THE SYMPOSIUM BEING held at PAA’s annual meeting is an event no one will want to miss. “These are the hottest topics in the industry right now,” says Tina Brandt, co-chair of the 2019 PAA Symposium and Variety Development Manager for the J.R. Simplot Company. The event, which is being hosted by PAA’s Marketing and Utilization section, is also a little different this year, she adds. “This one is unique in that…
SUGAR ENDS AND stem-end chip defect are tuber disorders affecting product quality of processing and chipping potatoes, respectively. The environmental stresses causing the disorders occur during the growing season, but tubers appear asymptomatic until harvest or later in storage. Although there are many similarities between the two disorders, there are also some key differences. To understand the factors causing sugar ends and stem-end chip defect as well as management practices to reduce…
Robert Thornton, an extension vegetable specialist and professor emeritus at Washington State University has been attending Potato Association of America (PAA) annual meetings since the early 1960s. He says the biggest reason he has maintained his membership for more than five decades is it keeps him honest. “Every year is an opportunity to have your thinking questioned,” Thornton says. “You can stay isolated in your own area of concern and be very…
Many potato industry thought leaders will be converging in the centre of Canada this summer for the 103rdPotato Association of America Annual Meeting. Researchers, agronomists, producers, graduate students, and plant breeders and pathologists represent some of the industry stakeholders who will attend the meeting July 28 to Aug. 1 in Winnipeg, Man. Conference organizers are expecting up to 240 participants from Canada, the United States and Mexico, as well as from many…
Common scab is a pervasive threat to some potato-growing regions in Canada. Lesions and cavities on infected tubers can render them unmarketable. Researchers and industry experts are still trying to determine why the pathogen is more prevalent in some fields than others as well as the best methods for fighting the disease. While growers use many different practices to control common scab, none have proven to be totally effective. During this webinar,…
As growers head into another production season, some are concerned about Colorado potato beetle populations and rising neonic insecticide resistance. Ian MacRae, a professor and extension entomologist at the University of Minnesota, offered some practical insecticide resistance management steps at Manitoba Potato Production Days in January in Brandon. MacRae kicked off the conference presentations with a talk about Colorado potato beetle management in a post-neonic world. The bottom line is we’re…
The 103rdPotato Association of America Annual Meeting is to be held at the Delta Winnipeg Hotel in Winnipeg, Man., from July 28 to Aug. 1, 2019. Participants will gather to network and exchange the latest research, information and ideas to move potato science forward. The theme for the symposium is “Changes and Challenges in Potato Marketing Sectors.” PAA is a professional organization that represents the scientific arm of the potato industry. The…
Charles Miller, commercial director of Solynta, discusses true potato seed with Julie Deering, editor of Spud Smart’s sister publication, Seed World. Miller discusses the benefits of true potato seed, or potatoes grown from seeds instead of tubers. Solynta has been working on producing hybrid true seed potatoes through targeted breeding. Miller says true seeds don’t take as long to produce new varieties in comparison to tubers — which take about eight years to…
The whole seed model has been used in Europe for some time and is becoming more popular in the United States. The practice has had low adoption in Canada; however, that may change. Is a whole seed system possible for Canada? Join our live webinar to learn: The pros and cons of planting whole seed and cut seed pieces Whole seed size distribution and seed sizing capabilities Whole seed commercial trial results…
Some of the most important trials Shaun Pelkey, agronomy manager at McCain Foods’ Valley Farms in Grand Falls, N.B., has been conducting over the past few years focus on planting whole seed as a way to increase payable yields and maximize grower returns. “McCain is trying to lead the way on this,” he says. “We have a big drive to increase yields in this part of the world and to be…