Spain: Andalusia celebrates the 2nd Agroprofessional Potato Meeting of La Rinconada

Campo Magazine, the national leader in potato information, is holding the 2nd Agroprofessional Potato Meeting in La Rinconada on Friday, April 25, at the Hacienda de Santa Cruz, located in the Seville municipality.

During the event, we will discuss, with the help of leading professionals, the current situation of the sector, the forecasts for a campaign that begins with a focus on rainfall, markets, and various agronomic issues. This is an experiential event where we will also learn about the work of some of the local potato companies.

After Galicia and Castile and León, Andalusia is the autonomous community with the third largest distribution of total potato land area, with 8,152 hectares in 2024. It is also third in terms of total production, with 262,758 tons.

The event will be a great opportunity for tuber professionals to gain a real-world, up-to-date picture of the crop’s status, as the program will feature some of the most authoritative voices in the sector.

The “invisible superheroes” of agricultural land

The day will begin with a visit to the Patatas Arrebola facilities, followed by a presentation by Alejandro Sanz of Corteva, who will present an innovative solution based on four strains of Bacillus selected after rigorous research, which are revolutionizing the way we understand plant nutrition and crop sustainability.

These strains—Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus safensis, Bacillus pumilus, and Bacillus velezensis—act together as true allies for the farmer, helping the plant produce more with less. Each strain has specific functions that complement each other to improve crop yield from the root.

"If we can unlock nutrients from the soil and increase root capacity thanks to these microorganisms, we will have healthier plants," Sanz said.

The impact of mildew

Xavier Moncosí, from Lainco, will address one of the key topics of this campaign: downy mildew, the fungal disease causing the most headaches this year. His presentation, titled "Mildew in potatoes and its impact in Spain, with a focus on Seville," will analyze why this disease has become the main threat to potato crops.

The 2025 crop season has been marked by unfavorable weather conditions. Persistent rains at key stages of the crop cycle have caused planting delays, management complications, and, above all, an explosion of fungal diseases. Moncosí will focus on how mildew has gained ground in fields throughout Spain, especially in areas like Seville, where humidity and mild temperatures have created the perfect environment for its development.

Furthermore, he will focus on one of the major current challenges: the lack of effective tools to combat this disease. "We have few resources and few active ingredients to control it. That’s why it’s urgent to incorporate novel products that don’t generate resistance and are effective in difficult conditions," Moncosí points out. The repetition of the same modes of action has generated resistance, so he will advocate for strategies that integrate fungicides with innovative modes of action that are adaptable to climate change.

Francisco Romero, from Fertinagro, will talk about how to make sustainable agriculture profitable. Francisco Pérez, from Alltech Cropscience Iberia, will give a presentation to make it clear that "the key is in the soil."

In addition to the presentations, there will be a panel discussion on the present and future of the sector, moderated by Máximo Gómez, director of Revista Campo.

The day will conclude with a visit to the Contagri company, located in Alnazcázar, which received the 2025 National Sustainability Award.

As the Agroindustry delegate, Manuel Coronel, points out, "Since 2014, we’ve been celebrating the Potato Festival to highlight this product, coinciding with the start of the potato harvesting campaign. However, we are constantly supporting our entrepreneurs, farmers, and agricultural workers because the primary sector in general and potato cultivation in particular are priority areas for action."

The potato in Seville

Seville stands out in Andalusia in terms of new potato production within the autonomous community, as does La Rinconada within the province of Seville. Of the 3,500 hectares of land that the province of Seville allocates to new potato cultivation, an estimated 1,200 are located in La Rinconada, accounting for more than 34 percent. During the season, which begins in late April and lasts until early July, new potatoes can be purchased in most supermarkets and fruit stores both within and outside the municipality.

This year, production in La Rinconada is expected to increase compared to 2024, while maintaining its quality, thanks to the soil of the Guadalquivir Valley and the hours of sunshine available in the area.