b'Smokey SpudsA University of Idaho study investigated if wildfire smoke is impacting the quality of processing potatoes.BY: ASHLEY ROBINSONAS WILDFIRE SMOKE seemed toThe basic science showed that smoke linger for longer and longer over Idahomay reduce the productivity of a potato potato fields each year, Mike Thorntonas its growing due to the smoke reflecting became more curious. He had heardback some of the sunlight energy the plant off-handed remarks from growers thatrequires. However, Thornton noticed the smoke was affecting their spuds, butwhile the smoke layer kept conditions when he went digging, he couldnt findcooler for spuds during the day, it also any research to back up the claim. So heheld the heat on them overnight. There decided to research if smoke affects post- would also be more humidity with the harvest quality and processing of potatoessmoke layer staying closer to the ground.in conjunction with colleagues at BoiseSmoke doesnt just impact the State University. temperature and amount of sunlight In years where weve had reallythough, its also full of chemicals such extensive smoke cover in Idaho,as carbon monoxide and nitrous oxide, growers reported they were findingwhich can be bad for plants. Thornton more problems with decay in storage,and his colleagues were curious to find Thornton, a professor at the Universityout if the chemical component was of Idaho, said during a presentation atcontributing to the potato quality issues.Manitoba Potato Production Days on Jan.To plan out the study, Thornton looked 26, 2023. We really wanted to see if theat the historical data for days with wildfire smoke has contributed to this or is it theMike Thornton, professor at the Universitysmoke cover in Idaho. From there he overlain environmentlike really hot,of Idaho pinpointed that they needed to target dry summers where we tend to have moreJuly and August for the study, as that smoke anyway. was when the smoke cover was mainly Plastic enclosures with either smoke or no-smoke conditions were kept in place from 6 to 9 a.m. daily. PHOTO: DERON BECK, UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO26SPUDSMART.COM Spring 2023'