There is nothing quite like getting out into the field to see agricultural research being put into practice. Beanstalk Global was delighted to attend the latest Farmers Weekly Arable Insights Live event, hosted at Dyson Farming Research in Lincolnshire, with this edition putting the spotlight firmly on potatoes.

And there was plenty to see and discuss.

With UK potato growers facing rising production costs, changing weather patterns, challenging markets and the continued loss of key crop inputs, the event brought together growers, researchers, agronomists and leading industry suppliers to explore how research and technology can help commercial businesses meet those challenges.

Taking the conversation into the field

A major part of the day involved getting directly into the field trials. Dyson Farming Research showcased independent, field-scale potato research covering areas including biostimulants, crop nutrition, stress resilience, nitrogen technologies, canopy management and biological approaches to crop protection. The demonstrations provided an opportunity not simply to hear about new products and approaches, but to see the research behind them and discuss how they could potentially perform within commercial farming systems.

The product presentations and demonstrations from the day’s key sponsors also added plenty to the discussions.

In conversation with Dan Cross and Sarah Marlow

While at the event, Beanstalk Global caught up with Dan Cross and Sarah Marlow for an in-depth video interview looking specifically at the work of Dyson Farming Research. We discussed the thinking behind the research operation, the importance of independent field-scale trials and how the team is generating practical evidence that growers can take back into their own businesses. With agriculture under increasing pressure to produce more efficiently while managing input costs, environmental challenges and climate volatility, the ability to properly test new ideas and technologies under genuine field conditions is increasingly important.

And potatoes provide a fascinating example.

Does it actually work?

One message came through particularly strongly during the day – the importance of evidence. Agriculture is seeing no shortage of new technologies, biological products and claims about what they could potentially deliver. But growers ultimately need answers to some pretty straightforward questions:

Does it improve yield?

Does it improve quality?

Can it reduce inputs?

Can it increase resilience?

And ultimately…does the economics stack up?

That’s where independent, field-scale research has such an important role to play.

Watch our interview

Our Beanstalk Global interview with Dan Cross and Sarah Marlow takes a deeper look at Dyson Farming Research and the work being undertaken to support the future of commercial crop production. CLICK IMAGE TO VIEW.

To find out more about Dyson Farming Research, view their website: https://research.dysonfarming.com/

And to find out more about Farmers Weekly’s Arable Insights Live programme: https://www.fwi.co.uk/sp/events/arable-insights-live

A big thank you to the Farmers Weekly team, Dan, Sarah and the wider Dyson Farming Research team for the invitation and hospitality – and to the sponsors and technical teams who contributed to such an interesting day.

Plenty to see. Plenty to discuss. And plenty of research that could help shape how potatoes are grown commercially in the years ahead.