Date: Monday 5 June 2023
Time: 11:00 am - 3:30 pm ACST (arrive back in Adelaide 3:30 pm)
11:00 am - bus Leaves convention centre
12:30 pm - field walk starts
2:00 pm - field walk concludes (1st Bus Leaves for Adelaide and Hort Connections ETA 3:30 pm)
2:30 pm - arrival at Langhorne Creek Football, Sports & Social Club for BBQ and general discussion
4:00 pm - 2nd Bus Leaves for Adelaide
Approximately 5:30 pm - arrive back in adelaide
Location: Langhorne Creek SA, address to be provided to registrants. A bus will be provided to those attending the PotatoLink R&D forum earlier in the day, click here to view the R&D forum event page.
Registration: Click here to register,
You do not need a Hort Connections ticket to attend this event
Background: Management of potato seed supply and seed age is critical to deliver the best yield and quality. Often young seed is turned around from the previous summer crop to fit the planting and contracted harvest windows. Managing old seed and young seed and driving seed efficiency is critical for sustainability and offsetting rising seed cost. This trial examines how growers can minimise risks and maximise profits through management of their seed age and supply.
Trial: A PepsiCo trial comparing FL 1867 aged and young seed with treatments of in-furrow nutrition of Calcium, Phosphorous, Zinc and Potassium with growth regulators like Cytokinin and Auxin. The nutrition and growth regulators aim to help stimulate seed performance, reduce apical dominance in young seed and accelerate crop establishment. The old seed early nutrition is aimed at accelerated canopy development, stem strength and supporting the filling of tubers as early as possible in the crop life cycle.
Site information: Langhorne Creek in South Australia is situated on a fertile plain next to the banks of Lake Alexandrina (570 sq km), a large fresh water outfall from the Murray River. The region has a climate conducive for year-round potato growth through a combination of a rain-shadow created by the Adelaide Hills and temperature amelioration from Lake Alexandrina. This mitigates the challenges of supply, particularly during Spring. To meet the processors supply window, potatoes are Autumn planted for Winter and Spring harvest.
PotatoLink R&D forum: There will be a PotatoLink R&D forum from 8:30 am to 11:00 am. A bus from the Adelaide Convention Centre to Langhorne Creek. The bus will return attendees to the Adelaide Convention Centre by 3:00 pm, in time for the Hort Connections welcome reception at 4:30 pm. Click here to learn more about the R&D forum and register.