I have yet to meet a potato grower who is not familiar with the symptoms of the Fusarium dry rot that develops in storage. The skin of infected areas is wrinkled, and there is a dry, non-smelly rot in the affected flesh. However, Fusarium may also infect potato seed during transit or handling. Bruises or wounds allow Fusarium and also soft rot bacteria to get into tubers. I received a photo last…
The Potato Association of America is pleased to announce that the special issue of the American Journal of Potato Research (AJPR), Volume 96 Number 2 is now available online. The focus of this publication is “The Contribution of Potatoes to Human Nutrition.” It is the hope of the PAA that this special issue highlights the unique contribution of potato to the human diet, and concurrently expands AJPR readership and the journal’s stature…
In 2017, a very wet year, potato growers who used Orondis for late blight were very pleased with the performance of this fungicide.This year, potato growers can continue using Orondis for late blight during the season, as long as it has not been applied in-furrow at planting for pink rot control. What factors should be taken into consideration to decide on the application timing of Orondis? Orondis Potato Gold has been registered as…
Most of you probably know that Orondis Gold Potato fungicide, a co-pack containing Orondis and Ridomil (active ingredients oxathiapiprolin and metalaxyl-M), will be available this spring to suppress pink rot and Pythium leak. The registration is for in-furrow application, but pink rot usually develops at the end of the season. Will Orondis applied mid-May still be active in September? My colleagues across the border always do a good job evaluating fungicides before…
This year, the incidence of corn ear rot caused by Gibberella zeae, a.k.a Fusarium graminearum, is high in some Ontario fields. A question that has been raised recently related to corn ear rot is, “Does Fusarium graminearum infect potatoes?” The answer is YES. A survey conducted by Gary Secor from North Dakota State University in the north central United States showed the predominant causes of potato dry rot in that region were Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium sambucinum. F. graminearum is the asexual…
Recently, I attended a meeting organized by the staff of BASF to provide updates on several pesticides in the pipeline. Two products that caught my attention were Zidua and CIMEGRA. Zidua is a pre-emergence herbicide that controls redroot pigweed and suppresses lamb’s quarters. It is in the same family as dimethenamid-p (Outlook) and s-metolachlor (Dual Magnum).Andrew Robinson, a potato agronomist in North Dakota and Minnesota, has been testing Zidua for three seasons. “Zidua needs to be…
Potato Days is a spectacular event that is held every year in the Emmeloord-Joure areas of Friesland. It is a 3-day event, usually the second week in November, when the Dutch potato-breeding companies and a few companies from Germany and Denmark, open their doors to showcase new potato varieties. Tuber samples are on display, and there are brochures with information on agronomy, tuber quality and pest resistance. I have attended this event…
Oct. 20, 2018—According to Mark VanOostrum, of W.D. Potato Ltd., 95 per cent of the processing crop has been dug. This is close to the fresh market acreage harvested. The consensus among growers is yield is down and tuber size is smaller due to the hot, dry summer. Cold, wet and windy weather has made digging potatoes in October a challenge. The first snow fell in the Alliston, Ont., area on October…
Pink eye is a sporadic disorder of potato tubers that may result in a significant loss of quality after harvest. The typical symptoms are pink, slightly raised areas that are easy to see on moist, freshly dug tubers, but difficult to notice on dry, unwashed potatoes. The affected areas usually occur around the eyes and at the tuber stem end. Pink eye will dry out under cool temperatures and low humidity in…
September 29, 2018 — This week, the harvest of the long storage crop was in full swing in the Alliston area. Mother Nature has cooperated, and it was non-stop digging. Storages were filling quickly with a healthy crop. Yesterday morning, I stopped by H.J. VanderZaag storages and saw Lamokas going into storage. Karen VanderZaag was grading the potatoes and looked happy — the crop was excellent, and her job was easy! In…