Crop Technology

Blight-Net involves the provision of easy to access and up to date information on the monitoring and control of potato blight in Northern Ireland via the Internet. Use of Blight-Net assists growers to apply fungicides more effectively and can provide necessary information for justifying fungicide use. The information is updated twice weekly and is available from June until September.

For many years Maris Piper potatoes grown in England have set the standard expected by fryers from a chipping potato, but this is something the Chip Initiative aims to change. The aim of the Chip Initiative is to increase the availability and acceptability of high quality fresh chips produced and processed from locally grown potato varieties on a year round basis to satisfy local consumer’s demands.

The Seed Potato Hygiene Initiative aims to improve the visual standards and marketability of Northern Ireland certified seed potatoes.  Growers and seed potato store keepers must be capable of recognising key skin blemishing diseases and adopting best practice to eliminate sources of tuber disease contamination in their seed potato stores.