A potato lost to bruising takes more than its market value with it—it also takes the water, fertiliser and labour invested in growing it.
Through our role as a node of the South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub, South West NRM supported the Hub-funded SmartSpud project. We’re sharing the findings to show how reducing losses after harvest could help growers make better use of the water they already apply.
Following a potato-shaped sensor through commercial harvesting and handling systems revealed that the biggest knocks weren’t always where growers might expect. While harvesting machinery generally performed well in the trials, specific transfer and unloading points presented opportunities for improvement—with relatively simple adjustments potentially helping more potatoes reach market in good condition.
Where were the hidden knocks, and what could help prevent them? Read the full case study to find out.