Fertiliser efficiency has become the key factor in stabilising the potato industry in “volatile times”, according to Omex head David Featherstone.

Speaking at the company's seminar in Featherstone, Cambridgeshire, the managing director of Omex, said that increasing regulation and legislation surrounding fertiliser use has increased prices - meaning that precise fertiliser use tailor-made for the crop's requirement is becoming even more important.

“This year has seen dramatic increases in fertiliser prices, caused by the combination of world demand and a huge rise in the cost of raw materials, and this means that getting it right or wrong has never been more important to growers,” he said.

He also suggested that unprecedented levels of volatility in the price and supply of fertilisers over the past 12 months has meant that farmers are being increasingly exposed to risk from market forces beyond their control.

Also speaking at the event, Omex agronomist Andy Eccles said that it was vital for growers to maximise fertiliser efficiency and reduce nitrogen losses through leaching and gaseous loss.

“Crops use nitrogen at about 60 per cent efficiency, which means that 40 per cent is lost to the immediate crop and therefore growers need to get better value from their applications,” he said.