Potatoes… - Bayer CropScience

The UK Potato Project –
Participation that paid off
The whole is greater than the sum of its
parts, they say. It certainly applies to Food
Chain Partnership. Because, if all members
of the chain – from field to fork – become
partners who understand each others
needs and requirements, everyone gains.
Bayer CropScience therefore encourages
and facilitates Food Chain Partnerships all
over the world, contributing the company’s
own expertise and extensive knowledge.
One such partnership was the UK Potato
Project introduced here.
As customers increasingly become
aware of what they eat, their expectations
are on the rise. After a number of food
scares, such as the BSE crisis, legislation
within the EU has put more emphasis on
consumer and retailer expectations in terms
of high-quality and safe produce.
In this context, the market in the United
Kingdom is particularly advanced with a
strong involvement of retailers and processors
in food production. Against this background
Bayer CropScience was to launch
Infinito ® , a new product against potato late
blight.
While the general aim for all members
of the potato food chain should be highquality,
healthy-looking potatoes, individual
members have different requirements
and demands on a new crop protection prod -
uct. To farmers, high effectiveness against
Phytophtora as well as operator and environmental
safety is paramount. But flexible
dose rates and spraying intervals are
also important. Next in the line, potato
processors are confronted with a) consu -
mers’ quality expectations and b) technical
demands such as the shape and size of
potatoes and their frying qualities to guarantee
successful processing at a reasonable
price. Retailers finally, especially those in
the fresh potato segment, have to cope with
consumers’ sensibility towards looks and
cooking properties of fresh food. To them,
healthy and clean potato skin is of great
importance. In order to best meet the different
expectations of those involved, Bayer
CropScience decided to invite all members
of the potato value chain to field trials
and cooperate with them in the final development
of Infinito.
Sabine Stolz, Food Chain Manager
Europe and Global Key Relation Manager
for UK supermarket retailers at the Bayer
CropScience Headquarters in Monheim,
points out: “There are two strategies in
Food Chain Partnerships we pursue at Bayer
CropScience. Usually the emphasis lies on
individual crop cultures where, for a particular
location or situation, we help define
a schedule of crop protection measures to
be taken over the course of the year. Of
course, only registered, approved
crop protection products can be
included in this schedule.
The UK Potato
Project was something
new for us.
Here, the potato value chain members were
involved at the developmental stage of a
new crop protection product already.”
Patrick Mitton, Cambridge-based food
industry stewardship manager, says: “At
Bayer CropScience, we naturally want to
introduce products that are tailored to the
demands of the market. It is essential to develop
products that satisfy our customers’
expectations and offer the best possible solution
for all interested parties.”
To begin with, the new product’s active
substance, fluopicolide, had a favourable
technical profile. Not only does it offer
outstanding efficacy, particularly in respect
of tuber blight control. It also met the expectations
of the food companies. But
there is always room to improve things. So,
two seasons before the launch of Infinito,
many British farmers, processors and retailers
were asked for their ideas and recommendations
for a product profile. During
the two year pre-launch development
The potato farmer’s aim:
high-quality and
healthy-looking potatoes.
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