Work Package 8 - Knowledge Exchange and Communications

Work Package Lead: Philip Burgess (scottishpotatoes.org)

Aim

To create and deliver a national programme of Knowledge Exchange (KE) to stakeholders within relevant supply chains which is aimed at protecting the land base for future generations.

Background

Seed potato production relies upon the availability of land free from PCN. However, the frequency of detection in land tested before seed potatoes has increased and forecasts indicate that without action the seed industry could become unsustainable in just 25 years. For table potato growers the pesticides available to control PCN have diminished and new approaches are necessary. This WP aims to bring together all Work Package strands to ensure the sector has the knowledge and tools necessary to a sustainable future.

Action

This WP will establish a baseline understanding of the current situation and develop a national strategy with measurable KPI’s that will require delivery to achieve targets. Creating a communication programme that will deliver focused and consistent messages to stakeholder groups is also planned for this WP. This includes factsheets, this website, grower groups and industry events.

The outputs from other work packages will be integrated into the KE programme.

Publications

Work Package 5 - Mechanistic understanding of tolerance to PCN to aid breeding, Work Package 8 - Knowledge Exchange and Communications | Final Report

The Barnyards field trial 2022 report - A field trial investigating the resistance and tolerance characteristics of eleven potato varieties to Globodera pallida in Scotland

Authors: Dr Philip Burgess, Eric Anderson
August 2023

In 2022 a field trial was established which aimed to provide information on the integrated control of Globodera pallida. This report publishes the results of the field trial planted at Barnyards Farm on 02/05/2022 - a location with a moderate-high PCN population. The trial consisted of 11 potato varieties (Cara, Maris Peer, Elland, Innovator, Eurostar, Buster, Amanda, Karelia, Cinderella, Lanorma, and Tyson) with varying levels of resistance to both G. Pallida and G. Rostochiensis (Table 1). Replicates of each variety were treated with either Nemathorin 10G (30 kg/ha, a.i. Fosthiazate) or left untreated.

Work Package 1 - Economics, Work Package 6 - Groundkeeper Control, Work Package 2 - Decision Support, Work Package 3 - Resistance marker development and mobilising new resistances, Work Package 4 - Dihaploid induction for accelerated crop improvement, Work Package 5 - Mechanistic understanding of tolerance to PCN to aid breeding, Work Package 7 - Novel IPM tools, Work Package 8 - Knowledge Exchange and Communications | Final Report

Project Report Year One - Delivering a sustainable potato industry for Scotland through management of potato cyst nematode (PCN)

Authors: Ian Toth, Ingo Hein, Sanjeev Kumar Sharma, John Jones, Xinwei Chen, Pete Skelsey, James Price, Sonia Humphris, Dr Philip Burgess, Steven Thomson, Fiona Burnett, Andrew Barnes, Eric Anderson, Jim Wilson, Jon Pickup, K Preedy
May 2023

A summary report of progress made across the work packages addressed by the PCN working group in year one.