing core updates about the organisation’s activities and support to British potato growers.
