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

SEED POTATOES
Storage type
The total tonnage of stored seed potatoes increased by 19% over the period between the previous and current surveys.
The proportion stored in ventilated stores decreased slightly from 64% in 1998 to 63% in 2000. Refrigerated storage
increased during the same period from 24% in 1998 to 37% in 1998. All seed potatoes encountered in 2000 were stored
in boxes, an increase from 90% in 1998.
Treatment of potatoes
The proportion of the tonnage treated was found to have decreased between 1998 and 2000 by 28%, following an
increase from 33% in 1996 to 46% in 1998. In 2000 imazalil accounted for 94% of the total tonnage treated, 2aminobutane
3%, dichlorophen 2% and tecnazene the remaining 1%. In 1998, imazalil accounted for 72%, imazalil/
thiabendazole, 15% and 2-aminobutane 12% of the tonnage treated. In 1996, imazalil and 2-aminobutane were used to
treat 53% and 40% of stored seed potatoes. Iprodione was used on 3% in 1996; but this formulation was not recorded on
stored seed in the current survey.
The trends in treatments to seed potatoes in the UK since 1994 are shown in Figure 3 below and in Table 15.
Fig. 3 Treatments made to seed potatoes in Great Britain, 1994 to 2000
Thousand tonnes
450
400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
1994 1996 1998 2000
Tonnes stored Basic tonnes treated Total tonnage treated
Tonnes untreated Tonnes active substance
18
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Tonnes (active substance)