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Potatoes indoors: now attention to storage
The harvest conditions were not ideal, but most of the potatoes are in the shed.
It is now important to pay attention to the drying and wound healing of the potatoes. Try to dry the batch first before starting wound healing.
Drying and wound healing
Immediately after storage, the emphasis is on drying and wound healing of the potato skin. During drying, the goal is to remove as much external moisture as possible from the storage. There will then be a period for wound healing to take place. The optimal temperature for wound healing is 16 to 18°C and a high RH.
We see different types of rot in storage. We see bacterial rot in almost every batch and, not surprisingly, we encounter some tuber phytophthora. Rot requires a strict regime to dry the rotten tubers as quickly as possible, in order to prevent any further spread.
Cooling
Maintaining a stable low temperature in the batch is the first measure against sprouting of the potatoes. It is wise to cool the potatoes back to approximately 10°C. This can accommodate any higher outside temperatures. Later in the season, cooling can be further reduced to 7°C for chip potatoes and 5°C for table potatoes.
Below we describe a number of strategies for drying your potatoes:
Dry and without rot, not susceptible to bacterial rot
Little to no drying required. Apply good wound healing for one to two weeks and ventilate daily during the day to change the air; two or three times a day for fifteen minutes.
Wet and without rot, no or virtually no bacterial rot
Start drying immediately. Especially for varieties that are sensitive to bacterial rot (including Agria and Victoria), it is very important that the peel dries quickly to prevent rot.
Wet and rotten tubers
Timely drying is more important than proper wound healing. For batches with major problems, start ventilating at night during storage. Even when the cell is only half full. First close the tubes and homogenize the batch by (partially) internal ventilation. In addition, use a heater immediately, especially if the product temperature is lower than 15°C. Remove moisture as quickly as possible by leaving the door ajar. Finally, it is important to keep the room temperature as constant as possible. By placing the heater in the room you ensure that the temperature in the batch remains constant and the batch does not cool down during the night. Be aware that the temperature can always drop quickly when drying the batch.
Germ inhibition
It appears that the MH has been applied in most places under good conditions, resulting in reasonable dormancy in storage.
Snails
We encounter snails in storage more than in other years. Slugs can damage the potatoes, this certainly happens when the environment becomes drier. They then look for the moisture in the tuber. Snails can be controlled using Biox-M. Our advice for this is 50ml Biox-M.
Consult your storage specialist in a timely manner for tailor-made advice
Van Iperen has the right machines for applying the sprout inhibitors Argos, Biox-M and 1,4 Sight. Our contractor has a lot of experience with both these sprout inhibitors and with the potato storage itself.
Our specialty gives you peace of mind!
Also watch the video in which Jaap Bijl and Piet-Jan van der Eijk give more tips about potato storage.
For more information on www.iperen.com/kiemremming or contact one of our storage specialists.
