Holland: BASF nõuab varajast puhkeseisundi haldamist, kuna 1,4SIGHT-katsed näitavad väiksemaid ladustamiskadusid

With most of the Dutch ware crop now in store, BASF Agricultural Solutions advises starting dormancy management before sprouts are visible; a two-year WUR trial found early application of the 1,4SIGHT suppressant cut storage losses by 1.1–1.6 percentage points compared with late starts, depending on variety.

With the bulk of the Netherlands’ ware potato crop now in storage, the sector’s attention is shifting to limiting losses and preserving tuber quality over the coming months — especially for lots that will stay in store well into the European spring, when temperature, ventilation, humidity and sprout control become decisive.

BASF Agricultural Solutions recommends beginning dormancy management early rather than waiting until the first sprouts are visible. The company says its sprout suppressant 1,4SIGHT, based on 1,4-dimethylnaphthalene, acts during the earliest stages of the germination process and should be used preventively, in line with the conditions of use and authorizations in force in each country.

The case for early timing rests on trial data: a two-year trial at Wageningen University & Research in Lelystad (2023–2024 harvests, sponsored by BASF) found that starting 1,4SIGHT early — two to four weeks after storage — reduced storage loss by an average of 1.6 percentage points for Innovator and 1.1 percentage points for Agria, compared with starting later in the season. On a commercial store of several thousand tonnes, even a single percentage point translates directly into marketable yield — and into fewer grading deductions at delivery.

Practical conditions matter as much as timing. The first application can be made once tubers are sufficiently dry or “dry to the touch”; during treatment, condensation on the potatoes and on internal store components must be avoided. Once drying and cooling stages are complete, unnecessary ventilation with outside air should be limited, as it can disturb the environmental conditions needed for proper conservation.

This season, the technical guidance flags one point in particular: the efficacy of maleic hydrazide (MH) where it was applied during cultivation. Where there are doubts about MH uptake — or the product was not used at all — growers and store managers are advised to evaluate a complementary strategy early to prolong dormancy through the storage period.

Sprout control, the recommendation stresses, is one element of an integrated storage strategy. Periodic inspection of tubers allows early detection of renewed germination, rot spots, condensation and other problems that can compromise commercial quality. Drying, cooling and ventilation regimes should be adjusted to the characteristics and condition of each individual lot — no single setting fits all batches in a season marked by drought stress and variable field quality. In other words: storage management begins before visible sprouts appear — and continues throughout the entire storage period.

For the Dutch sector, the guidance lands at a natural pivot point of the season. With ex-field sales nearly finished and processors about to start drawing on stored lots in November, the value created or destroyed inside the stores over the next five to six months will shape both grower returns and processor raw-material costs. The difference between a well-managed store and a neglected one, the trial figures suggest, is measured not in tenths but in whole percentage points of saleable crop.

Allikad

• Nieuwe Oogst, “Snel starten met kiemrustverlenger leidt tot fors minder bewaarverlies” (10.09.2025), WUR/Lelystad trial results sponsored by BASF — nieuweoogst.nl
• BASF Agricultural Solutions, 1,4SIGHT product page — agro.basf.nl