New research has hinted that consistent seed spacing may not influence final saleable potato yield as much as first thought and could spell the end for cup-type potato planters. A project by NIAB-CUF PhD researcher Simon Smart has been assessing the effect of seed spacing on the crop and initial results from the first year have made some interesting discoveries.[Read[Read More…]
Production/Agronomy
Canada: Prince Edward Island potato growers press to fumigate for wireworm
P.E.I. potato farmers are hoping to add another tool in their toolbox this year in the battle against a damaging pest. The bug is called wireworm, or click beetle, and potato growers want government green lights to use soil fumigation as a valid farm practice. “There used to be only a few hot spots of wireworm but now the pests[Read[Read More…]
US: Potato prices recover, but still in the red
The good news for potato growers is that the prices they are receiving for fresh spuds this winter is about twice what they were getting last January. The bad news is that price is still below their cost of production. “Growers are probably paying their bills, but they’re not making much,” said Paul Patterson, University of Idaho extension economist at[Read[Read More…]
Northern Ireland: Potato growers ‘must secure a fair price’
Potato farmers are being urged to strongly market their remaining stock over the coming weeks in order to secure a fair price for their product. That is the advice of the Ulster Farmers’ Union potato chairman Adrian Jamison who also highlighted the need to watch market signals carefully. Mr Jamison explained: “The good summer and mild autumn/winter of 2013 has[Read[Read More…]
US: Program makes inroads against Zebra chip
Zebra chip infection rates are way down in Idaho, but researchers say they still need more years of data before they can relent on their program to protect growers from the disease. University of Idaho researchers have no plans to scale back on the intensive program they implemented in 2013 to track the tiny, winged insects that spread the crop[Read[Read More…]
Rwanda: Agriculture experts call for more investment in Irish potato production
The private sector has been urged to invest in Irish potatoes so as to address the shortage and help prevent price fluctuations. In a three-day workshop that brought together academicians, experts from the Ministry of Agriculture and farmers at Ruhenge High Learning Institution INES, it was decided that measures should be taken to limit the shortage. Last year, between July[Read[Read More…]
US: Potato convention highlights issues growers face
Potato growers from every region in the West are attending the 46th annual potato conference held at Idaho State University in Pocatello. While certain diseases such as: Bacterial Ring Rot, Zebra Chip, and Potato Late Blight are still a threat, some of the top potato researchers were giving lectures on how they are working in laboratories to nix that. “The[Read[Read More…]
GMO potatoes discussed at Potato Expo
A big topic at this year’s Potato Expo in San Antonio was the release of Simplot’s Innate technology for potatoes. During one of the Expo sessions Joe Guenthner from the University of Idaho discussed the benefits of Innate. More You are unauthorized to view this page.
US: Florida potato farmers covering plants with frost proofing, preparing for cold
Farmers out by Lake Okeechobee are hoping Mother Nature won’t strike twice this week. Last weekend, the mercury dropped to 27 degrees and some of the leaves on the plants were damaged. Fortunately, those plants were more mature and can still be harvested. But other plants have been in the ground a month and they still need more time to[Read[Read More…]
Colombia: El sector de la patata toma medidas para reactivarse en el mercado
Al finalizar el año 2013, el Gobierno colombiano realizó la compra de 37.958 toneladas de patata por un valor de 19.966.540.730 pesos (10,3 millones de dólares), con el fin de evitar otro paro agrario, aumentar el precio del tubérculo y exportar el producto a otros países. Sin embargo, de acuerdo con la Federación Nacional de Cultivadores de Papa, Fedepapa, esta[Read[Read More…]
Aardappelareaal Zuid-Australië krimpt fors in
Aardappeltelers in het zuidoosten van Zuid-Australië vrezen dat zij hun productie moeten verminderen vanwege waterproblemen. Dat meldt ABC Rural. Door de overgang naar een nieuw stelsel krijgen de telers onvoldoende toegang tot voldoende water. Zeker in extreem droge jaren worden zij gedwongen terug te gaan in areaal. Telers in sommige gebieden zeggen dat de teruggang in areaal vanaf 1 juli[Read[Read More…]
TOMRA demonstrates Field Potato Sorter at Fruit Logistica
TOMRA Sorting Solutions will demonstrate two of its market-leading sensor-based systems at this year’s Fruit Logistica, the leading fair for the international fresh produce trade. The company will showcase its Field Potato Sorter (FPS) and Genius optical belt sorter at the event, taking place at the Messe Berlin Fair Grounds, from 5 to 7 February. The TOMRA systems will be[Read[Read More…]
Potato harvest in Bulgaria was satisfying: expert
“Bulgaria’s potato harvest was satisfying,” said Ventsislav Kaymakanov, chairperson of the National Association of Potato Producers, speaking with FOCUS News Agency. “We managed to sell more than 200,000 tons of potatoes. Against a demand of 400,000-500,000 tons, these 200,000 tons produced amidst a dry year, which caused serious harm, is absolutely satisfying. I know that the export is big but[Read[Read More…]
South Australian potato growers feel short changed on water allocations
Potato growers in south-eastern South Australia fear cuts to their water allocations will force them to cut production. Potato industry members met with State Water Minister Ian Hunter this week to talk about the Lower Limestone Coast water allocation plan, which has already been approved. More You are unauthorized to view this page.
UK: Soil health key to breaking potato yield plateau
Boosting soil nutrition and cutting compaction will be two key factors in breaking through the yield barrier that potato growers have hit over the past 20 years. Maincrop potato yields increased sharply up to the mid-1990s, but since then yields have stagnated at about 44.6t/ha, according to Potato Council data covering 1960-2013. Speaking at the recent Cambridge University Potato Growers[Read[Read More…]
US: Potato pests, prices top concerns of potato industry
Early blight and white mold — and the yield and quality loss due to these and other potato pests — are the top concerns of many potato growers. Those are the results of the Potato Perspectives Survey that Bayer CropScience, Research Triangle Park, N.C., conducted among attendees of the Potato Expo, Jan. 8-10, in San Antonio. Of those surveyed, 48[Read[Read More…]
Bayer CropScience reveals insights into U.S. potato industry’s top needs for 2014
According to United States Department of Agriculture’s crop production predictions, average potato yield per acre increased during the 2013 season. In an effort to propel this upward trend into the New Year, Bayer CropScience launched its Potato Perspectives Survey during Potato Expo in San Antonio, Texas, Jan. 8-10, 2014. Bayer CropScience collected insights from tradeshow attendees across the food chain[Read[Read More…]
Managing Weed Resistance to Herbicides in the Potato Rotation
In the latest ‘Focus on Potato’ webcast, titled “Managing Weed Resistance to Herbicides in the Potato Rotation,” Dr. Jed Colquhoun, weed science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison gives users an update on herbicide-resistant weeds. Herbicide-resistant weeds pose significant economic and production challenges, particularly in specialty crops such as potatoes where weed control options are already limited. This presentation will[Read[Read More…]
Dutch lead the way in potato cyst nematode control
Potato nematodes are now a minor pest threat in the Netherlands and one Dutch expert believes British potato growers could learn lessons from their success. Growing potatoes as a trap crop for potato cyst nematodes (PCN), using resistant varieties and rigorous testing for the industry’s most damaging pest have all led to better control. Dutch growers use more robust sampling[Read[Read More…]
US: Industry leader cautions against over-planting potatoes
After a disastrous 2012-13 marketing year, fresh-market potato supply and demand appear more in balance for 2013-14, resulting in steady pricing and reasonable returns — but the processing sector still has the potential to affect that. “We have a balanced crop and the outlook says there’s no reason for us to give it away and there’s no reason for us[Read[Read More…]
UK: Potato modelling system wins science award
A potato modelling system, which forecasts yield and tuber size won a Practice with Science Award at the Oxford Farming Conference (OFC). Developed by NIAB CUF, the tool can supply valuable data to the entire potato supply chain, to aid in-field and processing practices and reporting. The system’s modeling allows growers to calculate seed rates and a crop’s irrigation needs,[Read[Read More…]
India: Uttar Pradesh Government looking to increase potato production by 35%
The government is giving a final shape to the proposed potato development Policy. Uttar Pradesh is looking to augment potato production by 35 percent to achieve 18 million tonnes (MT) of produce. Likewise, potato acreage would be increased by almost 25 percent to 6,75,000 hectares. To achieve these ambitious goals, the state government is giving final shape to the proposed[Read[Read More…]
Managing Weed Resistance to Herbicides in the Potato Rotation
In the latest ‘Focus on Potato’ webcast, titled “Managing Weed Resistance to Herbicides in the Potato Rotation,” Dr. Jed Colquhoun, weed science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison gives users an update on herbicide-resistant weeds. Herbicide-resistant weeds pose significant economic and production challenges, particularly in specialty crops such as potatoes where weed control options are already limited. This presentation will[Read[Read More…]
Chile: Aplicarán aeroponía para la producción de cultivos de patata en Aysén
Implementar un centro generador de semillas de patata a través de un sistema aeropónico de producción de minitubérculos en la Región de Aysén es el objetivo de una iniciativa cofinanciada por la Fundación para la Innovación Agraria (FIA), del Ministerio de Agricultura, con recursos del Fondo de Innovación para la Competitividad Regional (FIC-R). El proyecto —que tiene como asociados a[Read[Read More…]
Vrees kwaliteitsverlies Nederlandse aardappel
In tegenstelling tot een heleboel andere sectoren is de aardappelsector crisisbestendig. Misschien kun je wel spreken van oorlogsbestendig, want ook als spanningen in landen oplopen blijft de aardappel als eerste levensbehoefte nodig. Maar om die marktpositie te behouden, moet Nederland fyto als speerpunt benoemen. Dat zei Jan Muijsers, vicevoorzitter van de Nederlandse Aardappel Organisatie (NAO) dinsdag op de Themadag Aardappelen[Read[Read More…]
US: Potato pests, prices top concerns of potato industry
Early blight and white mold — and the yield and quality loss due to these and other potato pests — are the top concerns of many potato growers. Those are the results of the Potato Perspectives Survey that Bayer CropScience, Research Triangle Park, N.C., conducted among attendees of the Potato Expo, Jan. 8-10, in San Antonio. Of those surveyed, 48[Read[Read More…]
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