According to a CNN report, New York student Benjamin “Benjy” Firester has won one of the United States’ top young science prizes for his research on potato late blight. The 18-year-old senior at Hunter […]
Blackleg in potatoes: Rapid and effective haulm destruction key to blackleg control
Scientists are getting closer to discovering the origins of blackleg infection in potato seed crops. CPM magazine finds out the latest research findings and how Scottish seed growers are acting on them. Over […]
British farmers to be given first ever targets on soil health
According to a news article in The Guardian, a new bill will be brought before the British parliament this year mandating, for the first time, measures and targets to preserve and improve […]
Video: Large-scale potato operation innovates to reduce soil compaction
Perry Produce is a large-scale irrigated farming operation based in the southern part of the Canadian province of Alberta. The operation produces, amongst others, processing potatoes under contract for McCain and Frito-Lay. […]
UK: ADAS developing ‘Crop Intelligent Systems’ using satellite data to monitor arable crops
The amount of crop information being collected remotely using satellites is increasing. As a result, there is great potential to use this data to improve our understanding of how crops develop in […]
Soil microbes: Next generation sequencing holds promise for potato sector
Soil is sometimes considered the last frontier because so little is known about the microbial and fungal communities that live within it. “A lot of people are really excited about the work in […]
Researchers find rotations with Brassicas consistently reduce soil-borne diseases in potatoes and improve yields
If you’re dealing with some tough soil-borne diseases as a potato grower in North America, adding canola, mustard or rapeseed to your potato rotation could help. That important finding emerged from potato rotation […]
Adjuvants 101: A practical guide to oils, surfactants and other additives
Adjuvants are additives that enhance or modify the action of a chemical. They are commonly classified into broad categories including oils, surfactants, buffers, acidifiers and fertiliser adjuvants. Adjuvants can modify how a […]
Mash splash: Comber spuds hit the Big Apple as Mash Direct launches in USA
Fresh mashed potatoes grown on a farm in Comber, Northern Ireland will be available in the US for the first time this month when a sixth generation Irish farming family behind Mash […]
Pest quest: New program soon to be launched to monitor potato psyllids in Canada
A new monitoring and surveillance program will be launched in the spring of 2018 for potato psyllids in Canada’s Alberta province. Thomas McDade, agricultural director, Potato Growers of Alberta says this plan […]
APS put spotlight on causal agent of potato zebra chip disease in latest Virtual Issue
The American Phytopathological Society’s latest Virtual Issue focuses on Candidatus Liberibacter, the causal agent of many important plant diseases such as citrus greening and potato zebra chip disease. It includes links to […]
West Australia’s potato farmers pin hopes on negative psyllid tests to regain market access
Potato farmers in West Australia (WA) could see Eastern States’ markets reopen in the near future which are still closed to WA following the tomato potato psyllid outbreak last year. Potato Growers Association […]
Lay’s-PepsiCo sees ‘huge opportunities’ for premium potato chips in Argentina
While Argentina’s salted-snack consumption is low at one kilo per person compared with the nine kilos in the US in 2017, the market has plenty of potential, says Pablo García, general manager […]
The drones are coming to spray your crops in Canada
Roga Drone is the first company to receive Transport Canada approval to apply crop protection products with a drone. “We thought there might be a little niche of aerial applications of pesticides by […]
MacFry Potato Academy opens its doors to spud growers
According to a news report published by Farmers Guardian in the UK, potato growers supplying McDonald’s are set to benefit from the provision of free agronomy skills training to improve crop performance […]
New study finds potato plants can be ‘primed’ to tolerate heat stress
Potatoes are particularly vulnerable to increased temperature, considered to be the most important uncontrollable factor affecting growth and yield. Elevated temperature is known to affect multiple processes in potato plant physiology including […]
Seeds of Change: True potato seed trialled in Bangladesh
The production of potatoes from “true potato seed” (TPS) is being trialled in Nilphamari, Bangladesh. This method involves allowing potato plants to mature until they produce male and female flowers. With cross-pollination […]
