One of Britain’s biggest arable farming operations will be the first commercial company to roll out the latest precision potato technology developed by Angus-based SoilEssentials.
Elveden Estate, which has more than 10,000 acres of farmland, will use the company’s Tuberzone and Tuberzone CropCast applications to manage potato crops for optimum size distribution and crop value.
The technology was developed over five years with the help of the James Hutton Institute and through an InnovateUK project, and has already been successfully trialled by Grampian Growers.
Ed Walsh from SoilEssentials declined to give an estimate of the financial benefit of using the precision system but said: “Tuberzone and Tuberzone CropCast will allow Elveden to predict potato crop yields, size distribution and crop value weekly through the season, optimise the potato crop output, while reducing food waste.”
Elveden grows around 5% of the UK’s onions and also specialises in the production of potatoes, carrots and parsnips.
The estate’s farms director, Andrew Francis, said: “We must embed best practice in everything we do, but we must also use knowledge, technology and innovation to look forward to doing a better job tomorrow.
“Partnerships with companies such as SoilEssentials and organisations like the Agri-EPI Centre are key to helping us learn more and learn faster.”
nnicolson@thecourier.co.uk
