Potato Review

www.potatoreview.com POTATO REVIEW NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020 23 FUNGICIDE TREATMENTS I N our last issue (September) of Potato Review, we detailed how historic enemies are making a return, pointing out that the focus on controlling Rhizoctonia and black dot is opening the door to storage diseases such as dry rot, silver scurf, gangrene and skin spot. ese diseases, which can result in signi cant losses to both seed and ware growers, are also being aided by thinner- skinned, susceptible varieties being more widely grown across Britain. Independent strategic potato seed and storage consultants David Turner and Paul Overton agree that more importance needs to be placed on timely fungicide applications where disease risk is identi ed. eir consensus is that storage treatments should be applied as soon as possible after harvest, preferably using a modern roller table to optimise control. e two consultants also urge ware customers to have the conversation about storage treatments with their seed supplier sooner rather than later this year. Leaving it until spring risks ‘closing the stable door after the horse has bolted’ and treated seed may all have been allocated by then. e correct set-up, calibration and operation of a roller table for e ective and safe application of storage treatments this autumn/winter are crucial. Plan to apply storage treatments Harvested seed tubers spend as much, if not more, time in store than in the ground. Despite this, too few seed growers plan a detailed strategy for storage disease control. Any risk posed by dry rot, skin spot and gangrene should be identi ed, considering varietal susceptibility, end use – export and high value skin nish markets have tighter disease tolerances – and other disease speci c factors. A plan should then be formulated based on best storage practice, specifying when “Too few seed growers plan a detailed strategy for storage disease control.” On a roll Independent storage consultants give their advice on how to get the best out of roller table fungicide treatments. ➜