The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture is proposing a special pesticide registration to allow better quality potatoes from long-term storage. The special registration will allow potato growers to better control sprouting on potatoes kept in storage for nine to 10 months. It will allow growers to make an additional application of Decco 271 Aerosol.
The special registration process allows states to register pesticide products without prior federal approval, giving states flexibility to meet local needs such as controlling a plant disease or insect outbreak.
For potatoes intended for processing or fresh market distribution, successful long-term storage requires the use of a sprout inhibitor in combination with proper storage management. In the fresh market industry, any sprouting will decrease the desirability and sale quality of fresh potatoes.
For processed potatoes, sprouting can cause product shrinkage or a change in fry-color and product texture that are undesirable.
Some potato varieties have shorter storage time as do potatoes grown under poor growing conditions. In these cases, one application of sprout inhibitor would not control sprouting over long term storage.
The Wisconsin move will allow for an additional application of sprout inhibitor to the stored potatoes to maximize their quality. The active ingredient in Decco 271 Aerosol is chlorpropham or CIPC and is already registered for use on stored potatoes.
The department said the preliminary environmental assessment indicates the proposed registration will not significantly harm humans, animals, or the environment, and a full environmental impact statement is not required.