Maine Potato Grower Sees Tremendous Success with Vapam® HL™
{Sponsored} When Verticillium wilt became an escalating issue for the potato crop at Flewelling Farms, Bruce Flewelling and his family were in search of a solution that would give them a more productive crop, year after year. Flewelling Farms has been growing potatoes in the Easton, Maine, area for five generations and was one of the first operations in the area to grow for the processing industry, particularly McCain Foods, the world’s largest frozen potato processor.
Due to the presence of Verticillium wilt, the Flewellings’ potatoes were staying too green for too long, and the plants were dying down too early, directly impacting their yield and productivity. After research and a few conversations with their local AMVAC® representative, the Flewellings began fumigating their soils with Vapam® HL™, a metam sodium product optimized to suppress pests. They started application on a small 50-acre field to experiment and quickly saw success.
Within five years, the farm expanded to applying Vapam HL on nearly all of their 1,000-acre operation due to how the product suppressed Verticillium wilt and minimized the effects of early dying on their fields.
“We were struggling with Verticillium wilt. Vapam HL cured it; it smoked it,” said Bruce Flewelling. “At Flewelling Farms, we are committed to Vapam HL.”
With proper application and placement in the soil, Vapam HL is proven to provide best-in-class return on investment with a consistent yield increase for potato operations like the Flewellings’.
“There is no question that Vapam HL gives you an advantage,” said Bruce Flewelling. “Vapam HL gives us a larger [potato] profile and more yield. I would say it’s been a 10-20% [increase].”
In recent years, Flewelling Farms has been recognized for their success and potato quality by McCain Foods Easton, receiving the Grand Champion Grower award.
“Bruce is a very progressive farmer and is willing to take the risk to be more successful,” said Mike Herrington, high value crop specialist at AMVAC. “The Flewelling family has been acknowledged as a leader in the industry in the Maine area.”
Find out more about how Vapam HL can build a strong soil foundation for potatoes and other crops at amvac.com/potatoes.
Disclaimer: Grower results are based on application, timing and placement.
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Important: Vapam HL is a restricted use product. Always read and follow label instructions. See label for listed uses. Some products may not be registered for sale or use in all states or counties. Please check with your state agency responsible for pesticides registration to assure registration status. All products are EPA registered.
