PW-ACTUA Breeding station faster at planting trial plots thanks to punch machine with GPS A front cultivator with ridge-maker and punching machine combination first prepares the trial fields. All this is GPS-controlled and therefore dead straight and at the most economical distance. For the first time this year, the potato breeding company Den Hartigh from Emmeloord has planted its trial plots with a GPS-controlled puncher/cultivator. This special machine was developed by Mechatec from Tollebeek. In addition, a drawn cart was constructed on which two people can place the potatoes in the punch holes manually. Jacob Eising of the breeding station is enthusiastic about the new acquisitions. After ridging and punching, the seed potatoes are planted manually. For this job, a drawn cart was constructed on which two people can sit and put into place their boxes of seed potatoes. ‘Because the holes are punched exactly where the potatoes must be placed, the manual planting is speeded up enormously. We do a quarter more in the same time. This GPSdriven approach also prevents Agrico develops new communication concept At the end of May, Agrico launched a new website as part of a renewed communication concept. Agrico director Ineke Mastenbroek explains that Agrico is active in a wide range of markets and deals with a variety of stakeholders: ‘It is within this context that we wanted to develop a communications platform that, on the one hand, is unambiguous in terms of image and identity and, on the other, is flexible in its approach to different target groups and markets.’ What binds these parties is the potato. A potato to suit the specific needs and circumstances of the customer, anywhere in the world. ‘That is Agrico’s commitment,’ says Mastenbroek. ‘What Agrico has in mind is that where people talk about potatoes, they think of Agrico. To emphasise the range and coherence of our activities, we have introduced a new, transparent and open style of communication under the motto “Say Potato, Say Agrico”. As part of the new communication concept, Agrico’s web environment was also thoroughly overhauled. The new website has a transparent navigation structure with which the various visitors can easily find information about Agrico. Through the two shielded extranet applications, growers – and very soon customers as well – can log on to Agrico. Within these extranet environments, Agrico can exchange specific information with its growers and customers. ‘Some time ago, we promised our growers that we would offer such a facility. I am very pleased that we can now match the word to the deed,’ says Mastenbroek. ● potato plants from growing in machine tracks. Moreover, all potatoes are at exactly the same depth and in a perfectly straight line.’ That makes the comparisons even more reliable, according to Eising. ● Potato World 2010 • number 3 9 Pagina 8
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