Ethylene in combination with MH (maleic hydrazide) is suitable as a sprout inhibitor for table potatoes. Restrain concludes this on the basis of retail experiences in France and England. Restrain therefore advises the combined method in the Dutch supply chain for table potatoes from now on.
Restrain is frequently used as an anti-germ method for potatoes for the processing industry and as a seed potato improver. "It is known that ethylene is an excellent sprout inhibitor in the storage shed," says Dirk Garos, director of Restrain. "There is only doubt about the use of ethylene germination inhibition in table potatoes on shelves." Since a few years, however, potatoes in the field have often been sprayed with the plant growth regulator MH. "We have followed customers and their customers who use a combination of MH and ethylene very closely for two years. This shows that germination on the shelf occurs very limited when the combination is used. We have even seen results of longer shelf lives on the shelves compared to CIPC sprout inhibition alone.”
A cheaper alternative
The effectiveness of the combined method is good news for table potato growers and suppliers. Since the European ban on the chemical sprout inhibitor CIPC, field treatment with MH is often a standard part of the sprout inhibition solutions used. To inhibit sprouting during storage, the chain was often tied to expensive alternative means. Garos: "Sprout inhibition with Restrain is six to eight times cheaper than other sprout inhibitors; that saves up to €10 per ton of potatoes per storage period. Restrain can also be used in heating warehouses and packing stations, because the agent is odor- and residue-free, unlike the alternatives. Moreover, no peeling fire can occur during use."
Garos hopes that table potato suppliers will consider the new combination. "The potato sector has been evolving continuously since the ban on CIPC, so it makes sense to regularly explore new possibilities. This combination of sprout inhibitors not only offers table potato suppliers financial benefits, but is also environmentally friendly and efficient."
About Restrain
Restrain is a manufacturer of ethylene generators that convert ethanol into ethylene gas in situ. The generators continuously measure the conditions in storage areas using sensors. Today, the Restrain method is used as a sprout inhibitor for more than one and a half million tons of potatoes, in more than forty countries worldwide.