Dodge blight by getting spuds into store
By FWi Staff
POTATO growers should get their crops into store sooner rather than later as disease pressures continue to build in the warm, wet weather conditions, warns the British Potato Council.
Blight has posed a threat throughout the season but, as maincrop lifting gets under way, infection can easily spread to tubers and then into stores, said Adrian Cunnington, of the BPC Sutton Bridge experimental unit. “The recent weather conditions have also increased the risk of warm weather rots such as pink rot – another source of serious in-store losses,” said Mr Cunnington.
Potatoes going into store should be harvested by 20 October because lifting in September and early October reduces store losses, as disease risk and damage levels are lower.
“Make sure that potatoes are dry when they are loaded into store,” advises Mr Cunnington. “They must also be clean, as dirty potatoes can impair ventilation and the activity of fungicides applied for disease control.”
If possible, crops should be cured by holding at 10-15°C for 10-20 days to allow wounds to heal. This prevents disease spread and moisture loss.
Research recently commissioned by the BPC revealed that diseases like soft rot, skin spot and silver scurf can be reduced by aerating crops during curing to remove moisture build-up in-store immediately after harvest. “Aim to ventilate stores for two to three hours in the afternoon to lower store humidity without significantly reducing temperature,” said Mr Cunnington.
After curing, the crop should be pulled down to the holding temperature for storage relatively quickly. Finally, it is important to ensure that potatoes from a well managed store are not damaged when they are unloaded. Mr Cunnington recommends that warming the crop up to a minimum of 8°C before unloading will help to minimise damage.