Revolutionising Potato Farming: Restrain Accumulator
In the world of modern agriculture, efficiency is everything—especially when it comes to managing seed potatoes. Restrain Accumulator, a system that uses a combination of ethylene and elevated temperature to optimise potato seed efficiency, further enhances more stems per seed piece, leading to more tubers initiated per plant. Furthermore, encourages more even crop emergence that contributes to a more even tuber size distribution, resulting in more marketable yield on seed commercial size fractions.
Accumulator is revolutionising the seed potato industry by increasing seed efficiency by also significantly contributing to sustainability targets.
Maximising seed efficiency with the correct stem population
Manipulation of the stem population influences the targeted tuber population to maximise marketable yield on each individual potato variety. When producing seed for multiplication, in the progeny crop, the targeted seed potato size is predominantly represented in the smaller size grade within the commercial seed size specification, managing stem populations correctly are critical to maximising seed efficiency by having the optimum tuber population, thus, increasing marketable yields.
Typically, seed in cold storage, only one or two dominant stems form from the apical eye, blocking lateral bud development which influences limited stem numbers per seed piece, resulting in inefficient seed production due to fewer stems produced per seed piece.
Restrain Accumulator reverses the narrative by introducing ethylene early in the storage process. Ethylene blocks apical dominance, releasing lateral buds from inhibition. Elevated temperature during treatment encourages released lateral buds to develop and increase physiological age of the seed tuber.
The result? A significant increase in the number of stems produced per seed piece, leading to more tubers initiated per plant.
How Restrain Accumulator Works
Ethylene, a natural plant hormone, is key to Restrain Accumulator’s effectiveness. The Accumulator system exposes seed potatoes to ethylene for a recommended treatment length of 120+ days before planting. The longer the duration of the ethylene exposure, the greater the response. Temperature level is critical and plays a vital role in enhancing the effects of ethylene. By raising storage temperatures during Restrain Accumulator treatment, lateral bud development is accelerated. Restrain’s ‘Accumulator’ system allows fine-tuning for specific varieties, ensuring the best results on Seed for Seed. Restrain has evaluated 200+ potato varieties, and results consistently show that more stems lead to more tubers initiated per plant. An added benefit to the increase in tuber numbers is that ethylene treated seed promotes more even crop emergence, which results in having an even tuber size distribution. These primary benefits contribute significantly to an increase in marketable yield in the following crop allowing potato growers to increase productivity.
Equally the knock-on effect of higher temperatures is also lowering of overall energy costs as the fridge is not required to work as hard to maintain low temperature storage as usually seen, so less energy = lower cost and lower CO₂.
Once taken out of the Accumulator treatment and planted into warm soil, uniformed sprout growth occurs.
Savings and Efficiency for growers
The financial benefits of Restrain Accumulator are significant, with input seed potato prices soaring up to £/€ 1,000 per ton, the system allows farmers to increase marketable yield on Seed for Seed by an average of 20% showing a significant return on the investment based on a UK & EU seed size specification of 28 x 55mm. The more even tuber size distribution in the progeny crop helps seed plant further in the next growing season due to more smaller seed produced within the seed size specification of 28 x 55mm.
By increasing marketable yield from Accumulator treated seed, not only does this contribute to significant financial increases, but also contributes to better sustainability practices. Less land requirement needed to fur fill contracted seed tonnages with the potential to increase rotation of land. With enhancing seed efficiency, there is less input requirements so a cost saving and CO₂ for the growing crop. With the increase in marketable yield, the crop produced will generate less wastage due to less oversize. All factors contribute to increasing sustainability in the potato production and driving down CO₂ emissions produced per crop.
The Future of Seed Potato Farming
Nathan Edgar, Product Manager for Restrain’s Accumulator, highlights the transformative impact of this system:
“Over the past 18 months there has been a revolution within Restrain with our seed treatment called ‘Accumulator’. With an ever-changing industry with challenges to maximise seed efficiency, our sustainable product will be the solution going forward.
Working closely with many seed houses across multiple countries & environments, we are gathering all the evidence to show ‘Accumulator’ can and will be part of the toolbox to revolutionise the seed potato industry, from promoting a more even tuber size distribution and more tubers initiated per plant to reducing CO₂ within the growing crop, the benefits of ‘Accumulator’ solve the challenges posed to the seed potato industry currently.”
Empowering Farmers with Restrain Accumulator
Restrain Accumulator has the capacity to revolutionise the seed potato industry. A momentous change is coming for farmers seeking higher marketable yields, cost savings, and sustainable practices. It is ability to adapt to various potato varieties and optimise
resource use makes it an indispensable part of modern agriculture. With results in over 200+ varieties Accumulator treated and expanding our database every season.
By choosing Restrain Accumulator, farmers can unlock new levels of efficiency and productivity, meeting the demands of today’s competitive market while paving the way for a more sustainable future.
Ready to optimise your seed potato harvest?
Contact us to learn how the Restrain Accumulator can revolutionize your farming practices!