This study was conducted to establish how growers are implementing regenerative principles into the cultivation of potatoes, explore how these principles can be applied to the UK’s soils and climate, and to create a plan for potato growers to reduce artificial inputs whilst still growing high-yielding potatoes.
Potatoes are the third most important food crop globally. Grower numbers are dwindling in the UK and the cropped area is down nearly 30% since 2017. As farmers become more conscious of their soil’s health, potatoes often find themselves as the first crop dropped from rotation. Burgeoning input costs and extreme weather events are also hampering the UK potato sector with poor returns being common recently on many farms. These issues can be addressed if a clear method is demonstrated that shows potatoes do not have to negatively impact soil management.
This study was conducted to establish how growers are implementing regenerative principles into the cultivation of potatoes, explore how these principles can be applied to the UK’s soils and climate, and to create a plan for potato growers to reduce artificial inputs whilst still growing high-yielding potatoes.