Seed potatoes: a best practice handling and storage guide for growers and store operators
The following guide highlights the principles of how to manage the handling and storage of seed for ware, French fry and crisping potato production. Using information from Australia and overseas, the manual provides guidance on the major issues identified during industry consultation such as: what can go wrong – risks associated with different activities; how to prevent problems, risk management – how to prioritise and focus on issues that potentially cause the biggest losses/problems; what to monitor to identify and prevent problems; specifications – the optimum storage and handling conditions to aim for, and how to go about it; how to get as close to specifications as possible under given operational circumstances. The guidelines cover the following operational steps: harvest, holding in the paddock, transport and intake, curing, storage, grading, cutting, and seed transport from store to commercial or seed grower.