Pace installs digital load cell display

Automated packing supplier Pace Mechanical Handling has installed the first of its new digital load cell displays.

Manufactured and programmed by Pace, the digital load cell allows packers to easily set the desired weight of the sack being filled and delivers speed enhancements and accuracy to within the weight of one potato.

The first digital load cell display was installed at a West Sussex potato grower’s packhouse along with Pace’s Orion automatic sack presenter and a CBC sack placer and stitcher line.

“We developed the new digital load cell to take advantage of our new bespoke electronic plc, which allows us to integrate several new features, such as weighing calculations,” says pace director Nick Cesare.

“As the new digital load cell display can work with other control panel devices, monitoring the weigher elevator’s belt speed and run times, we can ensure consistent packing and longevity.

“We have used our years of experience in bagging root crops and studying how they flow through the process to perfect the system.

“We believe combining our new digital weighing display best available combination of accuracy, speed, reliability and longevity.”

Increase in demand

Midhurst potato grower RD Renwick has used the new digital load cell display since early May.

“We’ve enjoyed quite an increase in demand for our produce in the last year, so we needed to add a second line to our packing operation,” says James Renwick.

“We have been really impressed with Pace and their line so far. It is very easy to use, runs quickly and is accurate. It has more than met our expectations.”

The new digital load cell display, which took a year to develop, replaces a third party that had become difficult to source and service due to Brexit.

Fight Against Blight stepped up at Hutton

Funding has been secured for 2023 sea son of Fight Against Blight programme at the James Hutton Institute.

The FAB project helps protect valuable potato crops by alerting growers across the UK to late blight outbreaks via a network of agronomists, growers and industry rep resentatives who submit field samples from suspected late blight outbreaks around the country.

Blight was reported in parts of England due to the cool damp weather experienced in May – although drier weather since saw the risk decline.

The 2023 programme will include both the annual sampling of late blight outbreaks, and the characterisation of pathogen populations. In work led by Dr Alison Lees, fungicide sensitivity testing will be carried out once again for active ingredients.

Pathogen DN will allow rapid in-season feedback on genotypes to scouts through- out the season which, in combination with an end of season report, will ensure the potato industry is kept informed on the bestpractice for late blight management.

Project leader Dr David Cooke of the James Hutton Institute said: “The continuation of FAB is great news for growers and the sector more widely, and also for the longerterm research effort that supports this area.

“With concerns about resistance to CAA fungicides related to the new genotype EU_43_ A1 on the continent last year, the early detection of any new arrivals to GB crops is going to be crucial to building effective IPM programs for 2023 potato crops.”

In another key development, BlightSpy has been relaunched at Hutton.

The BlightSpy webpage provides crucial data on current and forecast weather conditions that are conducive to late blight. The system maps local blight risk based on Hutton criteria, up to eight days in advance.

It can be accessed at https://blightspy. huttonltd.com

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