Irrigation and evaporation – an Agri-Tech Week event

We will be getting experiences direct from the farm for this Agri-Tech Week event which is looking at best practice and use of new technology for irrigation in the potato sector, explains Teresa Meadows, Knowledge Exchange Manager at AHDB.

RJ and AE Godfrey is a mixed arable farm in North Lincolnshire, growing around 440ha of main-crop potatoes for the packing market each year, and it considers crop quality to be of paramount importance to the business.  For farm manager Will Gagg the skin finish is of utmost importance, and at the event he will be talking about the work that they are doing looking at best irrigation practice.

Through the SPot North trials work, the farm has started to look at three different irrigation methods: drip irrigation, boom and a rain gun. Will particularly wanted to know if the higher cost of drip irrigation pays off for a high quality, high price finished product. The presentation will cover the demonstration and experiences of this year.

This demonstration will be fully assessed, taking into account financial and marketable yield, and will be continued over the following years of the project.

Irrigation best practice is not only important for the crop, the business and final yield, but also on the wider environment.

Ed Bramham-Jones, Head of Farming and Water at Norfolk Rivers Trust, will be talking about the research that they have done looking at how to improve water quality, reduce soil movement and collaboration to the benefit of the local water catchments.

All growers keep a keen eye on emerging technology and its use for the business. At this event, we will also be joined by Soil Essentials to discuss how the latest technology in the sector could be used to aid yield prediction and management in the future.