Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/602265
www.potatogrower.com 37 Atomizer-produced water droplets large enough to be seen with the naked eye are of no use to humidify the air except for the small percentage that evaporates by temperature differential. They may look very small to the eye but in order to be seen, they must be larger than 10 to 20 microns in diameter. Droplets this big stay suspended for a time and then fall to the floor or attach themselves to tubers, the ceiling and the walls. Standing water, wet tubers and other surfaces invite the growth of diseases such as silver scurf, black dot and rotting. A PERFECT ATMOSPHERE Potatoes are refrigerated to prevent the multiplication of harmful pathogens. Swamp cooler (wetted fabric)-type refrigeration systems produce a great deal of excess water. Wet fabric, floors and standing water provide a breeding ground for pathogens. When the temperature rises above 41 degrees, pathogenic organisms begin to grow and multiply. Even at just 45 degrees, bacteria grow 10 times as fast as they would at 41 degrees. A technology called humigation, introduced by Isaacs Hydropermutation Technologies in the last few years, removes pathogens from the air as it is circulated in the storage facility. Humid air is produced by a Humigator after pathogen removal and is dispensed in small enough water particles to be invisible to the eye and to remain airborne. With continuous operation, humigation for potato storages has proven to maintain humidity at 95 to 99 percent relative humidity, just below the dew point, without saturating the plenum or any of the potatoes. EXCESS WATER CONTRIBUTES TO DISEASE AND SHRINK A good and simple gauge for checking humidity in a storage bin is to blow your breath through it. If you can see your breath at any temperature—even though you don't see wet potatoes or surfaces—the RH of the air is between about 95 and 99 percent, right where you want it to be. To be able to do this throughout the storage season without wetting the plenum is particularly desirable, since dry air shrinks potatoes and destructive pathogens need wet surfaces to grow. Good humidity control throughout the storage season contributes greatly to substantial profit for the grower. PG 149853BanCom12h.indd 1 10/9/15 10:06 AM PLEASANTLY PLUMP Growers need to do all they can to prevent weight loss in their potato piles.