As crop production costs spiral, serious savings can be made across a range of potato inputs if you manage and monitor them carefully. This was the message for than 240 growers attending Potato Council's East Midlands Potato Day near Spalding, Lincs, on Tuesday (July 8). They also heard how taking a positive message to the consumer is paying dividends for the industry.

Tim Pratt from farm energy experts FEC Services outlined initial results from a Potato Council-funded project monitoring electricity use in a number of commercial potato stores.

"Monitoring your electricity costs is relatively easy, but the results can be startling or even disturbing," he pointed out. For one business involved in the study, the figures revealed one of its stores was using twice the energy to chill a pre-pack crop than the other, prompting the grower to close the store down early.

Host farmer of the event Duncan Worth echoed Mr Pratt's advice. His farm is taking part in the Potato Council-funded Grower Collaborations project, run by Cambridge University Farm (CUF). Five farms across Britain are pitching agronomy of commercial crops based on CUF research against the farm's conventional practice.

"To really discover where the benefits are we are doing a lot more monitoring, such as measuring crop cover closely, and have to provide very detailed information on our agronomy practice. But there is robust research on trial here, implementing fairly radical changes. If just one element bears fruit, it will have a significant advantage for us," said Mr Worth.

Examples include specific circumstances where nitrogen fertiliser rate is dropped by 22%, and another where seed planting distance is increased to 38cm from 28cm. These adjustments can be made without compromising overall yield, claims CUF, and should actually increase marketable yield - the proportion of the crop within the optimum tuber size range.

Ed Garner, from TNS Worldpanel, said a concerted effort by the industry to promote to the consumer the healthy, natural side of processed potatoes was paying dividends. Chips and potato products have performed "remarkably well" recently, with expenditure higher in oven chips by 10.7%, for example.

"McCain and Walkers in particular have succeeded in taking a positive message to consumers, and that has resulted in strong sales of its products," he reported. "The lesson for food producers is clear: don't get hung up on negative issues. Present the positives to the consumer - it works."

Other speakers at the East Midlands event, in association with McCain and QV Foods, outlined the latest advice on chlorpropham (CIPC) and the Potato Council-led industry initiative to minimise residues. Dr Pat Haydock from Harper Adams University College updated growers on Potato Cyst Nematode control. Other field sessions focussed on efficient fertiliser use and herbicide trials.

The series of events and initiatives is part of a Summer of Knowledge campaign launched by Potato Council to deliver the latest technical and regulatory information direct to growers, who are facing rising costs and regulation, but a shrinking armoury of crop protection products.