Crop Clinic

Scotland is proud of its reputation as a producer of high quality seed potatoes.  As such, many resources are spent in maintaining this reputation. Scotland's climate is ideal for the production of potatoes.  Cool and wet seasons mean that yields can be high, whilst keeping aphid populations down. Aphids are an important pest which can transmit potato viruses.

In 2007, 300 hectares were planted for early ware, 18,300 hectares for maincrop ware and 10,500 hectares for seed.  Average yields were 23.59 tonnes per hectare, 52.12 tonnes per hectare and 43.50 tonnes per hectare respectively.

Total production in 2007 was 6,900 tonnes early ware, 953,300 tonnes ware and 455,500 tonnes seed.
(Economic report on Scottish agriculture 2008)

Weather conditions are important for all crops, but more so for potatoes.  Dry conditions are required at planting time (usually April for main crops, earlier in February for early varieties).  Rainfall is important to bulk up tubers, but warm and humid weather also leads to problems with the disease late blight. 

Dry hot weather can also cause problems at bulking up, but irrigation can be used to alleviate this.  However, dry warm weather in the summer may lead to increases in aphids.  At harvest, wet weather can severely hamper lifting crops and early frosts can also cause damage.

Once lifted and in store, sophisticated store climate management can ensure good quality seed and ware is maintained over the winter.  Problems may occur if potatoes are transported via road or sea in frosty conditions, whilst the need for washed high quality ware by supermarkets leads to some challenges in keeping blemish diseases at bay, since washing, bagging and placing tubers in warm supermarket shelves provides ideal conditions for some blemish and rot diseases to develop.