b'ADVICE FROM INDUSTRY EXPERTSThe Right Time to Think Storage is NowBILL ORRCanada Technical Representative1, 4 Group14group.comWITH PLANTS IN full green and tubersand processing potatoes and 1,4SEEDour experience, 1,4SIGHT also appears only now starting to develop underground,for seed stock, is the only true dormancyto offer synergistic benefit to CIPC, July might seem like a strange time to talkenhancer available on the North Americanimproving CIPCs efficiency at lower rates potato storage. Actually, its exactly themarket today. In addition to managingthan CIPC alone. right time. Heres why.sprouting, 1,4 SIGHT triggers waterWhen tubers go into storage after a For a very long time, our industryloss limiting genes which retain tuberstressful growing or harvest season, they has thought good storage managementquality and minimize shrink. Becausecan be very motivated to push sprouts. meant a once-and-done applicationits a naturally occurring hormone whichThe cost of sprouting goes beyond of CIPC. The strategy works, sort of,volatilizes away, it offers huge flexibilityrejection riskevery sprout is wasted but its environmentally and politicallywith timingit can be safely applied toenergy, lost moisture, and lower returns. problematic and is very limited in itshelp settle a pile immediately after bin- As such, the next step in an effective benefits. close-up, applied anytime during storagestorage management program is the There is a better way.to promote or reinstate dormancy, and/ quick and effective control of even small Farmers are increasingly realizingor applied right up to just a week or twosprouts. 1,4ZAP is a sustainable bio-optimizing a crop through storagebefore shipping to manage late-seasonchemical option which achieves more is about much more than just sproutsprouting and reduce the appearance ofthan 95 per cent burn-back with limited suppression.bruising. scent issues and no post-application 1,4DMN (1,4-Dimethylnaphthalene),1,4SIGHT can be applied as anworker safety concerns. formulated as 1,4SIGHT for table stockalternative or compliment to CIPC. In Sustainability = Environmental Stewardship, Economic SuccessCHAD HUTCHINSONGlobal director of potato research and market supportTriCal Grouptricalgroup.comSUSTAINABILITY IS ONE of the moreand available to farm, sustainabilityhas dropped over time. An uptick in commonly misunderstood concepts inalso prioritizes the long-term economicsoil-borne disease can quietly strip away agriculture today. At times agriculturalviability. a potato fields production potential. success, especially higher productivity, isA farms ability to protect theAlso, disease can push farmers into less put at odds with sustainability. This is notenvironment and achieve economicenvironmentally sustainable production necessary, and heres why. success are two sides of one coin. Both canpractices.Sustainable agriculture is, in a nutshell, abe achieved through the same avenue There is a solution for the sustainability system of crop production practices whichincreased productivity. issues potato growers face. Strike is a allow us to meet our current needs, whileConsider thisincreasing yield perselective soil fumigant which manages a simultaneously preserving the resourcesacre decreases the cost of productionwide variety of soil-borne diseases. While future generations will require to grow andresulting in better returns. Meanwhile,it seeks and reduces costly pathogens, produce for their needs too. Sustainablebetter productivity means fewer acres areit simultaneously promotes populations production enhances soil health, usesnecessary to feed the same number ofof saprophytesthe beneficial soil renewable and non-renewable resourcespeople, translating to more efficient landorganisms which break down organic responsibly, and integrates natures ownuse and a smaller environmental footprintmatter and recycle the nutrients. Strike is cycles. Butand heres the part which isper unit produced. designed to revive tired soils, translating to too often misunderstood or overlookedOne of the most obvious opportunitiesbetter yield, increased returns, and moresustainable production also considersto increase productivity and,environmentally beneficial production financial realities. Since farm productioncorrespondingly, sustainability is bypracticesall the critical hallmarks of is only possible when farmers are willingpromoting yield in acres where productionimproved sustainability.34SPUDSMART.COM Summer 2021'