Potato World vision Crop protection plan, naturally! The potato world now knows fully-Phytophothora-resistent varieties. It took a few decades to reach this point. To be able to enjoy this moment as long as we can, it is essential that, from a practical viewpoint, the resistance is protected through crop protection. On the other hand, this will enable the fungus to develop reduced susceptibility. What is required is that there are sufficient active substances left for proper resistance-management. A leaner package of chemicals will make companies look for other solutions. In response, Monsanto, and to an increasing extent other companies as well, has focused on solutions that are linked to crop resistance. I think that in Europe the use of natural protection will be more successful. With the takeover of Agraquest and Profyta by Bayer and Becker Underwood by BASF, this seems to be the chosen path; other companies are also already busy in the background. In the Netherlands, Kopper Outdoor and Ecostyle are attracting a lot of attention. But people are also busy in the chemical industry. The cost of placing a new active chemical on the market has increased by 100 million to over 250 million euros within 20 years, a very different story when compared to a potato variety. Only chemicals with an environmentally-friendly profile now reach the market. There is the persistent misunderstanding that the maximum residue level is purely a safety standard. It is first as low as possible, as high as necessary for agricultural purposes and, naturally, safe for the consumer. Subsequently, retailers should be more aware of the significance of the additional requirements. We are therefore faced with an enormous challenge to continue to develop new solutions. This requires the application of knowledge, especially from the other players in the potato sector and I’m happy to say that this magazine plays a regular monthly role in this. To rephrase the Inland Revenue Service’s quote: ‘It may become better, but it won’t be easier’. Crop protection doesn’t lend itself to easy solutions. Cultivation starts with a wellchosen crop protection plan, in spite of the commotion about inspections. Jan-Eric Geersing Product manager, Cebeco Agrochemie PW-ACTUA Wageningen University is starting a study on energy saving in the storage of arable crops In March of this year, Wageningen University started a three-year study on energy saving in the storage of arable products. The use of energy for storage products such as potatoes can be reduced considerably. This was the outcome of a recent exploratory study carried out by Wageningen University. By taking various measures, entrepreneurs can save considerably on storage costs. In March of this year, Wageningen University started a three-year study on energy saving in the storage of arable products. One of the most essential factors for saving energy is the even distribution of air in the storage units. There are more factors, however, that influence storage conditions; for example, product shape and characteristics. In the study, model calculations are combined with practical measurements to develop procedures that maintain product quality as well as improve energy efficiency. The study will use the outcome from earlier Wageningen University research into the storage of flower bulbs. This study already showed that up to 80 percent of energy can be saved by making adjustments and by optimising the storage systems. For the storage of arable crops such as potatoes considerable savings can also be expected. The study is being financed by the Dutch Agricultural Marketing Board and the NL Agency. From the Clean and Economical Agro Sectors Covenant, the NL Agency supports the policy of making crops more sustainable and promoting their marketing position. The Agricultural Marketing Board supports the entire process right from the research question to the publication of the results for the agricultural sector. ● Potato World 2013 • number 3 9 Pagina 8
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