b'INSIDERS ADVICE FROM INDUSTRY EXPERTSPOTATO EQUIPMENTFrom Potato Spinners to TouchscreensBRENT HUPER Regional SalesmanLockwood Manufacturinglockwoodmfg.comWith the technology available today, its hard tosimilar to todays machines. Meanwhile, hydraulics and electronicshuge imagine that potato harvesting has ever beenAir was first used to blow vines out the back ininnovations of just the past 15 yearsare massive-anything but efficient. But consider this: humansthe late 1950s/early 1960s. Air to manage rocksly increasing harvest ease. Today, an operator just have cultivated potatoes for about 10,000 years;followed. In both cases, air drastically reduced theneeds to press an icon on a touchscreen and every automated harvest technologies have only developednumber of people required on a picking line: a benefitpart of harvesting is fine-tuned to specific conditions. over the past 150-ish years. That means all ourthats even more important today.Though running a hydraulic system causes a loss automation has been squeezed into just 1.5 per centIn the late 1970s, rubber belting on the websof about 10 per cent efficiency, I do think more and of our relationship with potatoes. But what good usereplaced hard-to-manage metal hook chains. Ivemore farmers will move in that direction in the next weve made of that time! had to fix some of the old-style hook chains and theyhandful of years.The first major harvest automation was calledalmost need to be taken apart and installed linkSome innovation is less visible but equally the potato spinner. Pulled initially by horses andby link because they are so heavy. Though the hookimportant. For example, switching to high-strength driven by ground drive, a spinner was a simplechains worked, the rubber belting makes life so muchsteel means we can use 40 to 50 per cent less steel digging blade and a large, spoked wheel that pushedeasier for farmers. in harvesters structures. The decreased steel drops potatoes (plus rocks, dirt and debris) into a heapedIn the past 20 to 30 years, increasing tractora machines weight by 7,000 to 8,500 pounds, row for by-hand gathering.horsepower and larger capacity pumps have paveddecreasing fuel costs and increasing floatation in The replacement of horses by tractors allowedthe way for the biggest harvest efficiency gains. Everywet conditions. the next big step: surrounding tractors with first atime the tractor can do more, we find a way to use thatIts exciting to be part of a company that has one-row and then a two-row digger.extra capacity. We are now able to pull larger equip- led harvest innovation for 85 years. And were just In 1950, Lockwood innovated the first PTO-driv- ment and hydraulically control components (even thegetting started: theres always room to improve en pull-behind harvester. Interestingly, the diggingentire harvester) that have always been mechanical infurther. components of those machines were amazinglythe past. Bigger capacity still lies ahead.POTATO GROWTH REGULATORS AND SPROUT INHIBITORSWill the EUs CIPC Ban Affect You?BILL ORR Canada Technical Representative1,4Group Inc.14group.comThe announced ban of the sprout inhibitorshipping of potatoes and potato products from thisproactively plan for change.chlorpropham (commonly known as CIPC) in thecontinent to Europe. Though the EU is not a majorIn mid-July, Canada submitted a letter of protest European Union (EU) is causing major waves in theconsumer of North American grown table-stock, weto the World Trade Organization (WTO), arguing that global potato industry. Announced in mid-June, thedo ship significant processed product to Europe. Ithe EUs recent ban of certain pesticides serves as ban is effective on product registrations as of Jan. 8,expect this new trade limitation will cause at leastan unfair trade barrier. CIPC was not mentioned by 2020. Grace on residue application will only be givensome impact on value across the industry and, per- name; however, the timing of the letter was within until Oct. 8, 2020 (a specific maximum residue limithaps more significantly, headaches for processorsweeks of the EUs ban. It remains to be seen how the has yet to be announced). Since the EUs ban waswho currently enjoy easy international product flow.WTO will respond to that protest. first announced, Ive been asked regularly if its goingThe EUs ban on CIPC could affect the NorthAlternatives to CIPC do exist. Though not as to affect us here at home, too. My short answer? WeAmerican potato industry even more directly ifeasy on the wallet as CIPC, some alternatives offer might not be impacted immediately, but ultimately:our own government or, more likely, a major Northsignificant value-add benefits. As well as inhibiting yes. Heres why.American potato buyer demands a similar end tosprouting, 1,4-DMN (1,4-Dimethylnaphthalen), for The most immediate issue for North AmericasCIPC usage here. Should even just one major Frenchexample, triggers fungistatic and water-loss-limiting potato industry is the global reach of todays mul- fry retailer, for example, decide it no longer wantsgenes that optimize quality and ultimate salable tinational processors and processed product retail- CIPC in any of its product, the decision could setvolume. Educate yourself on product options: the ers. Given how common CIPC use is across Northa standard producers have no choice but to meet.knowledge just might come in handy.America (and the fact that CIPC residue persists inWhile I dont anticipate such a change occurring soil and storage buildings for decades or more), thein the near future, its worth remembering that the EUs CIPC ban will effectively impact virtually allmost successful farmers are usually the ones who 34 SPUDSMART.COM FALL 2019'