The potato heat units are nearing 300 units and close to possible early blight infection, the July 3 provincial potato report from Manitoba Agriculture’s Vikram Bisht says. Rains in the western potato growing regions from June 30 to July 1 have been heavier than in eastern parts of the province. Total rainfall is still 35 to 65 per cent below normal, the report notes. High temperatures of around 32C for a few…
Work will immediately begin to build irrigation infrastructure for Lake Diefenbaker for up to 500,000 acres of land, the Saskatchewan government announced in a news release on July 2. The project will more than double Saskatchewan’s irrigable land. It will begin with an immediate $22.5 million investment in preliminary engineering and initial construction, with continued to project construction expected to occur approximately over the next 10 years in three main phases at…
Foodservice operators and distributors can sign up to receive a free case of french fries from Simplot for National French Fry Day on July 13, a post from the food processing company says. “Fries are not only America’s favourite side, they’re also the fastest growing during the pandemic in terms of menu importance,” NPD Group, Inc. says in the post. They will also receive a Free Fryday Marketing kit which includes exterior signage…
United States potato growers planted 47,300 fewer acres to potatoes this year than they did during 2019, with the biggest cuts coming in Washington, Idaho, and North Dakota, who accounted for over 80 per cent of the decline, the July 1 issue of North American Potato Market News (NAPM) says. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s potato acreage report was released on June 30, however NAPM believes the USDA has overestimated acreage for Oregon, Wisconsin and Nebraska,…
Plant scientists have found a specific protein encoded by the potato genome is a key component of tuberisation which is the process potato plants use to initiate and develop tubers, a June 29 news release fro the James Hutton Institute says. The finding is hugely relevant as it provides a key route to increasing productivity of a crop which is consumed regularly by over one billion people worldwide, the release notes. “The…
After previously cancelling the in-person meeting which was to be held in Missoula, Mont., the Potato Association of America (PAA) will be holding its annual meeting virtually on July 20 to 22, the PAA website says. The virtual meeting is a “scaled-down” version and will cost a flat rate of US$50. Graduate student registration is complimentary and sponsored by IDAHO 2018 LAC. The meeting will feature a mix of research and grower orientated…
Rainfall in Manitoba potato growing areas has been 35 to 70 per cent of normal levels with less rain having fallen over the last week, the June 26 provincial potato report from Manitoba Agriculture’s Vikram Bisht says. Potato heat units are near or just above normal, the report notes. Crop emergence and stand are looking good with some late planted fields just emerging. Winds have been strong which has caused some sand-blasting injury…
Dutch potato breeder HZPC has been working for years on hybrid potato breeding which are grown from seeds and not from a tubers, a June 23 news release from the company says. “Seed potatoes from hybrid potatoes grow successfully on the well-known ‘ridges’ and now also in so-called ‘beds’. Flower bulbs are grown in this type of bed too,” the release says. HZPC is now shifting to growing hybrid potatoes in beds…
In April as the pandemic swept North America french fry processors made drastic moves to balance their raw product supplies with expected usage requirements, however their work may be backfiring on them, the June 24 issue of North American Potato Market News says. With demand improving processors have started to repurchase some of the potatoes they had abandoned earlier, however they are finding growers have found ways to dispose of potatoes quicker than anticipated….
The Produce Traceability Initiative (PTI) has launched the Produce Traceback Template and improved the Harmonized Case Label, the PTI Best Practices for Formatting Case Labels and the ASN 856 document, the group says in a news release on June 25. The PTI consists of CPMA, GS1 US, PMA, and United Fresh, and it’s many volunteer industry members. “As the Canadian industry strives for compliance with the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR) and the U.S….