CALU Press Release 07/07

Growing Potatoes on Marginal Land in Wales

It is hard to imagine a better year for evaluating potato growing on marginal land! A dry early spring, but then high rainfall and humid conditions ideal for potato blight. Many crops succumbed early to foliar blight and heavy rains meant waterlogged fields and spores washed into the soil, threatening tuber blight.

In West Wales, two CALU-supported trials are evaluating how potatoes, including Sarpo blight-resistant varieties, perform where climate, soils and nutrient reserves are marginal compared to more favoured areas. But why grow in these areas anyway?

According to CALU consultant David Frost, demand for Welsh crops and potatoes exceeds supply. “This is clear from CALU’s report, Increasing the Product Range of Welsh Grown Vegetables,” he says. “Over time the area of potatoes grown in Wales has fallen. Take Ceredigion - over 8,000 acres in 1872 but under 2,000 in 1972 and probably less than half that now. Or Anglesey - almost 5,000 acres in 1874 but just 500 in 1990 and now perhaps 300 acres ”.

The only blip in this trend was the 2^nd World War. During the national emergency potato cultivation in Wales jumped almost to nineteenth century levels, only to slump again in recent decades.

“To grow potatoes in these marginal areas, you need to consider soil type and nutrition, you need to choose suitable varieties and plan weed, pest and disease control. And at the start decide on marketing and how the tubers will be stored,” says CALU Senior Scientific Officer Aldwyn Clarke who is advising the Llangybi CALU group.

Meanwhile on the organic Llanrhystud site, where specialist and Sarpo varieties are being assessed, Red Duke of York was harvested by the beginning of July. “It was a good clean crop”, said David Frost, “although the yield was disappointing – but we still have another 19 varieties to go!”