Potato wart strikes fear in the bravest among us and at every level of the potato value chain. 36 fields have been identified as infected in three counties since 2000, leading to major trade disruptions, the destruction of hundreds of millions of kilograms of potatoes.
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Over the last couple articles, I’ve told you about Paul: a highly experienced, sustainability-focused Ontario potato producer who saw yield skyrocket when he started using chloropicrin (the active ingredient in Strike) as a soil fumigant.
Last week we shared the first article in a 3-part series published in SpudSmart titled, “Ontario Potato Farmer Notches 100% Yield Increase”. This week we are sharing the second article in the 3-part series published in SpudSmart titled, “As Promised Here’s How Paul Doubled His Yield”.
Four years ago at a farm show, I happened to cross paths with a long-time, forward-thinking potato grower from Ontario named Paul. He had the walk of a guy who wasn’t planning to stop. But four words on our signage literally caught him mid-stride: Strike supports soil health.
The push for sustainability in agriculture: cover crops, reduced tillage, planting into more residue to reduce erosion, and choosing more sustainable chemical inputs are priorities for our whole industry. Is there a way to do that while controlling disease and staying profitable too?
Up to 58 per cent of all the food produced in Canada is lost or wasted each year. Think about that: nearly two of every three potatoes you grow get chucked. If you are like most farmers I know – strong and honorable people who are proud to be part of feeding the world – knowing that so much of your effort is wasted is nothing short of offensive.
Picture a crisp, autumn morning. The sun is starting to rise above the tree line that edges up close to the field that stretches before you. The air is still but sweet with the smell of season’s end. You step into the taller grass that grows just beyond the end of the field. The grass is wet with dew. In a heartbeat of time, all that has happened to get to this point passes before you.
If potato producers could snap their fingers to solve the most costly and frustrating production challenge they face, almost all would snap away early die complex. Early die can cost five to 30 per cent of yield. Yes, early die is difficult to manage. However, the more you know, the better you’ll be able to tackle it.
Scab steals a costly percentage of the potatoes produced at Patates Dolbec, one of Quebec’s largest farms. Patates Dolbec’s director of quality assurance and agronomy, coordinated a soil fumigation trial last year to see how Strike might impact his soil’s health and productivity.
Farmers have a lot on their minds: pests, frost, heat, commodity prices, too much rain, drought, labor, regulations and even more. To succeed at farming, a thousand things have to go right. Farming is stressful on its own. Add in supply chain issues and you are left with tough decisions regarding the best way to move forward for the success of your farming operation. Don’t panic, we’ve got you covered.
I receive countless from frustrated potato growers who tell me they are throwing costly inputs at their fields, yet not seeing the yields they need. Production costs are increasing while water resources grow tighter. If you’re not satisfied with your yields, it’s time for a change.
The July issue of the Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association’s The Badger Common’Tater features a wonderful, in-depth interview with our own Corporate Agronomist, Josh Mays!
"Ultimately, potato growers are all in competition with each other. Strike lets me grow more yield and better quality than the guys down the road or – since it’s a global market – in another state or country. The longer I can keep that edge to myself, the more money I make.”
Soil fumigants have suffered from an image problem, Strike is different – it’s a modern, highly-selective, soil health-promoting tool. There’s more and more awareness that Strike’s active ingredient, chloropicrin, suppresses all the major soil-borne potato diseases.
Soil health is the basis of the entire crop. Healthy soil is the most important step towards your crop’s yield potential. Plant into unhealthy soil and, no matter how much effort and investment you shovel into those acres, your crop won’t reach its potential.
I convinced the director of agronomy for a large company that grows chipping potatoes to try soil fumigation with chloropicrin (sold as Strike). He appreciated the soil health and yield gains he achieved in year one, but he hasn’t been seeing the longer-term soil health gains.
The parallels between where we are in the potato industry today compared to where California’s strawberry industry was in the 1950s are quite amazing. Strawberries are very sensitive to verticillium. Do I think chloropicrin is coming in potatoes? Absolutely.
When growers apply Strike soil fumigant under their carefully managed field conditions, they get impressive results — control of rhizoctonia, black dot, common scab; boosted crop yield and improved sustainability.
For a variety of agronomic, environmental, and management reasons, some potato producers choose not to apply soil fumigants to manage disease. The industry standard fumigant doesn’t allow for a winter cover crop to protect your soil and requires a great deal of management.
You’ve seen the research study results that show soil fumigation with Strike can effectively subdue rhizoctonia, black dot, common scab, and early die complex. You’ve heard experts explain how chloropicrin can boost soil’s health and potato production’s sustainability.
As an agronomist and potato scientist, I’m always fascinated to hear the latest research from potato experts around the world. That’s why the TriCal Group’s Potato School with its focus on grower education is one of my favorite events.
If you’ve farmed for several decades, you’ve seen firsthand the shift from broad spectrum to targeted pest management. Partially, the change has occurred because today’s available technologies are so vastly more precise than what our parents and grandparents used.
Potato farmers today are pushing hard for sustainability. Regenerative, soil-health promoting practices like reduced tillage, cover cropping, and planting into more residue to reduce erosion are all increasingly mainstream.
Improving sustainable potato production is a goal for the potato industry. The basic concept of sustainable crop production is to produce an economically viable crop while maintaining or improving soil health and reducing the potential environmental impacts.
Sustainability is a priorities in agriculture today. Recognizing that responsible management of resources is critical to ensuring agriculture can meet the world’s food, feed, and fiber needs today and tomorrow too, farmers are supportive of improving sustainability.
One grower trialed soil fumigation with Strike (a chloropicrin-based product) on a handful of acres in 2020, mostly to better manage common scab and other soil borne diseases. Pleased with the results, he’s increased his treated acreage each year. Last fall, he fumigated several hundred acres.
Farmers usually feel pretty hopeful about the potential of their crops at the start: the most common comment I hear in early summer is “This is going to be my year!” Those same farmers are often disappointed what they saw in June and July didn’t translate to yield.
Climate change is a politically divisive topic. It is advisable for those with a stake in agriculture to explore the ramifications of potential weather changes on business. As weather instabilities or weather extremes become more common, farming will need to change.
Potato wart strikes fear in the bravest among us and at every level of the potato value chain. 36 fields have been identified as infected in three counties since 2000, leading to major trade disruptions, the destruction of hundreds of millions of kilograms of potatoes.
An interview with Chad Hutchinson by Ashley Robinson Seed World Group
No current practice in potato production provides more benefits than soil fumigation. Soil fumigation with Strike allows plant roots to develop in an environment where nematodes and other soil borne diseases are managed.
“The farmer says he doesn’t want other growers to know the secret of his competitive advantage. I know he can’t help himself. I know he’s telling his neighbors what he can’t believe is happening in his fields.” What Is Quickly Becoming The Worst Kept Secret? Strike Soil Fumigant.
A live-action video production for TriCal and included in our Q4 2018 Highlights portfolio. We're Levitate and we've been producing live and animated video for enterprise and SMB clients since 2009.
This is my livelihood, I don't know where I'd be if I didn't have this to tell you the truth. Being able to make a living at this, it's rewarding. We're growing over 500 acres of potatoes, so we have to perform and get a good yield to be able to make money, and every year that seems to get more and more challenging.
Dr. Chad Hutchinson reviews how soil fumigation with Chloropicrin helps tackle potato scab, black dot, rhizoctonia, verticillium wilt, and nematodes while positively impacting overall soil health.?
No matter what you're growing, the health of the soil in which you're planting your crops has one of the most influential impacts on the quality of the crop you harvest. For years farmers have been using a variety of methods to increase yield and improve quality. A growing number of farmers have realized the health of their crop depends on the health of their soil.
An interview with Chad Hutchinson by Ashley Robinson Seed World Group