CU LTIVATION AND TECHNOLOGY Mostly dry weather, lots of interest and plenty of novelties E ven though there were a few millimetres of rain during part of the afternoon, dust clouds dominated the harvesting fields in the Belgian village of Kain. In any case, the harvesting conditions were dry to very dry. Normally, a potato grower would wait until there had been a bit of rain before harvesting, but this is a showground, so the digging units are simply sent off into the fields. What’s also striking is that the haulm is still pretty green here. So, has Reglone A lot of green haulm and half to almost completely-skinned potatoes eventually leave the demonstration fields. already been banned here and the alternatives are not yet available? According to the organisation, this is to illustrate that green harvesting after 2019 is also one of the options. It’s definitely an option, but often requires certain adjustments such as slow driving, low-speed sieve belts and rollers, and good bar covers. Modern harvesters, large and small such as those present on the trial fields, should be able to handle it all perfectly. However, most harvester drivers don’t seem to know about slow driving and lower belt speeds or have had different instructions. ‘Gas and go’ is often the motto. As a result there is lots of green haulm as tare, many tubers are left behind in the field, and half to almost completely-skinned potatoes are what finally leave the demonstration fields. Again with a lot of blockages in the transfer lines as a result. All in all, it’s clearly not a good example of progressive European techniques that the entire international potato world is watching. Fortunately, the rest of the showground was quite exemplary, with easily-accessible stands, plenty of novelties, and interesting presentations. Redebel takes away the worries of product registration Many visitors may have overlooked the stand of the Redebel group of Saint-Amand in Belgium, as a newcomer to PotatoEurope they may be still unknown. Yet this company is definitely not an agricultural outsider and is actually very well-known in the world of crop protection, as it regulates the registration of chemical crop protection agents for manufacturers in various countries of the European Union. To this end, it carries out field tests that are sure to be found in the four EU potato countries that, in turn, organise PotatoEurope. Registration expert Hervé Legros explains that the company was founded 30 years ago by Tanguy Dumont de Chassart. As a researcher in the world of crop protection products, he discovered that large companies quickly got bogged down in the varying regulations of different countries, even within a united Europe. At the time, he decided to relieve them of their worries by providing services in the domain of product registration, which became a great success. Today, almost all major product manufacturers have placed registration assignments with the Redebel group, including those for products for the cultivation of potatoes. In addition to registrations, Redebel also carries out residue tests and is active in providing specialToday, almost all major product manufacturers have placed assignments with the Redebel group, says registration expert Hervé Legros. ist advice. If you want to know more about the many research possibilities and the knowledge this company offers, you can consult their website www.redebel.be. 26 Potato World 2019 • number 4 Pagina 25
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