In a country with more than 5,000 potato varieties, the arrival of another one should not really be a big deal. But this is Peru, where the potato was first domesticated and […]
Peru has a new potato that will help farmers weather the cold
Irish potato partnership powers success
Teagasc and IPM Potato Group (IPM) have been collaborating since the early 1970s when they first formed a partnership to breed new varieties of potatoes for the Irish and global markets. […]
The rise, fall and resurrection of Russian seed bank pioneer Nikolai Vavilov
Suspect for State’s Case Number 1500 sat in his cell, facing unending days of solitary confinement and interrogation, accused of spying “for foreign intelligence services.” Alone, seized and imprisoned, he worried about […]
Researcher shows how heat stress of potatoes can be mitigated with calcium applications
In one of his earlier studies, Dr. Jiwan Palta in the US showed that plants given calcium under heat stress had better plant growth and higher tuber yield, up to 30 per […]
Genome study reveals history of European potato
A team of researchers from Germany, Peru, the U.K. and Spain has sequenced a large number of potato varieties to learn more about the history of the modern European potato. In their […]
Ayrshire potatoes get special status to protect them from copycats
Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery but some Scottish food producers do not take the risk. Stornoway black pudding, Shetland lamb and the Arbroath smokie are among the products granted EU […]
Teagasc and IPM Potato Group sign new 15 year partnership agreement
Teagasc and IPM Potato Group (IPM) have recently signed a new fifteen year agreement in Oak Park, Carlow. The two groups have been collaborating since the early 1970s when they first formed […]
Highest Agrico payout ever
Cooperative Agrico has determined the payout prices for seed and consumption potatoes from the 2018 harvest and presented them to its members, according to a report published by FreshPlaza today. Potato News […]
Ethiopian growers help select potato varieties that the market demands
Potatoes are important to food security and they are a cash crop in Ethiopia for small-scale farmers, who account for 83% of the total population and hold 95% of agricultural land. It […]
Grow faster, grow stronger: Speed-breeding crops to feed the Future
Plant breeders are fast-tracking genetic improvements in food crops to keep pace with global warming and a growing human population, writes Knvul Sheikh in an article published in the New York Times […]
Scientists develop biofortified ‘super spud’ in a bid to tackle malnutrion
Scientists are creating a “super potato”, fortified with iron and zinc, in a bid to tackle malnutrition in developing countries, reports The Telegraph. According to the report, millions of people around the […]
Leading Tasmanian seed potato company wants to raise profile as minituber producer at upcoming conference
Raising the profile of its minituber production capabilities will be one of the main aims for Tasmania’s leading seed potato and agronomy businesses at this month’s Hort Connections event in Melbourne, reports […]
Potato farmers in five African counties to access certified planting material after Dutch investment
Potato farmers in five African counties can now access certified planting material after a Dutch-based horticultural firm introduced new technology to mass produce high yielding and disease resistant seed varieties in Nakuru, […]
New varieties, research to highlight July 18 potato field day in Texas
The annual Texas Potato Breeding and Variety Development Program Field Day, hosted by Texas A&M AgriLife Research and the Barrett Potato Farms, will be July 18. The program is free, and lunch […]
New edition of the World Catalogue of Potato Varieties to be published
Dear Potato readers, Warm greetings here from the east coast of Canada! I wish to inform you that we are now planning to publish a new and updated version of the one […]
Cornell improves global access to potato breeding material
Cornell’s plant breeders and geneticists have played a significant role in the improvement of the potato, having released more than 50 varieties since 1908, reports Maina Dhital in the Cornell Chronical. Cornell researchers […]
Apical rooted cuttings could revolutionize potato seed production in India
India is the second largest producer and consumer of potato in the world. In the past five decades, potato production has steadily increased from around 8.3 million tonnes in 1980 to 48.6 […]
