I know I’m not the only hockey fan out there who yells at my TV when my team doesn’t hold up its defense. It’s one thing to miss the shot or get thwarted at the opponent’s net; it’s another thing entirely to allow the rush or fumble the check, especially if it means blowing a lead. Whether you’re a hockey nut, a football fan or a baseball diehard, you know strong defense is at least half – often much more than half – of what makes a team a winner. It’s not so different in potato production.
In potato production, the growing season is the offensive opportunity to put points on the board. Given that it’s the season with the most active workload and the most obvious returns, it’s not surprising that the growing season gets most of the attention. But, it’s definitely not the only critical season.
Once potatoes are harvested and in the bin, it’s time for the defensive line to step up. Tubers are living, literally breathing entities that change dramatically from harvest through end use (retail sale / processing / planting). As such, we need to look at the weeks or months of storage as a critical ‘season’ of its own: the defensive opportunity to hold onto the value gained through the growing season.
Currently, most farmers still rely on a single application of CIPC to suppress sprouting through storage. CIPC offers reliable, effective sprout control. However, that’s all it achieves.
A more comprehensive defensive solution is 1,4SIGHT. Derived from a synthetically produced version of a naturally occurring potato hormone, 1,4SIGHT triggers enzymes that promote tubers’ natural dormancy. The only true dormancy enhancer available on the market today, 1,4SIGHT goes well beyond effectively managing sprouts (though it does that too, to the tune of 99 per cent suppression). By promoting tubers’ dormancy, 1,4SIGHT calms respiration and decreases water loss, enhancing turgidity and retaining salable weight. Producers also report that, when applied before shipping, 1,4SIGHT reduces the appearance of pressure bruise.
Unlike CIPC, which can’t be applied until after suberization, 1,4SIGHT can be applied right at bin close-up to support the earliest, most important days of potato storage. That’s a key early defense every year, but especially important in years when tubers go into storage stressed and need faster, more supported settling.
In piles planned for short-duration storage, 1,4SIGHT can be used as a stand-alone. In piles planned for longer storage, 1,4SIGHT can be applied at close-up and then applied again either individually or in conjunction with CIPC post-suberization to support long-term field-fresh quality.
