Field event on 20 hectares; 11 machines to demonstrate weed control, harvesting, cleaning and loading; nearly 100 exhibitors; Professional programme with 25 speakers covering topics in-depth

On Wednesday, 4 September, at Nocton, Lincolnshire, the new Potato Days UK will be kicking off, offering a full two-day programme of exhibition, trial plots, professional programme and live machinery demonstrations. Visitors enter for free on both days, 4 and 5 September, with prior registration needed. Giving UK and Irish potato growers a full overview of practical solutions, this field demo event is launched by Agritechnica organiser DLG (German Agricultural Society) and supported by partners, including Dyson Farming, who is hosting the event.

All visitors will register for their free ticket online on the event website, presenting the digital ticket at the door, which is scanned.

In addition to machinery demonstrations, nearly 100 exhibitors will be presenting solutions for potato growers in indoor and outdoor stands, covering novel agronomy and practices in trial plots, the latest advances in crop nutrition, fertilizer management, harvesting and storage.

The event also offers talks and panel discussions in its professional programme, which has been put together by experts advisors from industry, farming and research.

On both exhibition days, machinery for harvesting, cleaning, mechanical weeding and loading will be demonstrated at Dyson Farming’s Nocton Estate.

“Potato Days UK is a field event through and through. We were asked by potato growers who have been supporting our event to include machinery demonstrations as a top priority. 12 hectares have been dedicated to the harvesting  handling and loading demonstrations which will be working the soil. The potatoes have been in the ground since mid-May and the crop yield and quality is looking good,” says Event Director, Greg Smith, representative for UK & Ireland, DLG (German Agricultural Society).

Live Machinery Demonstrations

The following manufacturers will be taking part in the machinery demonstrations on the crop that has been especially grown for the event. The live machinery demos will allow visitors to see close up how to get the potatoes out of the ground efficiently and into the trailers for the loading lines, with minimal damage and preserving crop quality.

Mechanical weed control:

Einböck Aerostar Fusion (6m) – tined weeder – presented by Terrington Machinery

Potato harvesters:

AVR       Puma 4.0 (4-row self-propelled with bunker)

Dewulf   Kwatro Extreme (4-row self-propelled with bunker)

Dewulf   Enduro (4-row self-propelled with bunker)

Grimme  Varitron 470 (4-row self-propelled with bunker)

Grimme Select 200 (2-row trailed without bunker – constant overloading)

Standen T2XS (2-row trailed without bunker – constant overloading)

Cleaning/Loading:

AVR       Falcon 24-45 + Python 80-18 T + Cobra 80-19

Dewulf   MH 242 Scotts Evolution + ML 1980

Downs   TFLAR_1 – 240 Field loader  – TFL240 PC SE S8 IT CTL13X1000

Grimme  CleanLoader

Alll demonstrations are supported by tractors provided by leading John Deere dealer, Ben Burgess, with trailers from Bailey. Additionally, tractors from Claas and trailers from Richard Weston will be in operation on the site.

Potato growers expected in the field

UK’s potato growers and potato professionals are expected in large numbers over the two event days, not only to see harvesting and loading equipment in action but also to network with fellow professionals in the field plots and exhibitor stands from across the value chain.

The purpose-built marquee contains around 60 exhibitors from across the sector and the show field allows larger static machinery and equipment displays as well as the chance to spend time in discussion with a wide range of manufacturers, suppliers and support organisations to build business relationships that help move farming operations forward

Large-scale potato grower James Harrison of EG Harrison & Co Ltd, Norfolk is planning to attend the show.

“It’s so good to bring the potato industry together on a working demonstration site where farmers and growers can see the latest technology at first hand.

“And it’s a great way to look at the current options available to deliver potatoes to their chosen markets and engage with the industry,” says Harrison.

Ormskirk-based potato farmer Andrew Webster is particularly keen to come to the event: “I’m interested in learning from the talks and discussions“ he said.

“Knowledge exchange is vital and even if you take away one thing and use it, there’s a benefit. You learn so much from the questions and discussions, too. It’s all about marginal gains to reach your goals. Supporting this event is so important for potato farmers and growers – if you don’t attend it won’t be there in future!

“If you’re in the industry you should be looking into the future – to ‘next generation’ potato growing. Potato Days UK offers us that opportunity,” he added.

Professional programme

In talks, interactive discussions and panels experts and growers will debate the policy on sustainability and efficiency,  machinery, automation and AI, the impact of net-zero and the effect of climate change on potato growing. Leading academics, potato growers and processors as well as advisors are among the 25 speakers.

Crop trials

A group of exhibitors have planted trial plots that feature new technologies in weed reduction, crop protection and inputs, different varieties and innovative irrigation systems. The crop trials enable visitors to inspect crop and agronomy methods while discussing the field results.

Listen to “Talking Tatoes” podcast before you go

Before a visit Potato Days UK, listen to Greg Smith, DLG’s UK and Ireland representative, and Mark Taylor, chair of GB Potatoes, discuss trends in the UK potato industry and why this event is ‘must attend’ for the industry.

Potato Days UK, on 4 and 5 September 2024, will present many of the technologies and market issues discussed in this podcast.

Event partners include Dyson Farming; industry organisation, GB Potatoes; AVR; Dewulf; GRIMME UK; McCain; the University of Lincoln; and UK Food Valley, the regional network for innovation in the food industry.

Nocton Farm is owned by Dyson Farming, one of the largest and most innovative farming companies in the UK.

Dedicated to furthering progress in agriculture, the DLG is an international, non-profit society that offers practical platforms – like Potato Days UK – for farming professionals to promote efficient decisions for their farm. The DLG is the organizer of a number of successful trade fairs for the potato industry in Germany, the Netherlands and Turkey.

MAbout DLG

With more than 31,000 members, DLG is a politically independent and non-profit organisation. DLG draws on an international network of some 3,000 food and agricultural experts. Through its subsidiary, DLG International, DLG operates has subsidiaries in nine countries and also organizes over 30 regional agricultural and livestock exhibitions worldwide. DLG’s leading international exhibitions, EuroTier for livestock farming and Agritechnica for agricultural machinery, which are held every two years in Hanover, Germany, provide international impetus for the local trade fairs. Headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany, DLG conducts practical trials and tests to keep its members informed of the latest developments. DLG’s sites include DLG’s International Crop Production Centre, a 600-hectare test site in Bernburg-Strenzfeld, Germany and the DLG Test Centre, Europe’s largest agricultural machinery test centre for Technology and Farm Inputs, located in Gross-Umstadt, Germany. DLG bridges the gap between theory and practice, as evidenced by more than 40 working groups of farmers, academics, agricultural equipment companies and organisations that continually compare advances in knowledge in specific areas such as irrigation and precision farming.