Air curtains good for farm business and environment

Improving the air flow in potato stores is helping to improve crop quality while lowering energy costs and reducing the impact on the environment.

The Farming For a Better Climate (FFBC) team, at SAC Consulting, part of Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), is urging potato growers to monitor their energy consumption, to better address efficiency levels in their stores and keep on top of spiralling costs.

“Storing potatoes is a big cost for growers, particularly with increased energy costs the current economic climate has brought,” says SAC potato consultant Kyran Maloney.

“Growers cannot control energy prices, but they can get a handle on their usage and improve efficiency.

“Costs of storage can be daunting to calculate, but there are a number of tools including a costing model we have produced which can help. Growers should monitor their energy consumptions as surprisingly few stores are fitted with smart meters.

“The efficiency difference between a good and a poor store can be huge and areas which can be looked at include, uncontrolled leaks in stores, optimising airflow by fitting curtains and the basic servicing of refrigeration units.”

James Fairlie, who grows potatoes at Kirkton of Monikie, in Angus, recently had air curtains fitted to two of his stores. He says he is already noticing a difference in air flow, energy use and quality of his crop.

Mr Fairlie grows 160ha (400acres) of potatoes annually. Spiralling electricity and energy costs prompted him to take action, he says. His energy bill for October 2022 was £6500 compared to £9000 for the whole of 2021.

He said: “I probably took electricity for granted in the past as it wasn’t overly expensive, but this year the high costs have given us the drive we needed to become more efficient and look at our whole operation and what we can be doing better.

“We had air curtains installed at two of our four stores to improve air distribution through our boxes and recent tests found that air flow has increased from the standard recommended 0.3m per second, to 1.7m per second.”

Mr Fairlie says this should lead to a reduction in disease. Early indications are that crop quality has not deteriorated since being on site, he adds. By targeting air directly over the boxes, you reduce cooling times, improve overall efficiency.

“This has allowed us to reduce fridge running times by 30 per cent, which saves a big monthly bill,” says Mr Fairlie. Curtains are affordable and accessible, and his own investment paid off in the first month.

To explore different energy options, visit www.farmingforabetterclimate.org