Effective Potato Sprout Inhibition with IGEBA Unipro40T and Orange Oil

As potato farmers in Germany, Mr. Krüssel has consistently sought ways to reliably inhibit potato sprouting while improving crop quality. Fortunately, they had the opportunity to test the IGEBA Unipro40T device with orange oil – a decision that has proven extremely advantageous.

My name is Jens Gommer, and I am a close friend of Meik Krüssel, the owner of the potato farm. Although I work full-time at the city utilities, I have a solid technical background that greatly benefits me in handling the Unipro40T. While my friend is not a fan of technology, he was also impressed by the equipment’s simplicity and user-friendliness.

In total, we used the Unipro40T ULV aerosol generator in two of our bulk storage facilities, each equipped with large roll-up doors. The potatoes were stacked to a height of 5.5 meters, and Meik Krüssel placed the fogging equipment directly at the entrance. The mast with the spray head was located inside the storage, while the blower and control unit were positioned outside. This clever configuration, along with sealing a small gap of approximately 30 cm with boards, allowed him to optimize the effectiveness of potato sprout inhibition.
For the fogging process, he used a total of 80 liters of orange oil for 1000 metric tons of potatoes. Half of this amount was fogged at a rate of 20 l/h, while the other half was treated at a rate of 35 l/h. This combination achieved a wide range of droplet sizes. The finer droplets easily penetrated the potato stack, while the coarser ones acted more aggressively against the potato sprouts. The results were promising, and he took samples from a depth of 80 cm, expressing great satisfaction with the outcomes.

After each treatment, he cleaned the active substance line outside the storage by fogging 10 liters of clear water at the highest setting (72 l/h). This enhanced the cleaning process and prolonged the hose’s lifespan. Surprisingly, he was still using the original pump hose, which had been in operation for approximately 30 hours.
Another crucial factor for the success of potato sprout control was the ventilation system in the storages. He only used the devices in “well-ventilated” storages and noticed that many potato storages had insufficiently sized ventilation systems. In his own planning, he considered a higher-capacity ventilation system, typically used for carrots. This allowed him to quickly cool and dry sandy, moist potatoes, which had a positive impact on the fogging process.

Thanks to their positive results and enthusiasm for the IGEBA Unipro40T ULV aerosol generator, the word spread in their region. Numerous other potato farmers expressed interest, and they even considered offering fogging as a service. The manufacturer recommended the purchase of two devices to work simultaneously in large storages or treat two storages in parallel for smaller facilities. The results until the end of May will provide further guidance on the purchase of these devices.

In addition, they also tested the product 1.4 Sight, originally intended for use with thermal fogging devices. Although they were not allowed to use such devices due to fire risks, the manufacturer permitted cold fogging. The effectiveness was promising, and they plan to continue testing various approaches to achieve the best possible results.

Overall, they are highly satisfied with the IGEBA Unipro40T aerosol generator and orange oil for potato sprout inhibition. They extend their gratitude to IGEBA for the testing opportunity and look forward to convincing more farmers of the benefits of this system. Undoubtedly, the use of this device has improved their potato harvest, ensuring the delivery of high-quality potatoes to the market.

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