b'Does Soil Fumigation Have a Place in Regenerative Agriculture?CHAD HUTCHINSONGlobal director of potato research and market supportTriCal Grouptricalgroup.comOVER THE PAST handful of months,keep farms viable while prioritizingsoil health by supporting a reduced tillage, Ive attended a whole pile of potatoenvironmentally sound and sociallylower erosion, more irrigation-efficient seminars, expos, forums, and conferencesresponsible considerations are the keys toproduction system. around the world. Regenerative agriculturesuccess. Theres more. Strike also supports and sustainability are almost always top ofSince Im a soil fumigation guy, let mebetter looking tubers: lower disease means the agenda. However, Ive sensed frustrationstart there. Fumigation has a bad reputationsignificantly less waste at the farm level. amongst growers that, while theres lotsin agriculture. Many have a knee-jerkIm not arguing that Strike is the silver of talk about the need for change in ourreaction to it, assuming its the polarbullet to all of agricultures sustainability industry, there are few real plans or usefulopposite of sustainability. But lets take aefforts. However, Strike is a great example recommendations on how to develop anlook at what the science shows: of a single product that has wide-ranging integrated, meaningfully regenerative andChloropicrin (sold as Strike) is a modern,sustainability benefits yet remains somewhat sustainable system. Farmers are consistentlyhighly effective fumigant that manages yield- marginalized. I believe the issue is that too being asked to do more yet arent providedsapping potato crop pathogens includingmany in agriculture believe sustainability enough direction and tools to achieve realverticillium, rhizoctonia, black dot, andcan only be achieved with a strict adherence change.common scab. It directly and meaningfullyto a set of restrictive practices and I think we need to introduce a key wordcontributes to enhanced yield. Higherproducts. We need to shift towards seeing to the sustainability discussion. That wordproductivity is the hallmark of sustainability,sustainability as an integrated, coordinated is functional. Functional sustainabilitysince it allows better input efficiency andsystem. And we need to give sustainabilitys is the system or path that gets us fromhigher profitability per potato produced.keystonesthose central products or where we are today to our collective regenUnlike other fumigants, Strike is highlypractices, like Strike, that promote or enable ag goals. Farming practices, informedselective. It actively supports soils beneficiala meaningfully sustainable systemthe recommendations, and real tools thatnutrient recyclers, saprophytes. It also buildsrecognition they deserve.SPUDSMART.COMSummer 202339'