For potato growers this season, the early autumn warm weather meant that the vast majority of crop was lifted and stored in a good, dry condition.
However, later rainfall and the torrential downpour from Storm Babet has impacted around 10% of potato crop that’s still in the field, according to independent potato storage consultant Tim Kitson, from Potato Solutions.
“The crop still in the field will pose the biggest challenge once it is lifted. Some areas have got on better than others, but I would estimate that 10% is still to be harvested.”
That wet weather is having an impact on current demand, with Tim explaining that some of his customers are unloading stores already - something they didn’t plan on - because it’s currently impossible to supply freshly harvested crops to meet demands.
For growers, that adds further complication to sprout control and store management, as Tim’s customers found.
“We were preparing to apply ARGOS but had to cancel it at the last minute.”
Thankfully, UPL’s ARGOS Orange Oil is extremely flexible when it comes to sprout control.
Flexible sprout control applications to meet changing demand
ARGOS is a powerful sprout control for growers who need flexibility with their potato store, because crops can be released just 48 hours after application.
It reduces growers’ concerns about market forecasts and means they can quickly fill the gaps left when freshly harvested potatoes are unavailable due to poor conditions.
ARGOS is:
A natural plant protection product
Made from food-grade orange oil
Applied as a hot fog
Effective across all types of potato crop
With ARGOS, growers don’t need to worry about planning weeks in advance with their sprout control application. They can adapt to changing circumstances, and make the most of their store throughout the season.
That’s invaluable, says Lincolnshire potato grower John Coggan. John grows 200 acres of chipping potatoes for the local fish and chip market, of which approximately 150 acres go into storage. The area is split between Sagitta, Markies and Edison, with a small area of Babylon tried last season.
“ARGOS gives me flexibility. I do not have to keep the potatoes in store for a month after using it. I like that it is a natural chemical, and our application contractors have found it easy to use.”
Season-long protection for potato crops
Since the loss of CIPC (chlorpropham), building a season-long sprout control programme has become much more complicated. Several alternatives are available, all of which have advantages in specific situations.
One of the most effective is ARGOS.
Although the average period between well-timed applications is 6-8 weeks, the label allows ARGOS to be applied up to nine times throughout the storage season, effectively preventing sprout growth right through until next summer.
It doesn’t impact taste, odour or fry colour - regardless of the number of applications - helping growers like John make the most of his full crop by ensuring tubers stay sprout free all season long.
He keeps up to 1000 tonnes in long-term storage up until June (as well as needing access throughout the year), and ARGOS lets him do both.
Used in bulk or boxed storage, it’s a powerful way to control sprouting for several weeks, delivering great shelf life and the flexibility to access the crop as and when required.
