Custom applicators are increasingly turning to a greener, more sustainable application unit for CIPC, 1,4 DMN and other in-storage potato treatments — fresh air applicators. Certain processing companies are more than applauding the change. At least one, for example, recently started requiring the chipper potatoes it buys in certain provinces to be treated with fresh air machines rather than traditional units. While the decision seems like a bold move today, it may prove mainstream in the not-so-distant future.
Traditional fog application units rely on the combustion of gas (propane or, less commonly, diesel) to generate the heat necessary for effective product distribution. While many companies have created their own custom designed application units over the years, all suffer from a similar flaw: off-gas. When released within the storage area, the propane exhaust can affect fry colour, especially later in the season when potatoes are particularly vulnerable. Some of the newer propane units try to mitigate this issue by transporting off-gas outside of the building via an exhaust pipe. Heat generated via a diesel heat exchanger is always vented outside. While venting outside is certainly safer for the potatoes, the exhaust remains environmentally unfriendly.
An E-Fresh fresh air applicator, on the other hand, offers an environmentally friendly alternative. Reliant on electrical rather than propane or diesel heat, an E-Fresh applicator produces an entirely clean heat with no off-gas. As such, farmers using E-Fresh don’t have to worry about either fry discolouration or environmental irresponsibility. The unit is as effective as a conventional machine at fogging all sprout inhibitors including CIPC, all 1,4 DMN products, clove oil (registered in the US only), 1,4ZAP, Smart Block, etc. Recently, custom applicators have also begun to use E-Fresh units to fog disinfectant products like OxiDate. Price wise, E-Fresh are comparable to propane units and significantly less expensive than diesel exchange units.
E-Fresh has been available in North America for the past seven years but has suddenly grown in popularity over just the last five years. We’re pleased all of our company’s Canadian distributors have converted to E-Fresh units, and anticipate our U.S. distributors (where uptake is currently at about 40 per cent) will follow suit over the next few years. If a greener option which protects your chippers and French fries’ colour is important to you, ask your custom applicator for E-Fresh.
