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Potatoes In Practice
Potatoes in Practice (PIP) was initiated when SAC and SCRI combined their individual open days into a single event. It takes place at the Scottish Crop Research Institute (SCRI), which is centrally placed for ware and seed growers in Scotland.
Over a period of seven years it has become established as the premier outdoor potato event in Great Britain and attendance has steadily risen, with nearly 500 people attending PIP in 2005.
The aim of the event is to transfer current research and best practice to the potato industry. This has been achieved by carrying out field demonstrations and trials which the visitors can see and discuss.
PIP has developed from small beginnings. However, it now includes trials and demonstrations from industry companies including potato breeders, poster and trade exhibits, machinery exhibits and a series of topical seminars. The Scottish Agricultural Science Agency (SASA), who operate the seed certification scheme, contribute regularly to the event.
The results of the trials and demonstrations are published in the Potato Newsletter (PNL), a quarterly magazine produced by SAC and funded by the British Potato Council (BPC). Some examples of the articles can be viewed by selecting them in the attached panel. The PNL is free to BPC levy payers and available to others from SAC for £40 a year.
Since its inception, the British Potato Council has been the main sponsor of PIP and the organisation contributes greatly to the event.
PIP is focussed around SAC & SCRI activities but, to be comprehensive, it has become an integrated industry event where all the key specialists are on hand to discuss potato issues. The event has become an attraction to growers and the potato industry outside Scotland and around a third of visitors come from England or overseas. At PIP 2005, overseas visitors included those from Australia and Brazil.
In the future, as the result of a greater desire by the Scottish Government for knowledge from their core-funded research to be transferred to the industry, PIP will become increasingly important to achieve this. Thus the number of trials and demonstrations set up by SAC & SCRI will increase.