Scotts Precision Manufacturing to bring Evolution Separator to PotatoEurope 2026 in Germany

Scotts Precision Manufacturing (Lincolnshire, UK) has confirmed to Potato News Today that its Stand GD40 at PotatoEurope 2026 will feature a live demonstration of the Evolution Separator — a machine designed to remove clods, stones and crop debris from harvested potatoes.

PotatoEurope 2026 will be held September 9–10 at Rittergut Gestorf 1, near Hanover. This marks the event’s return to Germany after the 2025 edition in Lelystad, Netherlands — the show rotates among Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and France. The organiser is DLG (German Agricultural Society). According to PotatoPro, 2026 marks the event’s 20th anniversary, with a move to a new venue and, for the first time, a co-located SugarBeet Expo; roughly 290 exhibiting companies are expected (up from 251 at the 2022 German edition).

The Evolution Separator was first launched in 2005. According to Potato News Today and industry outlet Potato Business, the company announced in 2025 that it had sold its 1,000th unit, delivered to a British grower. Scotts Managing Director Derek Scott called it a milestone moment in the company’s history (translated from English; source: Potato Business, October 2025).

Why it matters: mechanical damage to tubers during harvesting and post-harvest handling is one of the leading causes of quality loss and spoilage in stored potatoes. A scientific review cited on ScienceDirect (referencing Peters, 1996) found that around 70% of all tuber damage occurs during harvesting itself, with the remaining 30% occurring during transport and storage, and that up to 30% of the harvested crop can be damaged in the harvesting process alone. This is why “gentle” cleaning equipment — such as separators using flexible spiral rollers — is regarded by the industry as a meaningful loss-reduction tool, not merely a convenience.

Scotts also says that, driven by rising demand, it is investing in a new 600-square-metre logistics and assembly facility, due for completion in summer 2026; the company currently employs around 25 staff.

[to verify]: the claim of “more than 1,000 units sold worldwide” is corroborated by two independent industry sources (Potato News Today and Potato Business) plus the company’s own website, but the underlying figure ultimately traces back to a company statement (Scotts), not an independent sales audit.

Imithombo

1. Potato News Today — “Scotts Precision Manufacturing to showcase Evolution Separator at PotatoEurope 2026,” Sept 1, 2026 (Viktor’s original material).
2. Potato Business — “Scotts Precision Manufacturing Marks Milestone With 1,000th Evolution Separator Sold,” Oct 28, 2025 (independent trade outlet; confirms the 1,000-unit figure; contains a quote from Derek Scott).
3. Scotts Precision Manufacturing — official website news section (scottsuk.com) — primary company source; confirms the 1,000th unit, staff count (~25), new 600 sqm facility.
4. PotatoPro — “PotatoEurope marks 20 years with new venue, more exhibitors and a stronger focus on innovation” — independent source for event context (exhibitor numbers, anniversary, venue change).
5. PotatoEurope official site (potatoeurope.de) — organiser, used to verify dates and location.
6. ScienceDirect — “Harvesting Damage to Potato Tubers by Analysis of Impacts recorded with an Instrumented Sphere” (citing Peters, 1996) — scientific context on the significance of mechanical tuber damage.