Increasing profits in potatoes using biostimulants
Trial data
Successful potato production currently requires significant levels of inputs including fertiliser, pesticides and irrigation. However, growers must be able to achieve profitable and sustainable crops.
We know that introducing additional inputs, such as biostimulants, must deliver economic gain for them to be widely adopted. An increase in profits can be realised in many different forms (either alone or in combination):
- Reduced use of fertilisers and other agrochemical inputs
- More efficient use of water
- More efficient land use
- Increased crop yield
- Improved crop quality
- Better disease tolerance
- Faster recovery from stressful events
- Shorter time to harvest and market
- Greater homogeneity of germination and crop
- Improved processing efficiencies
How can Maxstim help growers achieve better profits?
During the 2022 season, our research team conducted trials assessing Maxstim’s Agriculture+ biostimulant formula and its efficacy in improving potato production in both container and field environments. You can read about the container trial here.
6 commercial crops of Maris Piper variety potatoes were assessed at 5 locations in the UK. All farming procedures were performed by growers following their standard farm practice. For assessment of each crop, replicated plots were randomly assigned either additional treatments of Maxstim Agriculture+, or to be a control plot.
For those plots assigned to the experimental condition, 10l/Ha of biostimulants was applied with 200 litres of water on 4 separate occasions:
Results
Our results showed that the applied Maxstim Agriculture + biostimulant had the following positive effects:
- all six commercial Maris Piper trial locations yielded between 56 and 79 t/Ha
- the crops showed a consistent response to biostimulant treatment, with total yields increasing by an average of 5.2%
- marketable yield increased in margins of £700/Ha
- increases in yield were observed for both chitted and unchitted seed potatoes
Sources:
Haverkort, A.J. and Struik, P.C. (2015). Yield levels of potato crops: recent achievements and future prospects. Field Crops Res. 182, 76-85. doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2015.06.002
Interested to hear more about our research and how it can help improve your crop?
Tim Cannon
Email: tim.cannon@maxstim.com
Mobile: 07884 586191
Phil Kingsmill
Email: phil.kingsmill@maxstim.com
Mobile: 07860 269996
Tony Kelly
Email: tony.kelly@maxstim.com
Mobile: 07974 435417
