US: Potato researcher of the year named

Jiwan Palta, a professor in the horticulture department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, was awarded researcher of the year by the Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association during the organization’s annual education conference in February. Palta was recognized for his numerous contributions to the Wisconsin potato industry, including his research on the beneficial impact of calcium nutrition on potato-tuber quality. “Palta’s work on calcium was a jewel in the crown of his research,” said Ron Krueger of Eagle River Seed Farm LLC in Eagle River, Wisconsin. “Calcium reduced bruising of potatoes and increased payable yields. More calcium in the cell walls of tubers improves the storability of potatoes.” The introduction of calcium nutrition solved problems with brown spots in potatoes and significantly increased storability. More