Potato Review

40 POTATO REVIEW JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 STORAGE Various stages and submissions for emergency approval Acombined e ort, led by industry bodies including theAHDB, the Potato Processors’ Association (PPA), BritishPotatoTradeAssociation (BPTA), the NFUand the FreshPotato Suppliers Association (FPSA), has successfully led for anEmergency Authorisation for the application of 1,4-DMN (1,4-Dimethylnaphthalenewhich ismarketed as 1,4SIGHT). 1,4-DMN is vitally important to the industry because of its ability to control sprouting Potato industry works together towards emergency approval for sprout suppressant An emergency authorisation for sprout suppressant, 1,4-DMN, has been approved, for storage of processing potatoes between April and July, with restrictions on volumes treated and feeding treated crops to animals. It’s welcome news for the crisping sector which has been hit hard by CIPC withdrawal, as other approved sprout suppressants have been less e ective at higher storage temperatures. Although a rst application for full approval for the new sprout suppressant 1,4-DMN was submitted by approval holders DormFresh in March, it was informed in May 2020 that it was highly unlikely that the application would lead to an authorisation for use this season. Given the use-up date for CIPC of October 8th 2020, the processing industry in particular felt that, without 1,4-DMN, it would be facing a serious threat to the continuity of supply from long-term storage. Following Defra’s advice, work started on an application for Emergency Authorisation for 1,4-DMN. is was submitted by AHDB in July 2020. including in long-term storage for processing, which is the key reason why the Emergency Authorisation was requested. e potato supply chain has been drawing the British Government’s attention to the importance of good sprout suppression for more than three years. Despite this, the active ingredient chlorpropham (CIPC), which allowed potatoes to be successfully stored year- round, did not have its EU approval renewed. e loss of this cost-e ective active, which had been widely used for more than 60 years, has left a huge hole in British growers’ sprout control toolbox. While the AHDB worked to coordinate the application, PPA Director General Andrew Curtis and partner organisations continued to stress the importance of the issue to government ministers and departments, and NFU President Minette Batters drew the attention of the Government’s Chief Scienti c Adviser to Defra to ongoing problems with applications for emergency authorisations of crop protection products, including for 1,4-DMN. To support the Emergency Authorisation, the AHDB and the PPA pooled evidence to demonstrate industry need for the active and that other alternatives to CIPC would not be as e ective for long term storage of processing stocks. Based upon AHDB and industry data, PPA developed an impact assessment around a series of ‘what-if ’ scenarios. ese included worst case situations which assumed