Merry Christmas to All Our Subscribers!
No. 12/24 SUBSCRIBER EDITION: please go to potatostorageinsight.com/subscribe to sign up as a Synopsis subscriber.
Â
Dear Subscriber,
It seems amazing where the time has gone, but the end of the calendar year is upon us again as I prepare this, your December edition of Synopsis.
I would like to thank you for your continued support as a reader of this bulletin and wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Technically, potato store managers don't really get time off at this time of year as the potato crop is in continual need of attention. This is particularly the case for late-lifted material where keeping quality is reported as being marginal at best.
Nevertheless, I am aware that many of you do try to take your foot off the gas for a well-earned break. The key, of course, is to do this is a managed way so that there are no surprises when you're back up to speed in the New Year.
Routine assessment of store conditions is a good way to minimise risk, with detailed temperature and sprouting checks at no less than monthly intervals, preferably less. At this time of year, changing climatic conditions can trigger problems such as condensation - see below for more information. If there are already rots present, it doesn't need a lot of free moisture to create an environment that is very well suited to those rots spreading. So please make your judgment about that Christmas break wisely...
PSI activity
Adrian Cunnington has recently presented at a workshop on storage at the pre-Christmas CUPGRA conference, focusing on energy management. Some of his slides form the basis of our Technical Insight feature this month.
Regular readers will recall that we launched details of our two-day residential store managers' course, that will be held on Tuesday 4th and Wednesday 5th March 2025 at the Greetham Valley Hotel & Conference Centre near Oakham, Rutland, in this publication just last month. I am delighted to report that, in the intervening 3½ weeks, the course has been completely booked out, despite extending the number of places from 20 to 25. Thank you to all those who have committed their support.