Potato Europe 2017 welcomed 10,000 visitors on Thursday, despite the weather.

September 15, 2017

Source

DLG Benelux

Despite the cancellation of the first day of Potato Europe (Wednesday) and the less then perfect weather on Thursday, the 270 exhibitors were able to welcome around 10,000 visitors, just on the Thursday

Thursday morning the trade fair was opened by the mayor of the Noordoostpolder, Aucke van der Werff. By pushing the button, he started the harvesting demonstrations. The harvested potatoes of variety Innovator went straight into the box filling demonstration and storage lines. In the morning, there have been a lot of demonstrations, but later in the day most demonstrations were canceled due to the rain.

The 270 exhibitors from 16 countries could count on an interested audience from 53 countries. Amongst the visitors were more than 800 students! They came for the specially designed themed routes and lectures on Future, Space, Virtual.

Innovation Award

The golden innovation award has been handed out to BASF with the 1.4 Sight sprout inhibitor. Dr. Ir. Peter Kooman, lector potato chain and sector innovation at Aeres University, praised the innovative nature of the product as chairman of the jury. This is a new way of thinking to control sprout naturally.

Gebr. MagGrow. Weststrate won the silver award. Bronze went to Tolsma Grisnich with the 5M Temperature Sensor. Prior to the trade fair, the expert jury selected 5 contenders from 26 entries.

The public voted to determine the final winners.

Innovation Award Gold

BASF with 1,4SIGHT

The sprouting inhibitor 1,4SIGHT was admitted for consumption potatoes in the Netherlands during the summer of 2015.

It took a long time before this product was admitted because of a tightening up of the list of demands by the licencing authorities.

The sprout inhibitor contains the active substance 1,4 dimethylnaphtalene. It is a non-formulated product with a pure active substance of up to 100 percent according to the manufacturer. This substance is naturally found in the potato and is responsible for dormancy. Potatoes can be stored without sprouting during the entire season.

BASF has reported that the product lengthens the natural period of dormancy and that the quality of the potato remains unchanged. This finally translates into a better skin quality and fewer bruises and fewer storage losses. The possibility of storing table potatoes at higher temperatures can result in savings in energy costs. Last year, the manufacturer in the Netherlands tested 1,4SIGHT on a practical scale at various locations.

Jury Report

1,4SIGHT is a completely new active substance, really innovative, leaves no residue and can have a huge impact on the market. It also represents a new way of thinking about keeping sprouting in check, in this case with hormones.

Innovation Award Silver

Gebr. Weststrate with MagGrow

The MagGrow crop spray system consists of three different, mutually reinforcing magnets, which can be mounted on the sprayer and the spray arms, respectively.

It does not have movable parts and is easy to mount and maintain. All parts have been tested up to a pressure of 10 bar. The system does not need any electric power. The number of necessary parts depends on the length of the spray boom. A 40 m spray boom requires 8 magnet casings, 80 spray boom casings and 1 jet nozzle adapter per jet nozzle.

Collaboration with Wageningen University has resulted in the system being included in the TCT list for emission reduction measures per 1 July 2017. In a combination of the MagGrow magnetic spray system at a pressure of 3 bar and 75 percent drift reducing nozzles, a 90 percent drift reduction is achieved. In the case of a 95 percent drift reducing nozzle this is 97.5 percent.

Compared to conventional systems, our innovative technique provides better coverage, a better hold, more effective spraying and a drift reduction of over 80 percent. In addition to the superior drift control, the finer drops result in better foliage cover and hold. The MagGrow crop spray system offers the possibility of combining drop sizes of 100-150 μm with more than 80 percent drift reduction.

The system can be mounted on both existing and new field crop sprays or it can be used in the greenhouse with the help of a backpack spray.

The enormous advantages of this technology are higher profitability, higher productivity and improved performance in regard to the environment.

Jury Report

A simple and efficient technique, in the category: why didn’t we think of this before? This fresh approach fits the sustainability concept. The technique reduces drift, so less product wastage, more efficiency and therefore good for the user’s wallet. It can be mounted on various existing machines and can therefore quickly penetrate the market.

Innovation Award Bronze

Tolsma Grisnich with 5M temperature sensor/product sensor for bulk storage

Tolsma Grisnich has developed a 5-metre long temperature sensor cable that measures the product temperature everywhere and at different heights in the potato heap.

The purpose of this innovative product feeler is to measure and monitor the temperature differences more accurately. By having more measuring points closer together in the potatoes, their temperature can be better controlled during the storage season. Certainly if it is linked to the climate computer.

A qualitatively better end product can ultimately be delivered with fewer storage losses.

The 5M also contributes to a lower energy usage, because fans and heaters can run for fewer hours.

Another advantage of the 5M cable is that it can be easily rolled out in the various places in the storehouse when the potatoes are being stored.

Jury Report

This temperature sensor/product feeler for bulk storage increases the ease of use. It is an excellent, advanced solution in storage technique, practical to operate. It is also a simple application with the potential to reduce storage losses.

Next year, Potato Europe will be held in Germany on Rittergut Bockerode (near Hanover) from September 12, 2018 to September 13, 2018