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Know How / Potatoes / Harvest and crop storage

Once the potato harvest arrives, everything should be done to plan ahead, carry out routine maintenance and adapt machinery settings to the conditions. Discover the latest thinking, seasonal guidance and practical advice on reducing the risk of damaging crops and maintaining tuber condition. Storing potatoes after harvest is a specialist task, with attention being required to limit tuber damage at loading, retain crop quality over time and prevent sprouting.

Case studies

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POTATOES

Harvest 2023: Potato yields hit by dry early summer

Andrew Wilson at Brickyard Farm near Slingsby, North Yorkshire, has just made a start on his 60ha of potatoes for McCain. “In digs, yields look pleasing, although quality is a…

POTATOES

Video: Danish potato starch harvest season draws to close

Potato harvest is almost complete for Danish farmer Niels-Erik Halgaard, who grows the crop for the major potato starch sector in Denmark. Unlike the UK, the majority of potatoes grown…

POTATOES

Video: Camera tech improves marketability for potato growers

Kitted out with a camera, GPS system and a portable tablet, Harvest Eye technology is helping potato growers improve marketability by sizing and counting crops. A unique camera system which…

POTATOES

Costs up and yields down for Cheshire potato farmer

The cost of growing potatoes is struggling to stack up for Cheshire farmer Andrew Shaw and he is calling for the wider industry to negotiate a better price for farmers.…

ROOT CROP EQUIPMENT

High-tech potato-grading line ups profits for Cornish grower

Potato producers are facing tricky times, with ballooning costs squeezing profits and seasonal staff increasingly difficult to source since the UK left the EU. To make itself more resilient to…

HARVEST AND CROP STORAGE

Why potato sprout management now starts in the field

Potato storage experts and growers believe that sprout suppressant measures are best kicked off in the field following the loss of CIPC (chlorpropham), after seeing positive results from well-timed applications…

Practical advice

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POTATOES

Should you use DMN in potato stores this season?

Processing potato growers had a positive experience with a new potato sprout suppressant last year, with the product achieving good sprout control in very challenging circumstances. However, pre-pack growers are…

DISEASE MANAGEMENT

Tips on how to reduce losses from tuber blight this autumn

Potato growers are urged to remain vigilant against tuber blight as the season draws to a close, with adequate skin set and early store management key to avoiding significant losses.…

HARVEST AND CROP STORAGE

Tips to minimise potato storage spoilage losses

Potato growers have entered some uncharted waters, as they cope with without using the desiccant diquat. In addition, spuds are now being loaded into store, with no prospect of treatment…

HARVEST AND CROP STORAGE

How spearmint oil fits into potato sprout control programmes

Spearmint oil has the potential to play a more prominent role in sprout control programmes post-CIPC, but users must prepare stores adequately to ensure success. Marketed by Kent-based Juno Plant…

POTATOES

5 tips on effective use of maleic hydrazide in potatoes

Good application is essential in getting the most from maleic hydrazide, which AHDB trials have shown to be a useful, cost-effective tool for controlling early dormancy break in potatoes. This…

POTATOES

How ethylene can help control sprouting in potato stores

Ethylene can provide potato producers with a viable sprout-control solution in a range of situations, with one large potato processing company already using an ethylene delivery system in all of…

Insights

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POTATOES

Potato growers urged to provide CIPC data to secure stores

Potato growers have been invited to submit their potato residue test results to a cross-industry body, to help secure the future use of stores previously treated with the sprout suppressant…

POTATOES

Why growers need to use sprout suppressant early this season

A combination of the high summer temperatures and growers being unable to apply maleic hydrazide means potatoes coming into stores this season will be under increased sprouting pressure. That’s why…

HARVEST AND CROP STORAGE

How to keep tubers disease-free in potato stores

Both seed and ware potato growers are urged not to fall at the final hurdle and leave crops vulnerable to storage diseases this year, as field conditions push up the…

HARVEST AND CROP STORAGE

How to avoid "CIPC legacy" residue breaches

Potato growers who used sprout suppressant chlorpropham (CIPC) need to ensure stores are thoroughly after the 2020 ban to lower the risk of residue exceedances. Plant growth regulator CIPC was…

POTATOES

How extreme weather has hit UK and European potato yields

Potato yields are looking better in the UK than elsewhere in north-west Europe, where it is still too dry to lift crops.  The potato crop is forecast to be 3%…

POTATOES

Why non-flail potato desiccation is still an option post-diquat

While the loss of diquat is a setback for potato growers, there are still viable chemical options for destroying potato haulm, according to early results from this season’s AHDB desiccation…

POTATOES

Potato contractor finds the best tractor for flailing success

Lincolnshire potato contractor David Matthews expects potato haulms to have a high biomass at burndown time, thanks to this year’s growing season, and says growers will need a lot of…

HARVEST

How the drought has affected potato yields and quality

The eating potato crop is forecast to be nearly 20% smaller than last year in north-west Europe because of the summer drought, with tuber size and quality also suffering. Some…

External resources

AHDB Grain storage guide

Good storage practice for cereals and oilseed rape
View guide

HSE Grain dust

Safety guidance to protects you from exposure to grain dust
View guide

AHDB Grain sampling guide

How to accurately assess grain quality and condition
View guide

AIC grain passport

Combinable Crops Passport for download/use. Includes explanatory notes on new passport requirements
Download