In the spring 2018 issue of Spud Smart, we showcase the 2018 Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada accelerated release varieties. Also in this issue, read about the next level of weed control, Colorado potato beetle management techniques, and the effect of climate change on potato production now and into the future.
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Scientists at the James Hutton Institute, in collaboration with colleagues of the University of Dundee, Huazhong Agricultural University, Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences (both China) and Wageningen University (Netherlands), have shed further light into the mechanisms through which the potato blight pathogen interacts with plant cells to promote disease. Late blight played a major role in the historical Irish potato famine, and is still a huge problem for farmers today, causing massive…
Saskatchewan—The Do More Agriculture Foundation, a not-for-profit championing mental health in agriculture, launched its first awareness campaign called “It Starts with Me.” The campaign highlights that changing the narrative around mental health starts with each of us personally. The campaign aims to: reduce stigmas, understand that each of us plays a role, and inspire those in agriculture to take care of their mental well-being. “We each can promote change by making small…
It happens every harvest – you look at your potato storage capacity and wonder, “Do I have enough – is it time to expand?” When you decide it is time to increase or update your storage facilities, your first question will most likely be, “Where do I start?” Here are some beginning questions to help organize your thoughts as you consider expanding your storage capacity. Where is my potato production headed? How…
New regulations governing U.S. truckers’ driving hours are hitting agriculture hard. Not only are prices for trucking way up (we’ve seen a spike of 20 per cent or more to some locations), lack of adequate trucking capacity means it sometimes seems nearly impossible to find an available truck. Producers have been calling us since the regulations came into effect looking for suggestions on how to manage the changes. We always want to…
I attend a lot of ag expos and field days, a lot of ag-tech conferences and tradeshows. Though those events keep me away from home more than I’d like, I love each opportunity to connect with farmers. I’m always reminded that there’s something special about people who commit their lives to this industry: farming might not be the most lucrative or the easiest business to be in, but it sure draws people…
It’s been an incredibly challenging harvest season, and we’re hoping for much better weather to allow you to get the rest of the crop under cover. We’ve received some suggestions and had some thoughts as well in reflection of the conditions this fall, so we’d like to share them with you. Disposal of Tare soil at storages There’s a lot of soil getting to the warehouse yards due to the wet conditions….
November 02, 2018 – Ottawa, Ontario – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada The Government of Canada recognizes that Canadian innovation has helped make our country a leader in producing safe, high quality products and we are committed to fostering innovation in the agricultural sector – here in Canada and beyond. The Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Lawrence MacAulay, is pleased that Canada has joined Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras,…
CLERMONT, Fla. – October 31, 2018 – Senninger Irrigation is pleased to announce the appointment of Adam Skolnik as vice-president of global sales. Skolnik rejoins the Senninger team, as we deepen our commitment to increase our market presence and expand our resources to the agricultural irrigation markets we serve. Skolnik is a former president of the Irrigation Association and brings more than 40 years of irrigation experience to the Senninger/Hunter Industries family…
By Alex Martin There are plenty of buzzwords surrounding the seed industry in 2018 — GMOs, gene-editing, organic and, of course, CRISPR. While we know a lot surrounding the debate of GMOs versus organic and whether or not GMOs and gene-editing overlap, one gene-editing technology still seems a mystery. So, what exactly is CRISPR-Cas9, and why does it matter to the seed industry? CRISPR is a genome editing system that could benefit…
Of the top 10 food crops in the world, potato comes third, and is the No. 1 non-grain food product. Originally grown in the Andes, the Spanish introduced the potato to Europe in the 16th century, and, after a bumpy start, potatoes have been a very popular food source over the past two centuries. The potato is a healthy, low-calorie, high-fibre food that offers significant protection from cardiovascular disease and cancer. Additionally,…