| Root Crops
Potato storage preparation tips
Given the dry summer many have experienced, growers
may be tempted to leave crops to grow out to maximise
yield this season.
owever, we would
advise to balance
this with the need
to get crops of the
right quality into
store in best
condition, especially if long-term
contracts need to be met.
Achieving adequate skin set is a
crucial element of storage
preparation. This may be difficult
in some varieties but remains
important if disease is to be kept at
bay and weight loss minimised.
Use an effective desiccation
strategy to prepare the crop for
storage and plan its use around an
efficient store loading plan to
minimise down time and periods
where stores are left waiting for
loading to be completed.
Recent rain will hopefully have
eased the risk of bruising, but the
hot growing conditions have
tended to encourage early
dormancy break and sprout
growth in short-dormant varieties;
these will need cooling quickly or
treating with CIPC early to
maximise control.
The accumulated heat of the
summer means that some crops
H
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have physiologically aged more
than usual this summer. This has
shown with both early sprout
growth in the ridge (right) and
dormancy break immediately after
lifting (in early crops). It is logical
therefore to expect an increased
risk of senescent sweetening
problems later in store.
With this in mind, it is worth
taking steps to conserve
physiological age (i.e. exposure to
degreedays) wherever possible
during storage.
For example, this might be
achieved by using a quicker pull-
down than usual or by storing at a
lower temperature. The key is to
monitor crops closely to ensure
that there is regular assessment of
quality in relation to market needs.
Some crops that have extensive
sprout growth in the field will also
need to be watched closely as
stores are loaded. Many sprouts
will break off during the harvesting
process but this potentially
provides a point for disease
ingress. There are several reports
of pink rot (below left) in the field
and the risk from fungal infection
will be high even if temperatures
Pink rot (left) and late blight (right) infection in tubers
adjust to more seasonal levels,
close to 15°C. Late blight (below
right, with characteristic rust
coloured lesions) also remains a
threat in places especially in those
crops which may have been
infected early in the season.
Disease risk from pink rot could be
greatest in crops grown in fields
which were waterlogged last year.
If either disease is encountered,
reduce temperature as quickly as
possible and maintain ventilation
until the crop can be assessed
fully and, if necessary, moved.
See https://potatoes.ahdb.org.uk/
gallery/potato-diseases for further
guidance.
Speaking at a recent AHDB
Stategic Potato Farm Field Walk at
Somerby Top, near Brigg, Adrian
Cunnington from SBCSR
reminded delegates to minimise
risk by ventilating crops when they
first come in store to remove field
heat and aerate the stack to aid
curing. He said: “Don’t overfill
boxes as this constrains airflow at
the most critical time for the crop.
If tuber size is below average it
also provides additional resistance
to air penetration through the
potatoes.”
Mr Cunnington went on to
remind growers of the need to
minimise temperature differences
in storage to manage the risk of
condensation. “This can be
especially important when field
conditions are warm at harvest
and a lot of field heat is having to
be removed quickly. Humidity can
rise quickly as the crop is cooled
and it then only needs a small
temperature difference to result in
free moisture being deposited
within the crop” he warned.
You can help by alerting us to
cases of sprouting-in-the-ridge,
performance of desiccants, rates
of skin set etc. by calling the
Storage Advice Line.
While we can’t respond to all
short messages on the day they
arrive, you'll get free initial advice,
and keeping us posted will allow
us to point the team at specific
issues as and when they arise”
Storage advice is available from
the SBCSR team on 0800 02 82
111
September 2018 | Farming Monthly | 21