Led by Richard Harding, the session went into a hands-on, innovative approach to potato production without the reliance on conventional inputs. The potatoes were planted by hand, into a well-prepared field following a two-year ley, helping to build soil structure and fertility. The system incorporated the use of wheat and barley straw—applied at around 40 tonnes per hectare using a spreader bale—to act as a mulch layer. This mulch provided water retention, weed suppression, and soil protection, eliminating the need for irrigation, fungicides, herbicides, or additional nutrition during the growing season.
The potatoes used were organic varieties, with realistic yield expectations—typically around 70% of a conventional crop. However, this system isn’t about chasing yield but rather building a more sustainable, resilient farm system. As Richard noted, it’s important to view the enterprise through the lens of rotational gross margin, rather than focusing purely on individual crop performance.

• Planted on Good Friday.
• Mulched with 40t/ha of straw (wheat and barley).
• No irrigation, fungicide, herbicide, or nutrition applied.
• Hand-harvested in previous years; this year, a mechanical harvest is planned with adapted equipment.
• Average tuber size: 40–60mm.
• Post-harvest, straw/mulch remains, and the field is replanted with sweetcorn and pumpkins.
• No conventional crop rows were formed, so no machinery passes for foliar applications.

The approach highlighted the importance of understanding your soil biology, and Richard emphasised building resilience through minimal disturbance and organic matter return. It’s a radical departure from conventional potato systems, but one that aligns well with regenerative goals.
If you’re interested in developing a system in potatoes utilising crop nutrition, please get in touch. George Hepburn, one of our Technical Leads, is in the third year of ORETO accredited trials on potatoes with some justly interesting results.

Beyond the no-till potato session, I attended some other insightful talks that focussed on the careful and informed use of glyphosate, emphasising the need to minimise its impact while transitioning to more biologically active systems. There was a strong emphasis on the role of amino acids in the soil and how enhancing soil biology can support plant health and resilience.