Sprouting and rotting tubers can be the bane of any potato store or packhouse manager and the most effective way to prevent these is through effective storage. This ranges from the basic structure of the packhouse through to its ventilation.

There is a myriad of factors which can play havoc with the storage of potatoes and, as a result, there are companies out there dedicated to ensure that the storage of potatoes can be as trouble free as possible. And it must be remembered that the human factor is always a possible reason for things going wrong.

To this end, many companies involved in potato storage are involved in reducing this factor through improved equipment to ensure remote monitoring, for example, is almost foolproof.

Fans and foggers help control temperature and sprout growth

Techmark in Michigan, USA, is a leader in this field. The company, through its dedicated and professional staff like Todd Forbush, Patrick Morris and others provides advanced technical solutions to clients across the globe – from Europe to South America and from Africa to Asia.

Forbush is an expert in custom-designed efficient and effective ventilation systems for storage structures of varied type and design. This can range from bulk, forced-ar box and passive air-box ventilation to single or multiple air system buildings.

Techmark’s ventilation can be effective for 200 to 7200 tons for each air system. Variable Frequency Drives (VFD) on ventilation fans, says Forbush, optimise energy efficiency of pressure fans while achieving optimal performance.

Forbush pointed out that fans can be operated according to time clock functions to regulate operating times, fixed clock operation as set by the store manager, fixed time clock operation coupled with store temperature monitoring or variable time clock operation automatically adjusted by Fancom computers according to Stored crop conditions and storage management input.

He said: “All Fancom ventilation computers can control ventilation rates by switching fans on and off by using VFD. We use only the most reliable and certified aluminium propeller fans and supply fans with painted or galvanised panels and equipped with zinc-coated front and rear guards.”

The best way to experience Techmark’s potato storage knowledge, says Forbush, is to have an onsite system analysis.

In the Netherlands, Tolsma specialises in the design and manufacture of storage structures. Their website points out that Tolsma provides ‘total solutions and components for storage’.

Recently the company completed an unusual storage structure in Siberia using Air Domes.

This inflated structure resulted in storage for 10,000 tons of potatoes with each store in the warehouse offering in excess of 1200 square metres of space suitable for bulk or box storage. 

The company said in a recent release that Air Domes are constructed so that a temperature of 8-15C can be maintained – even in periods of extreme cold which are not unusual in Siberia. The domes are made by DUOL, a Slovenian company.

Fresh Chances

UK-based Crop Systems Ltd, run by the likeable Ray Andrews, recently completed a new 2,700 ton potato storage to help Shropshire growers J M Bubb and Son hit and beat exacting targets for both energy and CIPC usage.

The Bubbs grow 360 acres of potatoes as part of the arable business at Lynn South Farm, Lynn, Newport and built the new complex to replace ageing facilities which they realised were past their best.

The new store, said Andrews, is an integrated complex which includes two 1,200 ton bulk stores built adjoining an extensive covered loading and grading area.

“The stores were loaded in October and most of the crop was unloaded in April and May. Over that period we used three CIPC treatments of 14 grammes/tonne, 12gms/t and another 12gms/t – 38gms/t total. “With experience of how well the system works, in future years we plan to bring that down. The store’s energy usage has been excellent”, said Jonathan Bubb.

Another innovation by Crop Systems is the WarmStor concept, a low energy system for the automatic conditioning of potatoes for the pre-packing industry.

Using low grade heat from the ambient air, WarmStordoes away with the need for expensive to run, environmentally unfriendly gas or kerosene burners as used in some other warming systems. Air is mixed and humidified to the correct temperature for the required warming parameters using the main air distribution system. Automatic speed control optimises the airflow to match the variable requirements that are ever present in the constantly changing store atmosphere, whilst still maintaining crop turgidity.

Read the whole story in the July/August issue of Potato Processing International.