Carrot growers could ditch the traditional straw covering method of storing carrots for plastic, as straw supply tightens.
Estimated costs for the use of straw to cover carrot crops was around £4000 - £5000 per hectare, but prices have leaped 50 per cent in a year in which growers are already struggling with drought conditions.
Winter storage of most UK carrot crops is done in the field with a thick covering of wheat straw as insulation to both prevent carrots and soil from freezing and to prevent regrowth during spring.
New trials by the AHDB as a result of the straw market volatility suggest that polythene and cellulose fibre could serve as a substitute for straw, which can also suffer from weed issues.
They estimate that polythene covering only requires one-third the amount of straw, potentially saving £2000 per hectare with some modifications required to existing straw laying machinery.
Dawn Teverson, AHDB knowledge exchange manager, said: “All of the treatments tested provided effective frost protection during the winter so the viability of alternatives for field storage will depend upon cost and how practical they are to use.
“Straw alternatives such as cellulose fibre and closed cell polythene foam may be useful alternatives but growers will need to evaluate the cost-benefit against straw prices.”
Coupled with the challenge from high temperatures and irrigation, leading to fears of lower yields during the season, the increased cost of straw for storage could have a big impact on productivity this year.
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