Key actions for the correct storage of potatoes

The Potato Council team at Sutton Bridge Crop Storage Research, UK, suggests some key actions to deal with the challenges facing potato growers this autumn through the September 2012 Storage Bulletin. Main advises are following, summarized, and the information with more detail is in the link to the bulletin in Potato Council website and in the pdf with the same information (both, below): Make a plan?to matching stores to similar varieties and crops, ensure the stores have been serviced before use to reduce the risk of a costly failure during the season? Ensure skins are set, ?ie the crop is suitable for storage before loading. The skin is key to maintaining the potato?s integrity in storage. Load quickly ? Try to match the crop temperature to the ambient condition to minimize the risk of condensation. Ventilate! It is essential to manage the store to keep the crop dry. These airways (and, in bulk stores, the laterals) need to be kept clear. Keep temperatures even because an uniform temperature minimizes the risk of condensation and offers the best chance of keeping the crop at its best for market. Be timely with sprout suppression: the Potato Council counts on rich information about how to use CIPC; not mentioned by this source, but it also are available natural products to avoid sprouting. Don?t forget fresh air? potatoes are living and breathing so they need oxygen. Inspect frequently; if a crop has signs of rot in it, its condition could change very fast so it is essential to inspect the store frequently (daily at first) and be ready to act. Storage should always be undertaken with a specific market in mind; make sure the crop is continuing to meet the market specification. Storage costs can exceed the likely return. Main source of the information: Storage Bulletin - September 2012, 6 September 2012Other sources of information: Naturcover P, natural cover for potatoes to avoid water loss Xeda, Biox M, natural compound to avoid sproutingSource of the picture:Potato CouncilThe video explains research activities concerning potato storage. ? ? ?