The World Potato Congress (WPC) is pleased to be offering its fifth webinar on Oct. 29, 2019, via Zoom in its 2019 series with Dr. Nina Zidack. The topic is “Why You Should Plant Certified Seed Potatoes.” Zidack grew up on a farm/ranch in Central Montana. After receiving a B.S. in Horticulture in 1987 from Montana State University, she went on to receive a Ph.D. in Plant Pathology at Auburn University in 1993. Zidack…
LAST AUGUST, at the Potato Association of America (PAA) annual meeting, I had an opportunity to talk with Michiel de Vries, Solynta’s research team lead, about the work he and his colleagues are carrying out. Solynta, a potato seed breeding company based in Wageningen, the Netherlands, has invented a fast and efficient hybrid breeding technology. One that could change global food consumption and unlock the true potential of the potato, de Vries…
The provincial average yields for potatoes on dryland and irrigated fields are estimated at 13.9 and 17.8 tons per acre, respectively. Region One: Southern (Strathmore, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Foremost) About 85 per cent of potatoes have been harvested, with yields on dryland and irrigated fields at 10 and 17.8 tons per acre, respectively Region Two: Central (Rimbey, Airdrie, Coronation, Oyen) About 90 per cent of potatoes have been harvested, with dryland yield…
Again, the rains in the week (Tuesday, Oct. 1 to Monday, Oct. 7) were extensive in distribution in the province, but slightly less than last week. The weather station sites recorded 1/2” to 3/4” rainfall. The air temperatures have generally cooled down, while overnight below freezing temperatures have started. The western areas of the province have received close to 140+ per cent of the normal rainfall. Soils are now saturated. The maps below…
Sunny, balmy weather this week allowed growers to make lots of progress with the harvest. Many growers have finished digging. According to Mark VanOostrum, 80 per cent of the chipping crop has been dug. The size profile is better than expected, and the quality is very good. Rainfall was below average in June, July and August in the Alliston area, which resulted in poor crops in non-irrigated fields. I visited P &…
World Potato Congress president, Romain Cools, is pleased to announce Greg Donald has joined its board of directors. Greg Donald has been the general manager of the P.E.I. Potato Board since 2009. The P.E.I. Potato Board represents P.E.I. potato producers working together to ensure long-term profitability and sustainability through marketing, advocating, negotiation and activities that support quality potato production. Donald has a BSc in agriculture with a major in plant protection from Dalhousie…
Combining methods of disease control rather than relying on a single resistance strategy can extend the durability of crops by many years, confirms computer modelling that draws on classical population genetics theory. The finding comes from assessing the spread and virulence of the pathogen responsible for late blight of potato, Phytophthora infestans. The pathogen, which caused the Great Irish Famine in the mid-nineteenth century and led to the new science of plant…
With increased input costs and skyrocketing land prices, profit margins are shrinking — it’s never been more important to have a good handle on what’s happening in your fields. Data generated from yield maps year after year provide insight on how to manage your crop to improve your profit margin, your yield, or both. Whether this is your first season or your fifth using a potato yield monitor, our guest speakers will…
During its meeting of shareholders on Oct. 3, 2019, HZPC announced that its consolidated net turnover for the 2018/2019 financial year was € 350 million ($512 million). This is significantly higher than the previous year ($443 million). The gross margin amounts to € 64 million ($80 million last year) and the net result increased from € 4.7 million ($6.8 million) to € 9.4 million ($13.7 million). The dividend on HZPC certificates is…
Production of frozen potatoes in Russia for the period 2014-18 increased from 4.7 thousand tons to 42.4 thousand tons. This was reported by RBC with reference to the Analysis of the Frozen Potato Market in Russia, prepared by BusinesStat. Analysts noted that until 2018, frozen potatoes for fast food chains were mainly imported. According to this study, in 2014-17 annual production output ranged from 4.6 thousand tons to 6.1 thousand tons, and the main growth in…