Driving Innovation in the Potato Industry Amid Seasonal Challenges
Driving Innovation in the Potato Industry Amid Seasonal Challenges
Potato production can be a profitable enterprise, but the 2025 growing season has brought many challenges in terms of markets and quality. While yields have generally been respectable, difficult trading conditions and quality issues have had a significant impact on returns. While the fundamentals of potato production are well established, innovation still has a role to play, particularly when it is grounded in long-term data and practical experience.
There are many quality issues that can inflict losses on potato producers, and it can be a hit to both moral and the bank balance if a stock is rejected on one of these grounds. Some quality issues are caused by field pests and diseases. The 2025 season has seen more common scab on susceptible varieties than average, and there has also been scattered cases of powdery scab, and back scurf.
All three of these conditions are caused by pathogens than inhabit the soil – and a look back through SAC Consulting’s potato trial and consultancy archives highlights that these have been a challenge for decades. However, in order to make innovative progress we sometimes need to look back to see the messages of the past. For soil-borne disease we have a good idea of risk factors, which agronomic interventions are most likely to help, and where new solutions would be welcome.
For common scab as an example, timely and consistent use of irrigation is the most effective control measure. Other measures such as (some) seed treatments and avoiding high pH field also help, but less consistently. The advantage of having long-term datasets such as those produced in SACAPP trials means we can tease out the most effective interventions while also testing the latest new products on the market to provide independent, impartial data. Recent work through a CREW project has also focused on how irrigation strategies may need to adapt in response to increasing pressure on water availability, offering practical guidance to help growers build resilience while maintaining crop quality.
Not all quality losses originate in the field. This year has seen very high dry matter content across the board, probably because of the warm and dry season. High dry matters are great for conversion rates during processing, but there is a well-established link between dry matter values above a variety’s “typical” range and bruising damage. Again, this is an example of where a look to past work can inform future production and hopefully avoid painful situations. There can be marked differences in damage levels between different harvester operators, so identifying when and where damage is occurring is critical. If growers have had bruising challenges for the 2025 crop – it is worthwhile identifying where most of the damage has occurred. Although it’s a laborious exercise, taking samples from several locations during harvest and hotboxing can be very informative.
Not all innovations make it, but the potato industry has and is changing substantially with new technology. Looking back in the SAC Consulting archives shows that a lot of the original data on things such as seed rates was carried out in non-destoned fields, where naturally yield was lower and damage was higher. It’s sometimes worth revisiting “settled science” in light of new and changing circumstances.
Many of these themes, from managing soil-borne disease risk to reducing handling damage and reassessing established practices, will be discussed at the 2026 SAC Association of Potato Producers (SACAPP) Conference on Thursday 5 February.
Contributions will include updates on water resilience and irrigation guidance arising from recent CREW work, practical insights from OXBO (formerly Ploeger) on harvesting and bruising reduction, feedback from SRUC student Daniel Norrie on destoning practices, and a perspective from Fibe’s director of agronomy, Jacob Smith, on some exciting emerging uses for crop residues into reusable fabrics!
The simple truth is that growers will be the guarantors of the industry’s future, and we’re proud that the SACAPP conference remains a grower-focused one. Potato production is a mature and consolidated industry, but there is still room for innovation.
5 top tips for potato growers:
- Potato production is high risk but hopefully high reward – you can’t do much about market conditions, but you can focus on mitigating your risks.
- Whatever sector you supply, quality is king. Review which quality components have been a weak point this season.
- For quality issues caused by field factors, such as common or powdery scab, review variety profile, field risks, and agronomy before planting.
- For quality issues associated with handling and storage, make an action plan to reduce losses.
- Even in mature industries such as potato production, innovation is constant, keep up to date with new developments and, most importantly, evaluate the evidence!
Kyran Maloney, Senior Potato Consultant, Kyran.Maloney@sac.co.uk
Posted by SAC Consulting on 16/01/2026
