Arable farmers Henk and Rick Meijer use MH in their potatoes as standard for sprouting inhibition and controlling storage. For long-term storage, they often extend the dormancy by 1.4Sight.
Even without Chlorine IPC there are plenty of options for long-term storage of potatoes,’ says Henk Meijer. ‘But the disadvantage is that the cut has to open a little further.’ The arable farmer refers to the more expensive sprout inhibitors that are needed when Chlorine IPC disappears completely.
Meijer has an arable farm in Dronten with his son Rick. They grow 50 hectares of potatoes for chip processing and peeling. These are the varieties Titanium, Innovator, Mondeo, Agria and Bildtstar, Meijer lists. ‘At the moment we still have Lady Anna from last year in custody. They are still fine. ‘
Keep the sanding free of chlorine
For the past three years, father and son Meijer have been using Royal MH as the basis for sprouting inhibition in potatoes. Rick Meijer explains that this was chosen because they have been using a former onion shed for potato storage ever since. ‘That shed is chlorine-free and we want to keep it that way.’
Depending on the storage period, arable farmers treat their potatoes in storage additionally with 1.4Sight. ‘Last year it was possible to keep mechanically cooled Bildtstar with only MH quiet until delivery. But normally we start with 1,4Sight as soon as the tubers ‘come off a bit’, says Rick Meijer.
Less storage costs
Henk Meijer states that it is certainly necessary at Innovator to start the space treatment with a full dose, to keep the internal germ under control. ‘But MH also ensures that we use less 1.4Sight, which saves on storage costs.’
Rick Meijer points out that it was difficult to apply MH at the right time due to the drought last year. ‘We sprayed in the evening after we had irrigated the crop. Still, MH worked less than usual. We can now see that in the potato storage. The share of internal germ at Innovators was also higher than in previous years. ‘
