Watch out for disease signs in high-value potato seed

• Symptoms develop in some stores

• Wet harvest increases disease risk

• Store managers need to be vigilant

Seed suppliers are being urged to protect their high-quality product from storage diseases at first grading following the wet 2024 harvest and reports of symptoms developing in some stores.

Tuber pathogens that develop in seed from harvest to delivery include dry rot, gangrene, silver scurf and skin spot. Once established they are difficult to eradicate, significantly affect seed quality and cause problems in following crops.

Application of tuber fungicide treatment Gavel (imazalil) is advised to prevent disease development on seed in the first place.

There are three phases where a Gavel treatment can be applied; phase one is at harvest or as tubers are loaded into store; phase two is during storage – usually at first grading – and then finally, phase three is when they leave store for delivery.

Disease risk

Frontier’s seed treatment specialist Darren Wonnacott says last year’s wet harvest in some seed producing areas will have increased the risk of these diseases, particularly skin spot and silver scurf.

He’s also seen mummified seed tubers in some stocks, where they were infected with disease and dried out in cold storage: these are now a source of inoculum.

“There is the potential for any inoculum to spread is you get any fresh damage during first grading, so my advice would be to apply Gavel where is hasn’t already been applied in that phase two window.

“Seed supplies are tight this year and values are very high, so it makes any investment in a treatment relatively cheap, particularly as a small problem now can turn into a big problem before delivery. It’s a no brainer for me,” says Mr Wonnacott.

Skin spot is of particular concern this winter in high-risk susceptible varieties like King Edward and Rooster because of conditions during lifting, he adds.

In these high-risk cases, he suggests a combination of Gavel and Storite Excel (thiabendazole) to bolster protection against skin spot, a pathogen which causes poor and uneven emergence in the following crop.

To apply storage fungicides like Gavel evenly over seed tubers, Mr Wonnacott advises using a roller table applicator with a rotating hollow cone nozzle and air assisted hooded canopy.

New head of operations for vegetable handler

Trevor King has joined vegetable handling experts Haith as its head of operations.

The new position will see Mr King overseeing the design, fabrication and production of Haith’s equipment. He will be involved in mentoring and developing the knowledge and skills of the company’s production team.

Before joining Haith, Mr King was head of operations at HK Timbers. While there, he transformed the traditional manufacturing business into a lean, agile operation and also spent time as the company’s interim managing director.

In his last role, Mr King introduced systems and processes that increased production by 40%. He has  expertise in production improvements, as well as coaching and mentoring people.

Haith managing director Duane Hill said: “He is time-served in technology, engineering and agricultural manufacturing businesses and has a track record of implementing world-class manufacturing processes.”

Mr King said he was looking forward to his new role with Haith: “I am excited to combine my manufacturing, commercial and people development experience to help this ambitious and forward-thinking company realise its commercial goals.”

Coinciding with the new appointment, John Nicholls has assumed the role of after-sales service and installation manager.

See also: Engineer Mick Haith retires after 47 years with family farm, page 39.