New NAPSO bulletin examines El Niño and potato storage economics
NAPSO Pre-Webinar Information Bulletin – Updated October 12, 2026.
By the North American Potato Storage Organization (NAPSO)
An intensifying El Niño could affect potato storability long after harvest is complete. The latest October climate assessments strengthen the case for close attention to warmer autumn and winter conditions across important northern potato regions, while established research shows that heat, drought, excess moisture and harvest condition can leave physiological fingerprints on tubers that follow them into storage.
Oct 12, 2026: The North American Potato Storage Organization has published a new pre-webinar information bulletin examining what the intensifying 2026–27 El Niño could mean for potato storage operations and economics. Prepared ahead of NAPSO’s Economics of Storage webinar on November 19, the bulletin brings together the latest seasonal climate outlooks and established potato-storage research to identify the practical risks operators should watch during the months ahead.
NOAA and the World Meteorological Organization report that El Niño is continuing to strengthen and could become one of the most intense events in the observational record. Seasonal forecasts favour warmer-than-normal conditions across many northern potato-producing regions of the United States and Canada, while precipitation prospects vary considerably by region. Warmer outside air could reduce opportunities for economical ambient-air cooling and increase reliance on fans or mechanical refrigeration.
The bulletin explains that weather experienced before and during harvest can continue influencing potatoes long after they enter storage. Warm tubers may require more energy to cool, drought-stressed potatoes can be more vulnerable to blackspot bruising, and wet or damaged crops may bring greater disease and breakdown risks into the pile. Field heat can also influence dormancy, sprouting behavior, respiration and weight loss, affecting the quantity and quality of potatoes remaining marketable after several months.
NAPSO emphasizes that seasonal outlooks describe probabilities rather than guaranteed local outcomes. Storage decisions should therefore remain grounded in observed crop condition, local weather and building data. Readers can access the full bulletin for the detailed climate assessment, supporting research and operational guidance.
Webinar replay: Protecting seed quality in storage
April 3, 2026: Seed storage doesn’t begin when the doors close. It begins in the field — and it doesn’t end until that seed is cut or planted the following season.
That was the through-line of the recent Spud Smart–NAPSO webinar, Seed storage: protecting quality from harvest to planting, featuring Leroy Salazar of Salazar Farms, Amanda Wakasugi of San Acacio Seed, LLC, and Bill Crowder of Agro Engineering.
As Spud Smart editor Dawn Lus writes in this article, Salazar opened by grounding the discussion in experience. Their farm grows 500 acres of seed, manages multiple varieties and storage spaces, and ships into several states. He also made it clear that while they’d share what works for them, “the experiences we’re going to talk about are local experiences — they may not be totally applicable to all other areas.”
From there, the focus shifted to where storage success really starts: harvest.
Crowder emphasized that storage performance is largely determined before potatoes ever enter a building.
Salazar then moved the discussion into the building itself, describing the shift from older storages that relied heavily on outside air to modern facilities with improved insulation, airflow systems, and controls.
Once potatoes are inside, Wakasugi said the priority becomes managing the storage environment.
Throughout the discussion, the message remained consistent: storage is not a single decision. It is a series of connected choices — from vine kill through monitoring and shipment. For seed growers, protecting quality from harvest to planting comes down to managing that sequence carefully, all the way through.
Source: NAPSO | Spud Smart
Seed storage under the microscope: How to protect quality between harvest and planting
Expert guidance on managing ventilation, conditioning, and monitoring to keep seed viable and vigorous.
February 14, 2026: NAPSO and Spud Smart are inviting growers and storage professionals to an upcoming webinar focused on one of the most consequential links in the potato value chain – protecting seed quality between harvest and planting.
The webinar, titled Seed Storage: Protecting Quality from Harvest to Planting, is scheduled for February 20 at 10:00 AM PST. It is presented jointly by NAPSO and Spud Smart and is designed as a practical, operations-focused event with live discussion and Q&A.
The webinar will feature three speakers:
- Leroy Salazar – Seed Grower / Engineer, Salazar Farms
- Amanda Wakasugi – Seed Grower / Farm Manager, San Acacio Seed, LLC
- Bill Crowder – Consultant / President, Agro Engineering
The webinar is positioned for growers, storage operators, seed managers, and consultants seeking practical guidance they can apply in real-world facilities ahead of planting season.
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Mid-storage health check: Webinar helps potato managers spot trouble early
A practical mid-season webinar co-hosted by Spud Smart magazine and NAPSO will walk potato growers and storage managers through real-world diagnostics so they can interpret store data, spot early disease and act before quality and yield are lost.
December 4, 2025: Potato growers and storage managers are invited to a practical online session co-hosted by NAPSO and Spud Smart magazine. The Mid-Storage Health Check: Diagnosing and Managing Problems webinar takes place Tuesday, December 17 at 10:00 a.m. PST (1:00 p.m. EST / 2:00 p.m. Atlantic).
Experts Dr. Sastry Jayanty and Dr. Amanda Gevens will explain how to interpret CO₂ and humidity readings, read condensation patterns and recognize early signs of disease and bruising so problems can be addressed before losses build.
Registration details and access link are available on the Spud Smart website or directly at:
https://event.webinarjam.com/62k8n/register/24o39a9r
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NAPSO sets next storage webinar: From harvest to pile – safety and sampling that shape storage outcomes
In partnership with Spud Smart magazine, McCain’s Erica Zwaneveld and Techmark’s Todd Forbush & David Carpenter share practical harvest-safety steps and field-sampling methods to improve short-, medium-, and long-term storage.
September 03, 2025: The North America Potato Storage Organization (NAPSO) will host its next webinar on Friday, September 12, 2025 at 10:00 AM Pacific (PDT) / 1:00 PM Eastern (EDT) / 2:00 PM Atlantic (ADT) / 17:00 UTC.
Organized in partnership with Spud Smart magazine, the session brings practical safety guidance and data-driven decision tools to growers heading into harvest.
Program at a glance
- From Harvest to Pile: Safety in Every Step — Presenter: Erica Zwaneveld (McCain Foods)
Focus: actionable best practices to keep crews and equipment safe during harvest and piling. (Erica serves as a lead safety coordinator at McCain Foods.) - Crossroads to Harvest — Presenters: Todd Forbush & David Carpenter (Techmark)
Focus: how disciplined field sampling before and during harvest can predict short-, medium-, and long-term storage outcomes—supporting better ventilation, lot segregation, and handling choices. (Forbush is a veteran storage engineer at Techmark; Carpenter is Techmark’s laboratory sales manager.)
Why this matters now
The turn from field to pile is where most avoidable losses are set in motion—through unsafe practices, poor lot selection, or weak sampling discipline. NAPSO’s webinar aims to translate proven practices into pre-harvest decisions that protect quality, reduce shrink, and safeguard people on site.
Recent NAPSO sessions have emphasized early-window storage control and seed protection—this webinar extends that arc back into the harvest moment where outcomes are first decided.
Who should attend
Growers, storage managers, harvest supervisors, agronomists, and processing partners preparing for intake and the first weeks of storage.
Registration & mailing list
Official invitations will be emailed to NAPSO subscribers. To be added to the mailing list – and receive the webinar link – email Emily Merk contact.napso@gmail.com (NAPSO Communications Coordinator).
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“Smart Storage Strategies for Late Season Potatoes”: NAPSO hosted timely webinar
May 20, 2025: As planting season intensifies, the NAPSO reminds growers to prioritize their storage facilities. On May 15, at 10am PST / 1pm EST, NAPSO hosted an essential online webinar, “The Final Countdown: Smart Storage Strategies for Late Season Potatoes,” to help maximize the value of late-season stored crops.
The webinar featured two distinguished presenters: Eric Evans, President of Agri-Stor, and Sastry Jayanty, Professor and Extension Specialist at Colorado State University.
With over 30 years of experience in sales and service for post-harvest storage solutions, Evans leads Agri-Stor, a company with nearly 60 years of expertise serving growers, processors, and packers. Jayanty brings his extensive academic and extension expertise to address critical storage challenges.
NAPSO’s webinar was intended to spotlight the often-overlooked storage details during the busy planting season, ensuring growers protect their high-value crops.
Download a copy of the presentations as a pdf file here.
The video recording of the webinar below can also be viewed on YouTube here.
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“Storing for Success: Protecting Potato Seed & Preventing Disease”
February 26, 2025: NAPSO’s third webinar focused on potato seed storage and was hosted on February 24, 2025. The event attracted an impressive 120 attendees from across North America and beyond.
Moderated by Emily Merk, NAPSO Communications Coordinator, the webinar featured two distinguished experts in the field:
• Kasia Duellman, Extension Seed Potato Specialist at the University of Idaho, who shared in-depth insights into tuber-borne diseases, seed handling, and physiological age considerations.
• James Alford, of Alford Custom Ag/Premier Seed LLC, who provided a practical perspective on receiving, handling, and storing seed potatoes effectively.
The event provided valuable takeaways for growers, agronomists, and storage managers, equipping them with science-backed strategies to enhance potato seed quality and storage efficiency.
Download a copy of the presentations as a pdf file here.
The video of the recording can also be watched on YouTube here. Also download it as a mp4 file here.
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“Potato Storage: The First 45 Days”
NAPSO hosted the second webinar in its ongoing webinar series titled “Potato Storage: The First 45 Days” on November 4, 2024. This pivotal event was designed specifically for potato farmers and potato storage managers aiming to enhance the quality and longevity of their potato crops during the critical initial storage phase.
Featured Speakers:
- Addie Waxman, Ph.D.
Topic: ‘Navigating the First 45 Days’: Key strategies and essential practices for successful potato storage management.
Dr. Waxman emphasized the necessity of effective storage decisions to maintain quality and minimize losses during long term storage. - Eric Evans
Topic: Sprout Control in Storage
Eric will cover effective strategies for managing sprouting, ensuring potatoes maintain their quality and are market-ready when needed. - Vijay Choppakatla, Ph.D.
Topic: Disease Control in Storage
Dr. Choppakatla will present the latest methods for controlling storage diseases, helping farmers prevent the spread of pathogens that can devastate their crops.
The recording of the webinar below can also be watched on the NAPSO YouTube channel here.
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“Preparing for a Successful Storage Season“
August 19, 2024 – We at NAPSO are excited to share the recording of NAPSO’s inaugural webinar that we hosted earlier today, “Preparing for a Successful Storage Season.” This webinar brought together industry experts to discuss critical strategies for optimizing potato storage practices, ensuring that growers and storage managers are equipped with the knowledge they need for a successful season.
Presentation Highlights:
Nathan Gelles, Decco Post-Harvest: Nathan Gelles kicked off the webinar with an in-depth presentation on the vital role of sanitation in potato storage. His presentation underscored the importance of early storage preparation, starting with decisions made at the planting stage or even earlier, emphasizing the fact that effective storage management begins well before harvest. His detailed approach included step-by-step procedures for cleaning and disinfecting storage facilities, the importance of environmental control to prevent disease, and the selection of appropriate sanitizing agents.
View a pdf file of the presentation here
Todd Forbush, Techmark, Inc.: Forbush delivered a detailed presentation on field selection and its impact on a successful storage season. Forbush focused on the complex factors influencing potato sugar content and specific gravity, key to maintaining quality during storage. He provided insights into pre-harvest maturity evaluation, the impact of cumulative growing degree days (CGDD), and the importance of ongoing sugar sampling and cooling strategies throughout the storage season. Forbush advised on optimal cooling techniques and the necessity of ongoing sugar sampling throughout the storage season.
View a pdf file of the presentation here
To view the full webinar and gain valuable insights from these expert presentations, please click the link below:
Watch the webinar as a mp4 video here
Or watch as a YouTube video, published on the NAPSO YouTube channel:
Related: See article titled “Mastering the art of potato storage: Todd Forbush’s comprehensive guide on The Four Pillars of Successful Potato Storage“
