On Thursday, August 15, the new Grimme Field Loader arrived from Germany, and HJV Equipment in Alliston has brought the first one to North America! Depending on harvest conditions, a single trailer of potatoes can contain up to 20% soil and/or trash. This can amount to as much as 1,000 tons per 100 ha, according to studies by Grimme. The new Field Loader is designed to reduce this trash content saving both…
Prince Edward Island PEI’s potato crop got off to a good start and most fields have achieved full canopy. Unfortunately, weather in the past month has been hot and dry. There have been sporadic rainfalls across the Island that have maintained the crop, but generally amounts have been insufficient. Some fields and certain varieties are now showing stress during the tuber bulking phase. A good rain is needed as soon as possible…
On a frigid, 40-below night in February or a broiling, 30-above day in July, would you feel comfortable having a long nap inside an under-insulated shed? Potatoes don’t either. The good news is that virtually everyone is pushing for more insulation R value today. Spray foam insulation now offers better fire retardant and more food grades than earlier generations of foam. The main change, however, comes in depth. Virtually across all potato…
By Brad Pritchard, Alliston Herald You’ve eaten countless potatoes grown in the sandy loam soils of Alliston, but until now you’ve never chowed down on an Alliston potato. Well, you better get those potato mashers ready, because there’s a new tater in town that could change that. In mid-July, a new variety of potato named Alliston was officially registered with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, making it the first tater in history…
The World Potato Congress (WPC) is pleased to announce that Mr. Lu, Xiaoping has accepted the position to become the WPC’S newest international advisor. Mr. Lu, Xiaoping, joined the International Potato Center (CIP) in May 2011 and has since been working as its Deputy Director-General and Director of the CIP-China Centre for Asia and Pacific (CCCAP), a regional arm of CIP. His primary responsibility is heading the start-up work of CCCAP, the…
The 2019 Ontario Potato Field Day, hosted by HJV Equipment and supported by the Ontario Potato Board, will be held on Thursday, August 22, at HJV Equipment in Alliston, Ont. The event starts at 3:00 p.m. with the following activities: What’s New in Potato Equipment Display of New Potato Varieties Trade Show The BBQ, sponsored by Syngenta, will begin at 5:30 pm and everyone is welcome! Location: 5900 County Road 10, Alliston, Ont….
The World Potato Congress is extremely pleased to announce that Syngenta has become its newest Sustaining Partner. WPC President Cools stated: “The work of the World Potato Congress Inc. is only possible thanks to the engagement of a dynamic board of directors and international advisors, but most of all because of the long-term relationship with our Sustaining Partners that are investing in the activities of our organization. The World Potato Congress is…
According to Mark VanOostrum, the harvest of the early processing crop is going well. The yield is average, solids are slightly higher and a little bit of common scab is showing up. I am not surprised to hear about scab this season; common scab is more aggressive in dry years. It appears that the beneficial bacteria, which compete with scab, suffer more than scab when it is dry. This results in more…
Ivan Noonan was recently presented with a Certificate of Appreciation as a founding co-chair of the United Potato Growers of Canada, which was formed in 2006. He was presented with the certificate of appreciation by UPGC chairman, Ray Keenan, in Charlottetown, P.E.I., on August 2, 2019. Before his retirement, Noonan was the general manager of the P.E.I. Potato Board for 14 years from 1994-2008 and then general manager of Food Trust P.E.I., before…
The harvest of the early processing crop started this week. According to sources at WD Potato Ltd., the quality is good. Two to three inches of rain stopped digging of the early crop in the Simcoe-Delhi, Ont., area, but the rain was a blessing. The tubers are at the bulking stage. The Alliston and Shelburne areas continue to be dry. Irrigation is the order of the day. Although the weather has not been favorable…