All in Check
The longevity of potatoes in storage is dependent on many conditions and one constant bane for the storage manager is sprouting. There are various ways, as we all, know, to suppress this. But which is the best?
Regardless of how long potatoes are stored, sprouting is always undesirable as it leads to weight loss and quality deterioration and this leads to financial losses.
Effective sprout suppression is a fundamental component of managing stored potato quality and Chlorpropham (CIPC) is long established as the major global sprout suppressant.
But, while European Union regulations tighten, the research team at the United Kingdom’s Sutton Bridge Crop Storage Research (SBCSR) has been evaluating new alternatives.
Great Britain is heavily reliant on Chlorpropham (CIPC), which has been available for over 50 years and was in place even before refrigeration/temperature controlled storage was an option to growers.
Alternatives
CPC is used in approximately 94 per cent of all post-harvest sprout suppressant applications in GB and inhibits sprout development by interfering with cell division.
The maximum application rate is currently 36g/t for fresh market and 63.75g/t for processing potatoes, which is expected to reduce over the next few years.
In recent years alternative treatments have been made commercially available that can replace or complement CIPC. The team at Sutton Bridge Crop Storage Research (SBCSR) has been at the forefront of evaluating these.
Recently researchers Adrian Briddon and Ajay Jina outlined their work in other treatments and their potential for use in place of, or in combination with CIPC.
The longevity of potatoes in storage is dependent on many conditions and one constant bane for the storage manager is sprouting. There are various ways, as we all, know, to suppress this. But which is the best?
“There are some very interesting alternatives coming through at different stages in the pesticide registration approval process”, explained Briddon.
“The new products require a different store management approach and a specific understanding of their application. CIPC is a solid with long-lived residues but the new generation of sprout suppressants tends to be either gases or volatile liquids, which gives far more flexibility in building use.”
Launched at the Potato Council’s Potato Storage Day in Lincoln, the new initiative from the Potato Industry CIPC Stewardship Group is a call to action.
“We know that the loss of this vital storage tool would be devastating to the potato supply chain,” said the council’s Adrian Cunnington. “There are currently no alternatives for many businesses that rely on CIPC to generate the year-round demand for British fresh and processed potatoes. For crop owners there are four main areas. In summary, they are to firstly take personal responsibility for the crop and all activities relating to CIPC treatment to ensure they conform with the Maximum Residue Level (MRL).”
“Finally, we are promoting the use of the wealth of information available to ensure compliance with the Stewardship Code of Best Practice for the application of CIPC. This information is now all available from the new website www.cipccompliant.co.uk.
Read the full story in Potato Processing International, July/August issue.
