Strategic Potato Farms
Strategic Potato (SPot) Farms are part of AHDB's Farm Excellence network. Find your nearest farm among the 80+ locations across the UK here
Inspiring farm excellence through farmer-led discussions
The SPot Farm programme is a network of potato growers throughout the UK hosting scientific research on their farms, paid for by a £1.5m annual R&D investment fund.
Trials and demonstrations
We conduct trials and demonstrations across our national network of farms. Some work aims to address local challenges experienced by growers, identified by the host farmer. In other cases the farms host national multi-site trials taking place across the network.
A recent example of a national trial was our desiccation work in 2019, where a fully replicated trial was held at six sites across Britain - four of these sites were SPot Farms, where growers and agronomists were able to track progress at open days and field walks.
SPot Farm news and trial results
31 January 2020
Alternative methods will work, but costs will rise for growers
31 January 2020
Row formation? N rates? Land choice and layout? Consider your desiccation strategy before you plant
13 February 2020
Download slides from the events here
17 December 2019
Reductions in cultivation depth and nitrogen use increased yields as well as saving costs
28 August 2019
Desiccation treatments demonstrated included Gozai® (pyraflufen-ethyl), Spotlight® (carfentrazone-ethyl), a salt-based treatment and pelargonic acid with or without flail treatment
8 August 2019
Irrigation, herbicides and organic matter also on the agenda
1 July 2019
The final Strategic Potato (SPot) Farm Open Day hosted by Bruce Farms will highlight simple practical changes growers can make to improve their margins.
1 March 2019
Once more SPot Scotland has shown you can vastly reduce nitrogen use without seeing any negative impact on yield or crop quality. In fact, we have seen better yields when less nitrogen has been applied.
1 August 2019
A series of replicated trials and demonstrations across the country will look at the best options for haulm destruction
16 July 2018
After three weeks without rainfall, AHDB’s Strategic Potato (SPot) Farm Scotland Open Day took place on the light loams of Bruce Farms near Meigle, Perthshire on Tuesday (10 July)
Results presentations
Desiccation
Herbicides
Nutrition
Host farms
“Our decision to host a SPot Farm was born out of a quest for knowledge, we have several challenges that come in to our business and businesses in the area who have light soils.
Holding a SPot farm here allowed us to look at best practice and innovation.”
Andrew Francis, Farm Director at former SPot Farm East, Elveden Farms Ltd
SPot Videos
Current SPot hosts
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Previous SPot hosts
View strategic farms from other sectors at the AHDB Farm Excellence pagePotatoes Knowledge Exchange team
North West and North East
Scotland
East Anglia and South East
East Midlands
Wales, West Midlands and South West
Knowledge Transfer
