Potato Review

58 POTATO REVIEW JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2023 MACHINERY Enhanced sorter for whole potatoes AN enhanced optical potato sorter was introduced by Key Technology at Fruit Logisitica last month. e Herbert OCULUS optical sorter is ideal for fresh market potatoes or whole potatoes prior to processin, nding and removing potatoes with defects. Its sorting capabilities help ensure product quality while reducing labour requirements and achieving consistent line capacity despite uctuations in incoming raw product quality, according to the manufacturer. Antoine van Bree, President, Key Technology – EMEA and Asia, said: “We upgraded OCULUS to o er our customers a more innovative, e ective and reliable solution for the changing market.” e enhanced Herbert OCULUS features new cameras that o er twice the resolution of the previous generation cameras to identify smaller, harder-to-detect defects. A more advanced 64-bit operating system replaces the previous 32-bit system to achieve a more sophisticated analysis of each tuber. New longer-lasting air cylinders with better seals run at a lower pressure to minimize energy usage, reduce maintenance and lessen operating noise while maintaining high performance. Lighter reject ngers move faster to improve reject accuracy. Herbert OCULUS conveys the potatoes over a series of rollers to present a complete 360-degree view of each tuber to the digital infrared color cameras. Compared to traditional cascade sorters, this unique method of sorting o ers gentler handling and provides 20 percent more surface inspection to maximize defect removal. Available in multiple sizes for a range of capacities up to 40 metric tons of product per hour (88,000 lbs / hr), Herbert OCULUS recognises size, shape, color and texture. Its advanced detection capabilities enable the sorter to remove a wide range of color defects, diseases and surface abnormalities including skin discoloration, green and dark colors, bruising, mechanical damage, blackleg and silver scurf. WITHMOBILITY COMES PERFORMANCE Optimal calcium mobility for stronger, higher yielding crops. InCa™ Plus is an advanced foliar spray which increases the marketable yield in brassicas, leafy greens, root vegetables and potatoes. It uses patented CaT™ technology to increase calcium mobility by stimulating selective ion transport channels in membranes. It increases calcium concentration in cells and enables calcium to move within the plant through the symplastic pathway even when low transpiration limits calcium movement. Inca Plus improves crop resilience and quality, raising yields and extending shelf life. In over 200 trials on potatoes globally, Inca Plusdelivered an average 1.5 t/ha increase in marketable yields. The increases were even greater in low yielding varieties, mid to late crops, and situations where irrigation was a limiting factor. InCa Plus is compatible with most crop inputs although jar tests are recommended to confirm compatibility. Regular application at low rates increases calcium mobility, marketable yield and shelf life. 10 8 6 4 2 0 Increase in marketable yield with Inca Plus (t/ha) Marketable yield in the untreated plots 50 - 60 t/ha >60 t/ha <50 t/ha InCa Plus improves marketable yield for potatoes Non-irrigated Irrigated Source: Arvalis, 2016. To find out more about the science behind InCa™ Plus, visit www.croptechnologies.co.uk