MJP Supplies, the UK distributor of Agrifol, is advising potato growers to plan ahead as another hot summer is predicted.
Marcus Palmer said that to give potatoes the best chance in drought conditions, growers should apply the first of three Agifol applications at the rosette stage, which can be mixed with the first blight spray.
The second application should be at tuber initiation to boost disease resistance and the crop’s ability to withstand extreme weather conditions, while the final application is recommended around four weeks before burn down or harvest.
“As Algifol is so concentrated, we recommend using just one litre of it per acre, making it one of the most cost-effective biostimulants on the market,” said Marcus. “Even though you’re only using a small amount at a time, Algifol is proven to make a real difference.”
Ryan Wrisdale, Louth Potato Company, has used the biostimulant since 2018. “In that year, just like in 2024, we had a very wet winter and spring. This was followed by drought conditions over the summer. As we don’t have an irrigation system, we could not water our 20-acre crop of early and second early potatoes. After a few weeks, the plants suffered from stress due to a lack of water and were not growing.
“We applied Algifol with every blight spray on a seven-day interval. This meant that the plant was fed through the leaves with Algifol applied little and often. This kept the plant alive, and the potatoes gained more weight and size, resulting in a bonus of an increased yield after we thought it was too late.
“We also gained a good-sized potato, which was amazing as, at one point, we thought we were going to have a disastrous crop. The potato crop yield averaged between seven and ten tonnes to the acre that year.”
For more information go to www.mjpsupplies.co.uk