Dyson Farming Research is pleased to be part of a new farmer‑led collaboration with Colwith Farm Potatoes Ltd and SDF Agriculture Ltd, funded by Defra and delivered through the Innovate UK ADOPT programme. The partnership brings together commercial farming expertise, agronomy specialists and applied research capability to accelerate the development of a next‑generation low‑input potato production system.

The project will investigate how precision foliar nutrition and advanced microbial biostimulants can work together to reduce reliance on soil‑applied fertilisers and fungicides. Earlier work supported by Innovate UK has shown that these approaches have the potential to cut synthetic inputs significantly while supporting strong crop growth, improved tuber quality and greater resilience in challenging seasons. For growers, this could translate into lower production costs, reduced environmental impact and more reliable performance in increasingly variable weather conditions.

Dyson Farming Research will lead a programme of replicated field trials across contrasting soil types, using detailed crop monitoring and nutrient‑uptake analysis to understand how different treatment combinations perform. These scientific trials will run alongside commercial‑scale split‑field testing carried out by Colwith Farm Potatoes and three SDF Agriculture growers, ensuring the results are both robust and directly applicable to real‑world farming systems.

We believe this work has the potential to deliver meaningful benefits for UK potato growers and the wider arable sector. By combining rigorous science with practical, on‑farm validation, the consortium aims to provide growers with clear, evidence‑based pathways to reduce inputs without compromising yield or quality. Insights, data and technical guidance generated through the project will be shared with our wider farming network, with in‑depth findings made available exclusively to Dyson Farming Research members.