Lovely skating weather, but don't forget potatoes

During severe periods of frost, potatoes in storage always require extra attention. They should not get too cold, but they also need fresh air. There is also a high risk of condensation forming in the storage and condensation can freeze on the hatches and hatch controls.

The most important tips at a glance:

• Make sure to refresh yourself (if necessary, 2x a day for 10-15 minutes)
• Set fans to blowing during refresh
• Keep refreshing (briefly) during cold periods
• Watch for temperature fluctuations (this promotes germination and COâ production)

For all current questions, our custody advisers finished!

air change
Potatoes always need fresh air. Otherwise the CO . will rise_2-level to too high a level. With sufficient refreshment, the CO‚‚ content remains below 4.000 ppm (0,4%). Depending on the variety, high CO‚‚ levels increase the reducing sugar content and thus lead to a poorer baking color.

If the fans are set to 'inverted' (sucking) during the change, it is wise to set them to 'normal' (blowing) on ​​the storage computer. There is then controlled refreshment and it prevents very cold air from being sucked in through the exhaust hatch. The idea here is that the duct sensor can control the temperature of the incoming air during blowing, but not during suction. Then the air also passes the safety thermostat, which (if set correctly) is built in as an extra safety to prevent damage due to too low temperatures.

Watch out for freezing shutters
Make sure that the system does not refresh if the outside temperature is too low. At temperatures below -2 °C, the shutters can freeze. The advice is to refresh manually during these days by opening the door or wicket door of the storage place every day.

Circulation fans
Due to large temperature differences, the circulation fans are already activated in most storage areas. If these are set to 'automatic' on the switch panel, they will always provide circulation above the product as soon as the fans in the pressure chamber have stopped. The heat stabilizer with heating element can be activated via the storage computer (or the switch panel). Tip: set this so that when the room temperature becomes 1°C colder than the product, it starts heating. This minimizes the chance of condensation forming above the product.

If no heat stabilizer is installed, this can also be prevented with a small heater. Set the heater to 1°C below the product temperature. Preferably use an electric heater. Pay close attention to the CO‚‚ production with gas or diesel heaters.

Internal ventilation
In well-insulated sheds, fewer temperature differences occur in the batch. The degree of internal ventilation is therefore less important. In less well-insulated sheds, this can play a role during cold periods. Therefore, limit internal ventilation in these situations if it is below freezing outside. This prevents temperature differences in the batch. Short-term internal ventilation in the middle of the day is much better. If necessary, place a product temperature sensor closer to the outer wall to monitor the temperature of the potatoes there.

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