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New Chair for Potato Council
Allan Stevenson has been appointed the new chairman to the Potato Council,and also becomes a main Board Director of Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB).
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Gowan Acquires zoxamide rights from Dow AgroSciences
Gowan Company has reached an agreement with Dow AgroSciences to acquire the rights to its global zoxamide fungicide business, marketed primarily under the brand names zoxium, Gavel, Electis, Unikat and Harpon.
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Pesticide ban threat to UK potato crop
UK potato production could fall by 40 per cent unless there is a dramatic change of heart by the European Parliament, which is planning to ban many agricultural pesticides, experts have warned.
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Potato industry honours Jim Godfrey, OBE
Potato Council has honoured Jim Godfrey with a special award in recognition of his outstanding service to the British potato industry. Potato Council chairman Allan Stevenson paid tribute on behalf of the British potato industry to Mr Godfrey's impressive achievements and contributions.
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more...
Climate change responsible for earlier flight of aphids
Aphids are emerging as sentinels of climate change, researchers
at BBSRC-supported Rothamsted Research have shown. One of the UK's
most damaging aphids - the peach-potato aphid (Myzus persicae) -
has been found to be flying two weeks earlier for every 1°C
rise in mean temperature for January and February combined.
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In-crop control of volunteers with Fazor
Volunteer potatoes left behind from the previous year's crop
are one of the primary sources of blight inoculum and growers are
being advised to think ahead to prevent the problem happening again
next year. Growers are also being urged to plan an integrated control
programme, including the application of the only in-crop solution,
Fazor
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Business opportunities at British Potato Seed Event 30th Oct
The Potato Council’s Seed Industry Event to be held
on the 30th October 2008 at the Crieff Hydro, Perthshire, brings
together the ‘'movers and shakers' from across Britain's seed
potato industry.
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New posh chips from McCain
A posh new product in the Simply Gorgeous frozen range, is to be marketing by McCains and will cost more than three times the normal price.
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Greenvale makes new board appointments
Greenvale AP has strengthened its board with a number of new appointments.
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Development growth leads to promotion at Branston
Vidyanath Gururajan has been promoted to the position of Group Head: Development & Projects at Branston Ltd, following a restructure of the company's Development Department.
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Researchers want crop trial sites kept secret from anti-GM The public should be kept in the dark over whether controversial GM crop trials are taking place on their doorstep, scientists have said. Vandals and eco-campaigners have destroyed almost every attempt to grow experimental GM plants outdoors in Britain in the past five years. Under current EU rules, scientists have to publish the map reference for every GM field trial.
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Crop progress
Mid August
Most regions have been affected by rain and showers and the unseasonal weather is increasing blight risk as well as disrupting blight treatments.Top growth is developing at a very fast rate and new growth can be unprotected. Despite this, crops are considered to be 7-14 days behind normal development.
Clearance of earlies was ahead of last year with total harvest on 7th August being 9800 hectares, compared with 8700 ha at the same time last year. Yields are around low to mid 40 t/ha.
Blight spraying is well underway with advice being to keep intervals much tighter. Rain and wet soils have continued to disrupt some programmes however. 94 infections have been confirmed in crops across the country, while blight in outgrade piles has been found in 9 locations, 8 as yet unconfirmed and 3 in volunteers. Smith Periods indicate increasing blight risk. It is vital that growers maintain a robust fungicide programme with fungicides with tuber blight protection right through to harvest.
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