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Potatoes Australia August/September 2016
assess existing precision
farming technologies and
investigate the practical benefits
of managing fields in zones.
The Enhancing rotational
productivity and resilience
project will address concerns
around the detrimental
effect on subsequent crops
of incorporating root crops
into rotations, quantifying the
physical and economic cost of
soil damage and developing
strategies to minimise the risk
of damage occurring.
The final project, entitled
Linking soils, water and roots
with crop productivity, seeks to
gain a better understanding of
how changes in soil conditions
affect root growth, water
uptake, canopy growth and
yield potential in potatoes and
other crops.
Mr Storey explained that a
significant part of the funding
has been allocated to develop
a grower platform.
“It builds on the experience
Four new projects addressing
challenges in soil and water
management across whole
rotations have been awarded
£1.2 million (approximately
$AU2.1 million) in funding
from the UK's Agriculture and
Horticulture Development
Board (AHDB).
Combining investment from
AHDB’s Potatoes, Cereals
and Oilseeds and Horticulture
sectors, the interrelated
projects will form a five-year
program of research to help
farmers and agronomists
optimise soil and water
management decisions and
plan environmentally and
economically beneficial
rotations. The program also
aims to equip growers with
the knowledge to build
resilient, sustainable and
profitable rotations.
AHDB Head of Resource
Management Dr Mike Storey
outlined the differences between
these projects in comparison to
those previously undertaken.
“This new initiative for
AHDB and the soil rotation
work provides a platform to
build on the core skills and
knowledge, both nationally
and internationally, and AHDB
will be looking to use the
THE AGRICULTURE AND HORTICULTURE DEVELOPMENT BOARD IN THE UNITED
KINGDOM HAS THROWN ITS SUPPORT BEHIND FOUR NEW PROJECTS FOCUSING ON
SUPPORTING AND ENHANCING SOIL AND WATER ROTATION.
Unearthing the secrets of profitable soils
partnership to develop new
linkages, provide synergies with
other projects and deliver added
value for investment made by
Great Britain’s levy payers,” Dr
Storey said.
“This is the first example of a
new functional approach AHDB
is taking to commissioning and
managing research. A lot of
research has been carried out
in the past, funded by
individual AHDB crop sectors,
looking at soil management
in a single season. This new
program considers practice in
a rotational context.
“As a five-year program,
instead of our usual three, it
will allow us to really pull out
the practical outcomes and test
them for robustness within the
timeframe of the program.”
Underpinning the program as
a whole, the Grower Platform
to support resilient rotations
project will draw on historic
data and current rotations to
quantify links between rotational
management and soil physical
conditions with gross output,
yield stability and economic
margins. Industry engagement
is also a high priority.
Applications of new
technologies to enhance
rotations is set to critically
of Strategic Potato and Monitor
farms,” he said.
“We’ll be taking the research
into a field-scale context and
growers will get the opportunity
to see it in practice. Importantly,
this is a two-way interaction
–– we want to encourage
discussion, and the feedback
will help develop the program.
This is far more actively
managed than a traditional
research program.”
The outcomes of the project
have the potential to be wide-
reaching and beneficial to
Australian growers.
Dr Storey commented from a
UK perspective, saying it was a
platform to build on core skills
and knowledge.
“We (AHDB) would welcome
the opportunity to use the
partnership to develop
international linkages and
provide synergies with other
projects that would benefit all
collaborators,” he said.
For more information, please visit .
This communication has been funded by Horticulture Innovation
Australia Limited using the Fresh Potato Levy and funds from the
Australian Government.
Project Number: PT15007
i
International update