HZPC Growing with our products

Sustainable food production starts with the soil. A potato plant will yield much more under optimal growing conditions. 70% of the difference in yield is down to genetics and the other 30% is down to conditions such as climate, soil and cultivation management. Fertilisation always seemed self-evident, but this has changed entirely. Fertilisation is now being viewed in a different light because of environmental legislation as well as scarcity. Raw materials and minerals are not inexhaustible. There are just a few areas left in the world where pure phosphate is extracted. This element, in particular, is an extremely important mineral for the potato plant's growth.

Since fertilisers are applied to a lesser extent, some potato varieties do not receive optimal levels of essential nutrients. They can become susceptible to certain diseases. A shortage of magnesium, for example, significantly increases the susceptibility to Alternaria (Fungal disease) for a number of varieties.

HZPC has set up two trial fields with various nitrogen levels and one location with potassium levels in order to handle minerals more efficiently. The soil levels are tested in advance and the levels absorbed by the plant during the growth phase are measured by way of leaf analysis. 6 varieties were tested in 2014/2015: Colomba, Gioconda and Fortus and three numbered introductory varieties. This not only provides us with an understanding of the effect of nitrogen on yield and quality, amongst other things, but also the interaction with other minerals and we observe whether the particular variety becomes more susceptible to disease. We therefore get to know the particular variety even better. With this knowledge we can produce new and improved potato varieties that are less susceptible to disease or that perform best under challenging conditions.

In the meantime, a number of varieties have become so efficient in terms of nutrient absorption that they can get by with very little and still provide optimal performance. A good example is the Mozart variety, which yields the best performance at 60-70% of normal nitrogen fertilisation levels.

The production of food is responsible for 85% of the annual water consumption in the world (Arjen Hoekstra, Professor of Water Management at the University of Twente in Trouw). Hoekstra developed the 'water footprint' concept, a model which provides an understanding of the volume of water required for producing products and services.

The average worldwide 'water footprint' for potatoes is 287 litres/kg. To compare, the average worldwide water consumption for other crops and production:

Source: Waterfootprint (Mekonnen, M.M. and Hoekstra ,A.Y.)

Does the potato consume excessive amounts of water?
We asked Anton Haverkort, crop ecologist at Plant Research International (PRI) of Wageningen UR, a specialist in potato cultivation systems. Read the article

In 2015 ÖKO-TEST, a German monthly consumer magazine, examined potatoes from all the German supermarkets. ÖKO-TEST checks products for quality and their effect on the environment. The HZPC Annabelle variety, grown in Portugal, was among the potatoes examined. This potato is sold by Aldi Nord.

Among other things the potatoes were tested for:

• pesticide residues;
• nitrate content;
• metals; 
• solanine (the natural poison which makes potatoes turn green);
• water consumption per plot.

The Annabelle "Family Potato" performed best in the test, receiving a 'good' from ÖKO-TEST. Annabelle was the only one of the traditional products tested to gain the 'good' rating.