A practical mid-season webinar co-hosted by Spud Smart and NAPSO will walk potato growers and storage managers through real-world diagnostics so they can interpret store data, spot early disease and act before quality and yield are lost.
Potato growers and storage managers will soon have access to a focused online session on how to spot and manage trouble in storages before it escalates into serious loss. The Mid-Storage Health Check: Diagnosing and Managing Problems webinar is being co-hosted by Spud Smart magazine and the North American Potato Storage Organization (NAPSO).
The live event is scheduled for Tuesday, December 17 at 10:00 a.m. PST (1:00 p.m. EST / 2:00 p.m. Atlantic). It is aimed at growers, storage managers, agronomists and advisors who are partway through the storage season and want a practical check-up on storage performance.
Why this checkpoint matters
By mid-season, storages may appear stable, but small issues are often already brewing. The webinar will focus on:
- Making sense of CO₂ and humidity readings in partially filled and fully loaded storages
- What persistent condensation and wet floors are really telling you about air movement and leaks
- Early visual signs of key storage problems – including soft rot, pink rot, Fusarium dry rot and pressure bruising – and how they tend to progress if left unchecked
The emphasis is on simple, repeatable checks that storage managers can implement immediately in their own facilities.
Who is presenting
Two well-known specialists will lead the session:
- Dr. Sastry Jayanty, professor and extension specialist in postharvest biology at Colorado State University, with extensive work on how pre- and postharvest factors influence potato quality and shelf life.
- Dr. Amanda Gevens, professor, extension specialist and associate chair in the Department of Plant Pathology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and Administrative Director of the Wisconsin Seed Potato Certification Program, recognized for her work on pathogen ecology and integrated disease management.
They will link what storage managers see in the pile with what is happening at the tuber and disease level, using real-world examples and case studies.
How to take part
The live webinar will run as a practical, example-driven session with time for questions and discussion. Storage managers and industry professionals are encouraged to register in advance.
Registration details are available on the Spud Smart website, or directly via the webinar registration page at: https://event.webinarjam.com/62k8n/register/24o39a9r
Source: Spud Smart magazine
Image: Potato News Today