At Tumby near Horncastle in Lincolnshire we had two neighbouring crops of potatoes. To the treated crop a full Delta program was applied at a rate of 2 Litres per hectare, applied with every blight spray. We also applied 2 litres per ha of “14All” which is our trace element and growth enhancer mix.

The nearby untreated crop is typical of potatoes in a year with very high rainfall and high blight pressure.

We have other growers who have applied a Delta program of between 2 and 5Ltrs per ha per blight spay through the growing season and these crops look similar to those treated crops at Tumby.

Melody Potatoes Pictures taken July 19th 2012. Weather conditions – prolonged wet weather.

Main crop Melody potatoes grown on sand land following an NHCaDelta program of 2 litres per ha applied with every blight spray at 5 day intervals. This crop has also received a 2L/ha application of our 14All trace element and growth enhancer mix.

In a year with very high blight pressure these potatoes have suffered with very little blight.

The Delta treated crop has achieved a good canopy and good healthy growth providing good tuber numbers of even size.

 15th August 2012 – Yield dig of the Melody crop at Tumby shows a potential of 20 tonnes/acres of 45mm up and 2 tonne/ac of 45mm down, Pre pack quality, with good crop canopy still remains which would indicate there is another month of growth.
 This crop of potatoes is untreated with our Delta program and is in the same Tumby location on sandy soil type.

The crop has recvieved a full program of alternative treatments.

As you can see blight incidence is high, crop establishment is poor, leaf canopy and crop health is variable.

 This is another picture taken on the 15th July 2012

Another view of the Tumby potatoes not treated with a Delta program

This growth is typical of many crops this year 

The Delta treated Melody harvested here at Tumby are large and uniformed in size and with great skin finish.

These Delta treated potatoes yielded 54t/ha and fetched a £40/tonne quality premium.

The untreated crop yielded between 17.25t/ha and 22t/ha.

The Delta treated crop received 125kg of nitrogen during the growing season. This was a reduction of over 40% in allowable N to grow a crop that was over 2.5 times the size of the untreated crop.