Disinfectants

It is always a good practice to clean and disinfect the potato storage (floors and walls) between potato crops. This provides control of any potato rot organisms which could otherwise live over in the storage to infect the new crop. Graders, bin pilers, escalators, and other equipment should also be disinfected before a new crop is handled.

Disinfection of planters and seed cutters between seed lots is most important. This will help to control the spread of such diseases as ring rot, black leg and soft rots.

When knives are used for cutting at planting time, the blades should be thoroughly disinfected. Cleaning is the most important part of the disinfection process. Live steam or high pressure water should be used. Remove caked mud and debris from machinery parts, bin walls, floors and footwear by scrubbing.

Choice of disinfectant is dependent on the pest being controlled and the material being treated. The selected chemical must be registered for the required use. Some disinfectants work well on metal and wood but are caustic to rubber or plastic on the conveyor belts or other machine parts. With disinfection, TIME is the key factor. The disinfectant must be diluted and applied as indicated on the label. Note that equipment cannot be properly disinfected in the sun on a warm day unless a constant spray is maintained for the time interval.

The use of disinfectant foot baths provides some protection. Boots should be cleaned before dipping.