The first day of the 2011 International Potato Processing and Storage Convention in Denver, Colorado (June 21), saw storage matters rule the roost, with a top-class field of speakers covering topics from CIPC through to mass loss, pressure bruising and how to use heating in storage for optimum air movement.

Speakers from the USA, The Netherlands, Canada and the UK spoke on the first day on the three-day annual event which is being attended by more than 100 delegates.

Agri-Stor's Nathan Oberg spoke about ways to reduce weight (mass) loss in bulk storage and the economic impact of such loss after the Colorado Agricultural Board's chief financial operating officer Tom Lipetsky officially opened the event.

Oberg's presentation set the tone for the day's topics with McCains' storage expert John Walsh ending the speaking programme for the day by taking a look at storage in the future.

Other speakers included Adrian Briddon from the Sutton Bridge Crop Storage Research Unit in the UK, Todd Forbush from Techmark in the US, and Tim O'Connor, President of the United States Potato Board.

The day's programme concluded with a debate on sprout suppression chaired by the University of Nebraska's Alexander Pavlista and featuring a panel comprising Tjaart Hofman, from Certis Europe in The Netherlands, Barb Daniels-Lake, representing Agri-Food Canada, the University of Idaho's Nora Olsen and Walsh.

Highlights of the second day's programme will be on this site later. A full report will appear in the next issue of Potato Processing International.