Potato Stores in Great Britain - The Food and Environment Research ...

SEED POTATOES
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Storage type
An estimated 428,700 tonnes of seed potatoes were stored in Great Britain (Table 10). The majority of potatoes were
stored in ventilated environments (63%), refrigerated stores accounted for a further 37%, unventilated storage being least
common, accounting for less than 1%. All of the seed potatoes were stored in boxes.
Treatment of potatoes
Overall, 20% of potatoes were treated, receiving on average a single pesticide application (Table 10 & 11). The main
products employed were imazalil (94%), 2-aminobutane (3%) and dichlorophen (2%). Boxed potatoes in ventilated
stores accounted for 66% of the total tonnage treated, principally with imazalil (92%).
Extent and quantity of individual active substances used
Use of four active substances was encountered on seed potatoes (Table 12). Imazalil was used to treat the majority
(94%) of the tonnage treated. Less than 2 tonnes of active substances were applied, imazalil accounting for 61% and 2aminobutane
29%, with the remainder being dichlorophen and tecnazene.
Stated reasons for treatment
Table 13 shows that the only reason specified for pesticide usage was disease control. Imazalil alone was used on 94%
of the treated tonnage where a reason was specified. Dichlorophen and 2-aminobutane accounted for a further 6% and
4%, respectively, of the tonnage treated where a reason was specified.
Methods of application
Sprays accounted for 94% of the formulations used to treat seed potatoes held in store, fumigation 5% and granules the
remaining one percent. The only formulation applied as a spray was imazalil. Two fumigant formulations were recorded
2-aminobutane and dichlorophen. All granules were tecnazene-based formulations.
N.B. All treatments to seed potatoes refer to storage treatments and do not include pre-planting seed treatments or
treatments in chitting houses. Information on potato seed treatments can be found in the arable crops report for 2000
(Garthwaite & Thomas, 2002).
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