CULTIVATION AND TECHNOLOGY Storage heart of the enterprise This year, the Poppe brothers invested 1.5 million euros in a new store. lem. ‘Thanks to the new Tolsma blowing system, we’re able to dry the boxes very well once in storage. It’s no longer necessary to change the boxes, which is necessary with a drying wall in order to get the top boxes dry. That saves a lot of labour’, says a satisfied Poppe. ‘This blowing system allows us to build longer rows and to stack higher. We now make rows of 22 boxes, 6 boxes high. By inflating a special cushion between the boxes, we close off the top. This means that you can build up pressure so the air is pushed through the boxes. It no longer matters now whether a box is at the bottom or the top of the stack. Because the air inlets and outlets are positioned at different places in the store, we’re able to mix the air well and, if necessary, heat it up with heating elements. According to storage specialist Maerman, this is a huge advantage compared to the suction system. ‘In that system, the air Huub Maerman (l) and Marien Poppe check the seed potatoes in the store with blow VISION CONTROLS ALL The Vision storage computer manufactured by Tolsma is the heart of the store. ‘The nice thing about the system is that you immediately see exactly what it’s doing. You sometimes have the idea that the system should be in operation, but then you see that the temperature is too high or the humidity too low. That’s why we’ve placed the storage computer strategically directly beside the entrance to the canteen. You can glance at it every time you walk past. Also, the Vision allows you to make contact via the internet.’ As a result, Tolsma can quickly and easily give support and Poppe himself can keep an eye on the storage on his mobile phone or computer tablet. Maerman’s experience is that nine out of ten questions are about a wrong setting, which can easily be remotely adjusted. ‘The customer can have a look himself and learn from it’, is the storage specialist’s experience. inlets and outlets are on the same side of the store and it’s also difficult to arrange proper heating. It’s also dangerous to put down matting. Another advantage of the blowing system is that you can adjust the ventilators and blow in a different direction. This makes it possible to suck air through the boxes for a few nights now and then. This option makes drying really efficient. A blowing ventilation system, in fact, provides the same optimal air circulation as a grid floor with a drop height of 1.6 m, and the flexibility of box storage. Cropping acceleration ‘Tubers with soft rot are a much bigger problem in storage. Where Phytophthora may dry out, a bacterial infection is much more aggressive’, is Poppe’s experience, which is the reason why he does everything possible to keep bacterial problems far from his store. ‘The quality of seed potatoes is determined in the field and is influenced by the weather. To gear to this as much as possible, the growing season at our farm already 22 Potato World 2013 • number 1 Pagina 21
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