PSI QUARTERLY BULLETIN : Autumn 2026
No. Q3/26
Welcome to the first new quarterly, subscription-free edition of Synopsis, PSI's update of topical news, technical content and developments in potato storage.
From the end of September 2026, Synopsis has become a quarterly newsletter published on the PSI website free of charge and sent by email to those who opt to receive it.
From January 2027, Adrian will be reducing his working time to 75% of the current level and a lower commitment to producing the bulletin is a logical and necessary step that follows this change.
PSI would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has supported the bulletin over the last five years and hope you will find it useful to still have access to storage information without subscription, albeit on a slightly less regular basis.
Going forward, to receive an email link to our bulletin, you will need to be registered on our website. Many of you who have subscribed previously will be already but, if not, or to send us amended contact details so they are up to date, please send your email to admin@potatostorageinsight.com.
Alternatively, log on to ur website at the beginning of October, January, April or July and acccess the bulletin on our RESOURCES page.
PSI ACTIVITY
It's been quite a quiet period since the last bulletin, but we've been putting plans for our 2027 Store Managers' Course into motion which means we will shortly be advertising the course for Tuesday 9th and Wednesday 10th March.
The venue will again be the Lakeview Suite at the Greetham Valley Hotel near Oakham, Rurland.
A prospectus will be released shortly and there will be a £50 discount available for 'early bird' bookers.
If you are interested in receiving details, please email adrian@potatostorageinsight.com
We are also putting further plans into place for the fourth running of the SDF/PSI Potato Storage Day that will take place on Wednesday 19th May 2027 near Holbeach. Please save the date in you diaries. A full announcement will be made in November.
STORAGE STATUS
This year's store loading appears to have seen a bit of a stuttering lift-off with slow skin set and significant rainfall contributing to the slow start to harvest, not helped by a desire to keep crops going where possible to optimise yield. Continued warm ambiient temperatures above 20°C have also been a contributor.
This has left us, as I write this in the last few days of September, with a lot of potatoes to lift in October, so it will be all hands to the pump to try to get crop into stores during what is shaping up to be quite a changeable month weather-wise.
Remember 20th October is normally considered the 'best practice' target for completing loading, but that might be a challenge for some this season. Nevertheless, lifting after that date has historically brought with it a higher risk of storage problems and a greather need for drying.
Balancing the use of fans for drying and cooling with the attendant risk of dehydration has already been a key consideration for the crops that have been lifted during recent weeks and will probably be a significant factor affecting storage quality in 2026/7.
Essentially, the fans are needed to remove any excess moisture in the crop when it comes into store and to deal with any cooling requirement. But if the crop is dry - and kept dry - there is no need to ventilate until temperature control is needed again. Some key watchouts though, that are likely to need some action to correct, are:
Sprouting - there's a lot of early dormancy break out there following such a hot and prolonged summer period, necessitating some early applications of sprout suppressant, particularly on crops that had no maleic hydrazide. Secondary sprouting in the ground has also been seen in some crops following heavy rainfall in recent weeks where crops have remained green.
Rots - sporadic incidences of soft rots have been reported, probably as a result of opportunistic infections on the back of damage or warm field conditions. If field conditions get wetter, this could be a significant risk.
Condensation - whenever there are wide ranges of temperature in a store there is ample oportunity for condensation to form. Be especially careful where warm air can come into contact with cooler potatoes. Temperature differences that exceed 4°C can almost be guaranteed to be casing re-wetting, even if it is not immediately visible.
Black dot - an extended period waiting for skin set will have heightened the risk of black dot spore transfer to the tubers, especially if field conditions turn wet. To reduce the risk of black dot symptom expression in storage, temperatures should be reduced rapidly lifting. Given the high ambient temperature, there is no need to wait for curing; wounds will heal adequately in a matter of 3-4 days whilst temperatures are being pulled down.
PSI can assist you with guidance on any specific storage issues - please get in touch by calling 07970 072260 or email adrian@potatostorageinsiight.com
INDUSTRY NEWS
Glens of Antrim Potatoes Ltd enters administration
It has been announced that Glens of Antrim Potatoes Ltd., a long-standing growing and packing business in Northern Ireland, sadly entered administration on 21 September 2026, ceased trading and these actions resulted in 95 redundancies across its sites in Cushendall and Ballymena. The administrators are reported to be actively seeking expressions of interest from potential buyers for the business and its assets.
Professor David Hughes dies
Farmers Guardian reports: The sad news has been announced that world-renowned David Hughes, Emeritus Professor of Food Marketing at Imperial College London and Visiting Professor at the Royal Agricultural University, died on 7 September at the age of 79.
FG says: "For nearly four decades, Prof. Hughes, known to some as 'Dr Food', helped farmers and food businesses make sense of changing consumer habits, retail and the global food industry.
Known for his trademark bold shirts and ties, sharp analysis and wit, he became one of food and farming’s most recognisable and respected communicators.
Those who worked with him have been remembering a man whose research informed businesses across the world, but whose personality made just as lasting an impression."
CLA seeking reservoir information
GB Potatoes is assisting CLA with their industry survey on farm reservoirs and encouraging potato growers to take part.
The Government is looking at how it can make it easier to build farm reservoirs, and Defra needs real-world evidence from businesses to help inform potential changes to policy and regulations.
The survey is supported by the CLA, NFU, water abstractor groups and horticultural sector organisations, with responses being combined into a single dataset for Defra.
You can respond whether you have successfully built a reservoir or have experienced difficulties trying to do so. The survey is anonymous unless you choose to provide your details, and individual responses will not be shared with Government unless you consent to your response being used as a case study.
Please complete the survey by 9am on Monday 5 October.
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
If you are hosting a potato or agricultural industry event, please send details to admin@potatostorageinsight.com. Key dates for your diary with relevance to the potato sector in the coming months in UK and Europe include:
November
We 18 - Th 19 British Potato Confex at Lincolnshire Showground, including trade fair and seminars. PSI's Adrian Cunnington will be speaking in a storage seminar focused on energy use on Day 1.
Su 29-Tu 1 Dec Interpom. Kortrijk Expo, Belgium.
December
Tu 15 - We 16 CUPGRA Conference. Cambridge. Now booking.
2027
Tu 9 - We 10 Mar PSI Two Day Residential Store Mangers Course
Greetham Valley Hotel, Oakham, Rutland - booking soon!
We 19 May SDF/PSI Potato Storage Day 2027 - save the date!
Su 6 -Th 10 Jun European Assoc for Potato Research Triennial Conference Edinburgh - now booking at https://www.eapr.net/conferences
Abstracts invited.
Synopsis
Written by Adrian Cunnington and published quarterly by Potato Storage Insight Ltd., 45 Main St., Gedney Dyke, Spalding, PE12 0AJ. UK.
© Potato Storage Insight Ltd. 2026
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