Use on-planter applications to apply powder treatments, potato growers told

POTATO growers intending to apply powder treatments to seed tubers at planting this year should consider on-planter applications to minimise the risk of operator exposure and reduce the possibility of the product being blown in to the environment when applied by manual methods.

That’s according to Colin Rennie, potato specialist at CSC Crop Protection who says that, in most years, around two thirds of potato growers use powder formulated tuber treatments like Monceren DS (pencycuron), to control seed-borne rhizoctonia and reduce stem canker development in the growing crop, but only around half of them are using on-planter applicators.