No. 7/24 OPEN EDITION: please go to potatostorageinsight.com/subscribe to sign up as a Synopsis subscriber. Although this is a special open edition, most of our bulletins are fully accessible only to our subscribers.
Apologies - due to a technical error, the publication of this edition was delayed for some subscribers.
Dear Subscriber,
Hello! You are reading Synopsis, your monthly potato storage update from Potato Storage Insight.
It's July and it was still raining heavily as I looked out of my window on Monday! By my reckoning that's almost 9 months with little more than three rain-free days at any time in that period which is making things more than a little difficult in the field.
Blight reports are variable with significant risk being reported in East Anglia whilst slightly later crops are currently less threatened. Blight control remains a key objective for all crops, not least those destined for storage this autumn. Check out the risk in your area using the Blight Spy tool from James Hutton Institute. A number of agronomists have reported that they are concerned about the risk from tuber blight as they plot their way through ever- trickier spray programmes to try to keep the pathogen at bay.
This month we consider MH application - forming a key part of many a store manager's sprout suppression strategy these days - and provide some technical insight on store hygiene treatments.
PSI activity
I am just back from Adelaide, where I was fortunate to be invited to give a presentation to the World Potato Congress on storage. Nigel Crump (pictured) and his team down under at Auspica, Potatoes Australia and The Conference Company did a great job in hosting the Congress for three days in South Australia. Close to 1000 delegates attended at one stage of the proceedings or another, with representation from all around the world.
The theme of the Congress was 'Old World meets New'. To that end, I focused my presentation on the importance of ventilation for maintaining crop quality. It is something we, to a fair extent, take for granted in our part of the world but many countries struggle with storage because they don't have the systems in place to keep crops cool and dry so they are frequently lost to soft rot. Of really key importance is to have good quality seed storage as - if infected seed is planted - there is so much greater chance of crop loss. A major deficiency are set-ups that allow crops to be ventilated positively. The capability to force air through the crop at critical points of the storage period, most notably straight after loading, must be an objective in all strategic potato production systems if we are to tackle some of the catastrophic losses that take place in stores at present.
Australia has a partial need for storage mostly in its more southern areas, such as Tasmania and Victoria especially, where there isn't the ability to grow all year round that exists further north. CIPC remains a product that is still widely used in Australian potato stores and across the globe beyond Europe and parts of Asia but Australia is a good example of a country where scrutiny is high and changes in product clearances like we have seen in Europe and the UK over the past five years cannot be ruled out.
Overall Australia produces about 1.4 million tonnes a year, which is only about a quarter of UK production, for a population of around 27 million (just under half that of the UK). Interestingly, their industry has seen an 18% increase in income from potatoes in the last 12 months.
Internationally, we heard from Cedric Porter (another Brit) about UN predictions for a doubling of the population in Africa in the next 70 years and the likely impact that will have on demand for food supply on that continent. Total export values have already jumped 53% since before the pandemic in 2019.
The Congress tour I took went to Mitolo Farms, a leading fresh pack company supplying major supermarkets based an hour or so north of Adelaide. Here investment in new packing equipment was an on-going target to enhance the profitability of the business, whilst there was a focus on niche marketing to add value from products such as their 'Low Carb Potato'. A similar product is shown in the photo below.
We also visited SARDI, the South Australian Research & Development Institute, where we heard about trials looking to introduce new, disease-resistant varieties and work to boost diagnostic techniques for management of diseases such as powdery scab (Spongospora subterranea) and verticillium wilt (Verticillium dahliae). Finally, as something of a novelty, we were able to participate in a taste test in the food lab which is developing a novel, whole potato-based ice cream!
The next WPC event will be in Gdansk, Poland in 2026.
***
Hutchinsons Potato Demonstration Day, 17 July
PSI dropped in on this event recently, held at Worth Farms' site at Holbeach Hurn, Lincs. Despite glorious weather on the day (for a change), the field part of the event had to be cancelled due to heavy rain that rendered the field plots inaccessible.
Nevertheless, the team of presenters assembled by Darryl Shailes and the Hutchinsons team were able to provide us with updates on the field trials programmes covering a range of topical subjects including:
Variety selection
PCN management
Cover crop selection
Foliar nutrition and nitrogen use efficiency
Crop safety following post-emergence herbicides
Regenerative potato practices
Soil management
Wireworm management
MH timing/application
A particular concern, flagged by Simon Faulkner of SDF Agriculture, was that we now have a timeframe for the withdrawal of Nemathorin, used extensively across the industry for PCN control. The product will still be approved until January 2028 and, potentially, can therefore still be used up to January 2029. However, the point was made that moves towards selection and use of varieties with better PCN resistance are going to have to step up a gear to help us deal with this loss of chemical control in less than five years' time.
Best practice
Maleic hydrazide: your key to good sprout control in storage
Now is the time to be thinking very much about applying maleic hydrazide (MH) to your potato crops destined for storage. MH is sold in a variety of guises, but the most popular products are UPL Fazor, Certis Belchim Crown MH and Kreglinger Itcan SL270.
Maleic hydrazide is a translocated growth regulator and its role in control of sprouting is to provide a base level of suppression in stored potatoes which can then, if necessary, be supplemented by other control means if required.
Since the loss of CIPC in 2019/20, it has been harder to provide the crop with a level of residual control. This is the long-lasting background level of control that ensures crops do not sprout between applications of other, non-persistent suppressants such as 1,4-DMN, spearmint oil or orange oil. An application of MH can provide this residual control but it is crucial that there is a good level of uptake by the crop for the treatment to be effective.
Key factors in achieving efficient uptake include:
a rain-free treatment period
a green and complete crop canopy
humid application conditions
moderate temperatures
Trials work on MH application, undertaken by ex-AHDB researcher Adrian Briddon, Agrii technical guru Nick Winmill and CUPGRA's Sarah Roberts was published a year or two back prior to the closure of Sutton Bridge and is linked below:
Technical Insight
Store hygiene treatments
This summer may be a time when you have to think seriously about the use of store hygiene treatments. Soft rots in store have been prevalent due to breakdown of stocks affected by the wet harvest. High temperatures last September also triggered dry rot outbreaks which, in turn, may have created secondary soft rot.
Whatever the source, the importance now is to ensure that any bacterial residue in store walls or boxes does not carry over into the 2024 crop. Clearly, the risks of an infection having a negative impact are greatest with seed stores but PSI suggests that treatment of any store where wet rot has been an issue or where there is a need to control some of the key blemish pathogens like silver scurf is likely to be worthwhile this season.
One way this can be addressed is to apply a contact-action disinfectant like peracetic acid to the store. The chemical is applied as a fog to the whole store in a similar way to fogged sprout suppressants and so it can be used to treat buildings and, if the boxes are in the store, the container stock all at the same time.
It is important to clean the store/boxes well beforehand to remove significant accumulations of dust and debris as sources of organic matter neutralise the disinfectant's mode of action.
As well as tackling soft rot bacteria, the treatment will also knock out any fungal spores remaining in the store including silver scurf, skin spot, dry rot and gangrene,
Once treated the store and adjacent buildings can be accessed again the next day to allow normal work to continue. Many of the potato fogging companies offer a store hygiene service using dedicated machinery for the purpose. Expect to pay around £0.25-£0.35 per tonne of store space for a treatment. Some firms may charge additionally for travelling outside of their normal operating area.
Snippets
CIPC residue data requests not meeting targets: more data still needed
Potato stores in the UK that previously used CIPC could be at risk of becoming unusable due to the residue of CIPC.
Regular readers of Synopsis will know that last April CRD set the temprary Maximum Residue Level (tMRL) for CIPC at 0.35 mg/kg. This tMRL is maintained so long as the industry can prove that it is required. To demonstrate this, data needs to be submitted on annual basis.
Most growers can access residue data through their customers who routinely test samples for CIPC or through samples taken for Red Tractor; this data can then be anonymised and submitted. The process is coordinated by the CIPC Residue Monitoring Group (CRMG) who are a cross-industry body who were set up to satisfy the data submission requirements of the CRD.
In my role as the independent Chair of CRMG and at the risk of sounding like a broken record, I have to report that we are still lacking data from box stores in the fresh sector from across the country, so are appealing for those supplying this market, who previously used CIPC, to submit more residue data. Without this, the industry could be facing the loss of stores to the legacy of CIPC if the MRL is reduced to limit of detection (0.01 ppm).
Data can be sent to me, Adrian Cunnington, at adrian@potatostorageinsight.com and I will liaise with you about the store history and, importantly, anonymise your data before I submit to CRD. Please note the deadlines are now very short and ideally CRMG would like to receive any additional data by 9 August.
More details can be found at https://www.gb-potatoes.co.uk/cipc-residues-monitoring-group/ or you can contact me on 07970 072260. Alternatively, please speak to any of the members of the CRMG.
Field events taking place next month
Thursday 1st August is the date for the Wholecrop Marketing Potato Trials Day at South Cave in Yorkshire. The venue is just off the A53 near Ellerker Lodge Garden Centre, HU15 2DD or W3W ///ethic.testers.cabin.
WCM has several trial plots showcasing breeder varieties from seed houses including Stet, Meijer, NAC, Agrico, Cygnet, IPM, Solana and many more.
Basis and NRoSO points will be available on the day for any one requiring CPD accreditation.
A variety of exhibitors from machinery to technology to chemicals are promised 'to help you to grow a high quality crop'.
WCM advise that the event is free to attend and refreshments will be available throughout the day. They add that the day 'promises to give a great insight into the developing potato industry'.
Find out more at https://wholecropmarketing.co.uk/wcm-annual-trials-2024/
Wednesday 7th August is the date of the PCN Action Scotland open day co-ordinating a raft of measures to tackle the growing challenge of potato cyst nematode control in Scotland. The venue is Barnyards Farm at Tannadice, near Forfar, DD8 3QA. The event runs in two sessions from 11 am - 12.30 or from 1.30 - 3pm. Further details and a link for registration can be found here.
A day later, on Thursday 8th August, Potatoes in Practice, claiming to be the largest field-based potato event in the UK, brings together variety demonstrations, research and trade exhibits in one place making a visit to Dundee an essential date in the potato industry calendar.
Organisers JHI say: "In the field, you'll find commercial breeders showcasing the latest varieties, agronomists demonstrating what's new in crop protection and researchers discussing their most recent findings, all on hand to share their knowledge and give advice. And of course, no field event would be complete without machinery - both moving and static".
Potatoes in Practice takes place from 09:00-16:00 at The James Hutton Institute's Balruddery Farm, Invergowrie, Dundee, DD2 5LJ. More at Potatoes in Practice 2024,
Forthcoming events
If you are hosting a potato or agricultural industry event, please send details to admin@potatostorageinsight.com. Key dates with relevance to the potato sector in the coming months in the UK include:
August
Thu 1 Whole Crop Marketing Trials Day, South Cave, Yorks (see above)
Tue 6 CUPGRA Field Day 2, Cambridge
Wed 7 PCN Action Scotland Open Day (see above)
Thu 8 Potatoes in Practice 2024, James Hutton Institute, Dundee (see above)
September
Wed 4 - Thu 5 Potato Days UK hosted by Dyson Farming, Nocton, Lincoln.
November
Wed 27 - Thu 28 CropTech, NAEC, Stoneleigh
International Events
11-12 Sep POTATO EUROPE, Villers St Christophe, Picardie, France
6-8 Nov POTATO VARIETY DAYS, Emmeloord area, The Netherlands
24-26 Nov INTERPOM '24 Kortrijk, Belgium
Remember you, or a colleague, can subscribe to Synopsis at any time by going to potatostorageinsight.com and clicking on SUBSCRIBE. We can also now take payments by credit card. Call Adrian on 01406 364795 or 07970 072260 if you have any questions.
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