Getting more mileage out of the sprout suppressant CIPC will be imperative for upcoming label changes, warned Adrian Briddon of Sutton Bridge CSR at the AHDB Potatoes Storage Forum.
With no new alternatives available, and more stringent statutory requirements coming into play for the 2016 season, and more still for the 2017 storage season, delegates were urged to ensure they are prepared.
“CIPC is still the best sprout suppressant available,” said Adrian. “We can get more mileage out of it.”
He noted that there is already strong evidence that effective sprouting can be achieved with less CIPC. “According to FERA pesticide usage surveys, each kilo of CIPC was treating significantly more potatoes in 2010 and 2012, compared to the early and mid 2000s.”
He added that with no reported CIPC MRL exceedances in the past two years, the evidence is encouraging, but that it’s more important than ever to ensure there are no further exceedances going forward, particularly given that the active ingredient is up for official review by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in 2017.
For the 2016-17 season, the new statutory limits on total dose rates (subject to CRD approval) are 24g/tonne for the fresh market and 42g/tonne for processing. The maximum total dose rate will continue to reduce over the next two seasons for processing to the EU level of 36g/tonne. It is considered likely that statutory label requirements will further limit the dose used on crops stored for the fresh market.
In addition to dose rates, Adrian Briddon said that it was looking highly likely that recirculation would also be a statutory label requirement from 2017 onwards, subject to Chemicals Regulation Directorate approval. For many growers this would be a more critical change and will mean planning ahead.
“This has given rise to the ‘get active’ campaign to encourage the adoption of active recirculation when applying CIPC.
“It’s relatively straight forward in bulk stores, that may need an inverter fitted. However, overhead throw box stores are more problematic and unfortunately they are very common in the UK.”
Adrian noted that air separators, in combination with low speed recirculation of fog, offer the most robust solution in box stores in achieving more uniform CIPC coverage.