Integrated Crop Management
Integrated Crop Management, or ICM, is an important part of our strategic pillar Going Wherever You Grow. We operate in growing regions all over the world. This gives us access to a broad range of global knowledge, experience, and practical insights. However, potato production is always local. Climate, soil, water availability, disease pressure, regulations, farming practices, and market requirements differ from one region to another.
That is why Going Wherever You Grow means more than being present in different markets. It means that we collect knowledge globally and translate it into advice that works locally.
ICM brings together the variety, the growing environment, and the cultivation approach. Resistant and robust varieties are an essential part of building a more resilient potato crop, but varieties alone cannot solve every challenge. Their performance also depends on factors such as soil and crop management, crop rotation, planting conditions, monitoring, water management, and the responsible use of crop protection products.
The right variety provides a strong foundation, while locally adapted cultivation practices help unlock its full potential.
Relevant throughout the value chain
ICM is not only relevant for our seed growers. It creates value for everyone involved in growing, buying, processing, and marketing potatoes. By taking this broader perspective, we can connect the needs of the seed grower with those of the ware grower and the final customer. This helps us build stronger partnerships and creates new opportunities for commercial conversations.
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Seed growers
ICM supports healthy crops and the consistent production of high-quality seed potatoes.
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Ware growers
It helps them use the right variety in the right way, improving yield, quality, storability, resilience, and profitability.
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Customers and value chain partners
It contributes to a more reliable and sustainable supply of potatoes that meets market, regulatory, processing, and quality requirements.
The ICM Framework
The Integrated Crop Management (ICM) framework uses five pillars of crop production, which together support sustainable, profitable, and resilient farming systems, reducing reliance on chemical crop protection.
- Variety & Cultivation | Match the right variety with the right agronomic practices for optimal performance.
- Crop Diversity in Space & Time | Reduce pest and disease pressure through rotation field selection, and crop diversity.
- Soil Management | Maintain healthy soils that support strong roots and allow for efficient water and nutrient use.
- Targeted Control | Apply precise interventions when and where they are needed to protect crop health.
- Monitoring & Evaluation | Monitor crop development, assess risks, and use insights to continuously improve decisions and results.
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Turning research into resilient crops
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Building resilience against virus
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