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Usted está en: Búsqueda personalizada: ammes | 19 de Junio de 2013 |
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Resultados de la búsqueda en nuestro sitio Noticias al día IN A major breakthrough for the potato industry that has the potential to lead to millions of pounds worth of orders, the Chinese government has sanctioned the importation of Scottish seed potato mini tubers. Noticias al día 2007 has been a record year for potato blight , according to results from the British Potato Council's combined Fight Against Blight and Blightwatch service . In total 301 blight outbreaks were confirmed (see map below), more than twice the previous highest recorded. In addition, double the average number of Full Smith Periods were recorded in June and July (2200 in June, compared Noticias al día Stop sprouting early, says BPC ARGENPAPA. Gran Bretaña. 19-10-2007 Noticias al día Japanese have word for breeding perfect potato Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña, 31-10-2007 The Scottish Crop Research Institute (SCRI) has discovered that a Japanese concept of flavour may hold the key to breeding the perfect potato. According to research published in the Journal of Agriculture & Food Chemistry, new varieties of potatoes bred at SCRI, including Mayan Gold and Inca Sun, have better flavour than their more common relatives, thanks to their "umami". Noticias al día Canadian potato not detrimental to health Argenpapa. Canadá, 06-11-2007 Canada embassy in Algeria made clear yesterday that the potato bacterial wilt hitting the Canadian potatoes is "not harmful to the consumer health". Noticias al día Prevent sprouting and residue problems with early application of CIPC in potato stores Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña, 13-11-2007 Complying with the new 10 parts per million maximum residue limit for CIPC on potatoes shouldn't prove too difficult for growers and store managers, according to an independent potato crop consultant. Provided growers work within label instructions, it is incredibly rare to get MRLs into double figures, David Hudson of David Hudson Potato Services says. While the government's Pesticide Residues Committee often finds CIPC residues on potatoes, it is usually below 5ppm, he explains. Applying CIPC before obvious sprouting occurs will help keep residues to a minimum. "Leaving applications until there is obvious sprouting usually means higher doses and more applications will be required. Applying before sprouting means you can get away with one to three doses fewer." Green or damaged tubers are likely to sprout first. "If you see sprouts on those, and the crop is cured, apply CIPC as Noticias al día Doctoral degree in potato Argenpapa. Nueva Zelanda, 30-11-2007 Potato growers invest in future capability New Zealand's potato growers are investing for the future by launching four new PhD research programmes for postgraduate students. The Vegetable Research Manager for Horticulture New Zealand, Dr Sonia Whiteman, says all primary industries should be investing in science students to ensure they have available to them future scientists who will deliver improved technologies, new growing methods and innovative management practices. The students will be recruited to work on specific projects with the country's leading potato and potato disease scientists at Crop & Food Research. Noticias al día Aggressive potato blight could push spray intervals tighter Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña, 10-12-2007 More aggressive late blight infections could push spray intervals tighter and mean earlier starts for spray programmes, Huub Schepers (pictured), a Dutch researcher from Wageningen University told growers at a Certis-organised blight seminar. There was little difference in the aggressiveness of A1 and A2 strains of blight, but both strains had become more aggressive over the past 20 years, he said. And the formation of oospores through sexual recombination of the two str Noticias al día Is umami the secret to help potatoes pass the taste test? Argenpapa. EEUU, 28-12-2007 UMAMI, a 100-year-old Japanese concept of flavour, may hold the key to breeding the perfect potato. Experts at the Scottish Crop Research Institute (SCRI) at Invergowrie near Dundee have discovered which compounds give potatoes their distinctive "umami" taste. Favourite varieties contain higher levels of the compounds linked to umami flavour The scientists are hopeful that their study will be used to create new varieties even more tasty than their predecessors. Umami has been scientifically accepted as one of the five individual tastes sensed by receptors on the tongue, along with salty, sweet, bitter and sour. Although there is no equivalent word in English, umami has been used to describe the slightly savoury taste that people encounter when they eat ripe tomatoes, parmesan cheese, cured ham, mushrooms, and various types of meat and fish. Dr Mark Taylor, the SCRI scientist who led the research, said: "Umami is almost a savoury-like flavour and that is obviously considered to be important when it comes to judging the taste of a potato. It was certainly the case in our taste trials. "There was a suggestion back in the 1970s that umami was important for potato flavour, but there was never any evidence to back it up until we did our trials." The potato varieties that score highest when it comes to flavour have higher levels of the compounds known to give rise to the umami flavour – specific chemicals, which include some amino acids and "ribonucleotides" that are formed during cooking. The research team conducted taste tests to compare traditional Solanum tuberosum varieties, including Montrose, Pentland Dell, Maris Piper and Record, which are widely grown in Scotland, with new, Andean-style varieties of so-called Phureja potatoes, which tend to be thinner and longer. The new varieties tested included Mayan Gold and Inca Sun – which derive from the Peruvian homeland of the potato. The Peruvian potatoes came out on top. "We found that the Phurejas always had more of the umami compounds and that there was a correlation with the taste-panel score," said Dr Taylor. "It is probably not the only story because the potato has a pretty complicated flavour, (but] it may be the key." He added: "Ultimately, we would like to know which genes control the process that leads to the formation of umami compounds and these genes could be used in breeding programmes to generate a tastier potato." SOMETHING TO SAVOUR • Umami was first identified as a taste in 1908 by Dr Kikunae Ikeda, a scientist at the Tokyo Imperial University while researching the strong flavour in kombu, a seaweed broth. • Many scientists argued that umami was not a separate sense, but simply a combination of the other four tastes – salty, sweet, bitter and sour. • In 1996, a team of researchers at the University of Miami discovered separate taste receptor cells in the tongue for detecting umami. They also found that animals were able to savour umami. Fonte: news.scotsman www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Umami may hold the key to breeding the perfect potato (Re-issue) Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña, 02-01-2008 Japanese concept of flavour, might be the secret to help produce tastier potatoes, a new study has revealed. Scientists at the Scottish Crop Research Institute (SCRI) at Invergowrie near Dundee have identified which compounds give potatoes their unique “umami” taste. The research team believes that their findings could be used to produce new and tastier varieties of the tuber crop. Umami has been scientifically established as one of the five individual tastes sensed by receptors on the tongue, together with salty, sweet, bitter and sour. The concept has been used to explain why people experience a slightly savoury taste when they eat ripe tomatoes, parmesan cheese, cured ham, mushrooms, and various types of meat and fish. “Umami is almost a savoury-like flavour and that is obviously considered to be important when it comes to judging the taste of a potato. It was certainly the case in our taste trials, the Scotsman quoted Dr Mark Taylor , the SCRI scientist who led the research, as saying. “There was a suggestion back in the 1970s that umami was important for potato flavour, but there was never any evidence to back it up until we did our trials, he added. The potato varieties, which are close to perfect, have higher levels of the compounds known to increase the umami flavour. These compounds are specific chemicals, which include some amino acids and “ribonucleotides” that are formed during cooking. For the study, the research team conducted taste tests to compare traditional Solanum tuberosum varieties, including Montrose, Pentland Dell, Maris Piper and Record, which are widely grown in Scotland, with new, Andean-style varieties of so-called Phureja potatoes, which tend to be thinner and longer. The new varieties tested included Mayan Gold and Inca Sun , which derive from the Peruvian homeland of the potato. Researchers discovered that the Peruvian potatoes were close to the perfect, with more umami compounds. “We found that the Phurejas always had more of the umami compounds and that there was a correlation with the taste-panel score,” said Dr Taylor. “It is probably not the only story because the potato has a pretty complicated flavour, (but] it may be the key. “Ultimately, we would like to know which genes control the process that leads to the formation of umami compounds and these genes could be used in breeding programmes to generate a tastier potato, he added. (ANI) Font: thaindian www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Five year old Lucy names new potato variety ARGENPAPA . Gran Bretaña. 15-08-2008 Five year-old Lucy Hancock from Cornwall is the winner of a competition organised by Branston Ltd to propose a name for their new potato variety. Lucy, who goes to Penryn Community Infant School, will be presented with her prizes at the Eden Project on Tuesday 12 August at 11.00 a.m. The competition was part of the Celebration of Food and Farmers held recently at the Eden Project, where children were invited to suggest a name for a new potato variety based on a traditional Peruvian species. The new potato is the result of several years of collaboration between Branston Ltd, the UK's leading supplier of potatoes, and the Scottish Crop Research Institute (SCRI). Previously know only as 00.H.14 A3, the potato will now, thanks to Lucy, be taken forward to National Listing with the proposed name of 'Inca Bella'. Announcing herself as a lover of reading and eating potatoes, Lucy will be presented with some books, including The Global Garden and The Wonderful World Book, donated by the Eden Project while Ian Wait, General Manager of Branston South West will give her a £50 voucher from WH Smith along with a specially-commissioned badge and certificate to remind Lucy of her special day. One of over 500 entries to name the new variety, Lucy said: "I'm really excited about winning. I think the new potato is very pretty and I like the name Bella." Lucy's mother, Beki Hancock, added: "We were thrilled to bits when Branston rang and told us Lucy had won. The competition was a good way of raising interest among children about their food and we're looking forward to taking her to the presentation." Lucy will be accompanied by family and close friends. David Nelson, Branston's Field Director, commented: "We were delighted with the response to our competition and were amazed at the different names the children came up with. However, Lucy's suggestion struck a chord and we had no hesitation in announcing her as our winner. "We've been working with Mylnefield Research Services Ltd, the commercial area of SCRI, since 1999 on breeding and selection programmes to harness the best characteristics of the native Peruvian Solanum phureja species. This potato is the first of a number of varieties that we are taking forward to National Listing this year. Now that the first one has a proposed name, we hope to follow on the Inca theme and develop names that are suitable for the rest of our new varieties. We are planning to have our new range ready and available for consumers in a couple of years time." The Solanum phureja species generally has a stronger flavour and a firmer texture than the cultivated potato species Solanum tuberosum. The new Inca Bella variety has a creamy-yellow flesh and distinctive pinky skin colouration. With its excellent flavour and smooth texture, Inca Bella will be a multi-purpose type of potato, ideal for salads and roasting. farminguk Noticias al día Curso de Tecnología de Semillas de Papa Argenpapa. Holanda, 21-01-2008 La organización Wageningen International impartirá entre el 2-20 de junio de 2008 el curso Seed potato technology, certification and supply systems (información sólo en inglés aquí ). Recuerde que el Netherlands Fellowship Programme (NFP) ofrece becas para financiar este curso a algunos países de Latinoamerica y el Caribe. El listado de países favorecidos se encuentra en esta página Fuente: freshplaza www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Early start for seed potato virus protection Argenpapa. CEE, 23-01-2008 Scottish seed growers are experiencing the earlier spread of virus by aphids. New advice is that growers need to be prepared to start control programmes earlier and utilise the latest insecticides. Seed potato growers will need to start their insecticide applications earlier and put together more comprehensive programmes to tackle an increasing threat of virus transmission by aphids, according to leading Scottish advisor, Stuart Wale of SAC. Speaking at a series of Syngenta Potato meetings across Scotland , Dr Wale reported that some of the non-persistent viruses - such as Virus A - are appearing earlier in the season. “We have witnessed an unexpected increase in virus levels, even before aphids conventionally associated with virus spread have been caught in monitoring traps.” Dr Wale advises that growers will have to revise the practice of waiting for aphid warnings to be issued, or treating when there are signs of them building up in the crop. “The suggestion is that it is non-colonising aphids, such as Cereal Aphids, migrating through the potato crop that are feeding on plants and transmitting the viruses. “The changing physiology of virus transmission suggests that growers will need to start programmes as soon as the crop has emerged this season.” He acknowledges that this may mean growers have to spray more often over the course of the season, but that high grade seed producers have to err on the side of caution - especially on varieties susceptible to virus A such as Russet Burbank and Estima. “Tolerance of virus infection in Scottish seed is among the lowest in the world, which makes it a key selling point. The incidences we have seen are still extremely low, but do give cause for concern. Growers must act now, to prevent any escalation.” He believes new insecticide products available in growers' armoury will allow the more comprehensive approach without creating a risk of resistance developing. Dr Wale advocates that fast aphid knockdown is a key element in preventing virus transmission, along with the potential of residual activity and repellency to stop aphids landing and feeding on the crop. Syngenta Technical Manager, Michael Tait, highlighted this season's new potato insecticide, Actara, will give the essential fast knockdown - comparable to the pyrethroids currently used by growers. “Furthermore, with up to three weeks residual activity and the fact that there is no known resistance makes it a strong base for all seed potato growers' programmes this season,” he added. Mr Tait reported trials had shown Actara was faster acting than other new insecticides, such as flonicamid, and could provide a higher level of aphid control, including the most damaging species, Myzus persicae. The long lasting residual activity also provided high levels of control over three weeks after application, when aphid numbers had started to recover on crops treated with other products. “As a result of the rapid action, the reduction in virus levels with Actara is as good as can be currently achieved with pyrethroids,” he said. “Most importantly, the fast knockdown means that Actara can also reduce transmission of the non-persistent viruses that are rapidly transmitted by feeding aphids.” Mr Tait added that seed growers are permitted to make a maximum of two applications of Actara in their programmes. He believes the first Actara spray was best placed early in the aphid spray programme to clear out any aphids resistant to other insecticides, and to give protection through the crucial early growth stages susceptible to virus transmission. “While Actara is fast acting, some growers may still opt to include Hallmark Zeon in tank mix, to maximize repellency against aphid attack. This strategy will enhance knockdown speed, along with repellency properties that can discourage further aphid activity in the crop,” he advised. At the end of the season, an application of Actara or Plenum - which also offers a resistance busting option - will kill off resistant aphids that could overwinter and affect next year's crop; Hallmark Zeon is an essential addition with Plenum when used in seed crops, adds Mr Tait. Ware crop growers are permitted only one Actara application per season, which is most likely to be used during rapid canopy development when aphid numbers can build rapidly in hot weather. Syngenta Regional Manager, Tom Mitchell, told Scottish potato growers that fears over options for weed control this season had been allayed with the launch of Retro. The diquat-based contact herbicide will be a direct replacement for the no longer available PDQ. “Retro can be used in precisely the same way as PDQ - in the same mixes and at the same timing,” he advised. “It is a very simple and cost effective solution that will ensure the same high levels of efficacy.” Trials have shown Retro can be expected to give the same results enjoyed with PDQ. Mr Mitchell added that Retro will be an essential part of maximising effects of residual weed control strategies, when used with Defy and metribuzin or linuron mixes to give complete and long-lasting coverage of all key potato seedbed weeds. For further information please contact: Simon Parker Syngenta Crop Protection Tel: 01223 494118 Email: simon.parker@syngenta.com www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Umami may hold the key to breeding the perfect potato (Re-issue) Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña, 01-02-2008 Japanese concept of flavour, might be the secret to help produce tastier potatoes, a new study has revealed. Scientists at the Scottish Crop Research Institute (SCRI) at Invergowrie near Dundee have identified which compounds give potatoes their unique “umami” taste. The research team believes that their findings could be used to produce new and tastier varieties of the tuber crop. Umami has been scientifically established as one of the five individual tastes sensed by receptors on the tongue, together with salty, sweet, bitter and sour. The concept has been used to explain why people experience a slightly savoury taste when they eat ripe tomatoes, parmesan cheese, cured ham, mushrooms, and various types of meat and fish. “Umami is almost a savoury-like flavour and that is obviously considered to be important when it comes to judging the taste of a potato. It was certainly the case in our taste trials, the Scotsman quoted Dr Mark Taylor, the SCRI scientist who led the research, as saying. “There was a suggestion back in the 1970s that umami was important for potato flavour, but there was never any evidence to back it up until we did our trials, he added. The potato varieties, which are close to perfect, have higher levels of the compounds known to increase the umami flavour. These compounds are specific chemicals, which include some amino acids and “ribonucleotides” that are formed during cooking. For the study, the research team conducted taste tests to compare traditional Solanum tuberosum varieties, including Montrose, Pentland Dell , Maris Piper and Record, which are widely grown in Scotland, with new, Andean-style varieties of so-called Phureja potatoes, which tend to be thinner and longer. The new varieties tested included Mayan Gold and Inca Sun, which derive from the Peruvian homeland of the potato. Researchers discovered that the Peruvian potatoes were close to the perfect, with more umami compounds. “We found that the Phurejas always had more of the umami compounds and that there was a correlation with the taste-panel score,” said Dr Taylor. “It is probably not the only story because the potato has a pretty complicated flavour, (but] it may be the key. “Ultimately, we would like to know which genes control the process that leads to the formation of umami compounds and these genes could be used in breeding programmes to generate a tastier potato, he added. (ANI) www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Save the world and keep eating those spuds Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña, 01-02-2008 Shortly after the world learnt that Benazir Bhutto had been assassinated I heard a news bulletin in which it was reported that the UN Security Council had gone into emergency session to discuss the developments. I found myself snorting derisively: what on earth would that achieve? I was a little surprised that my opinion of the United Nations had sunk so low. But never mind. That should change this year. For the UN has taken time out from wringing its hands about international terrorism, shocking genocide, modern-day slavery and the status of the nuclear programmes of its more awkward members to make a big announcement: 2008 is the International Year of the Potato. This is no sideshow. The decision was set out in a General Assembly resolution back in 2005. The UN doesn't give over an entire year to any old issue. Since 1960, when the programme kicked off with the year of refugees, the spotlight has been shone on many important causes for humankind. We have had the year of the child, women, older persons, disabled persons, anti-apartheid, culture of peace, mountains and the ocean, to name but a few. Now it is time for Solanum tuberosum , the king of carbs, to be similarly honoured. The International Year of the Potato, or IYP as it is known on the UN's website, “will serve as a catalyst for information exchange and the initiation of medium and long-term programmes of potato development”. The UN wants to see “heightened global awareness” of this all but forgotten tuber. The chips are down for the humble potato. Until the early 1990s most potatoes were grown and consumed in Europe, North America and the former Soviet Union. In 2006 the developing world overtook us. Production in the developed world has dropped from 195 million tonnes in 1990 to 155 million in 2006. Dr Robert Atkins, what have you wrought? OK, so potato production worldwide is dramatically up, to more than 300 million tonnes a year, thanks to that boom in the developing world which has made China the world's biggest producer. But we shouldn't let little statistics like that dissuade us from the urgent need to promote the potato. Nor should we let the potato's status as the fourth-largest world food crop confuse us. Fourth – after rice, wheat and maize – is only fourth. People, we need to eat more potatoes. For my parents' generation a meal wasn't a meal without potatoes. But today the popularity of pasta, rice, noodles, couscous and other staples is crowding out this hitherto unsung starch. When did you last eat any? Exactly. Apart from a couple of packets of ready-salted crisps in the pub last night, I'd have to go all the way back to yesterday lunchtime to find the last time I had potatoes as part of a meal. Sometimes a whole day goes by without me eating a single potato-based dish. To help to give the potato a boost the UN must focus on encouraging people to find new ways to broaden their appeal. At the moment they suffer from a lack of versatility: the only options being to bake, roast, boil, fry, sauté or mash them, or turn them into chunky chips, French fries, home fries, wedges, waffles, skins, hash browns, dauphinoise, gnocchi, pancakes or dumplings. Somebody thinking of employing a potato in their cooking is faced with limited choices: should it be in the starter or the main course, a salad or a side dish? One ingredient of the meal or the meal itself? The UN may be able to help the potato to expand its repertoire. But we're not here to dwell on recipes. This is not a cookery column but a forum for discussing the serious affairs of the day. A highlight of the year will be a conference in Dundee in August, where delegates from around the world will discuss hot potato issues. The convention will be hosted by the Scottish Research Institute, keeper of the Commonwealth Potato Collection. The potato certainly could do with the publicity. This tuber may have originated in the Andes 8,000 years ago, but its history in Europe is not even half a millennium long and its historical significance negligible, given that it has been responsible for only one epoch-shaping famine and mass migration. The Potato Museum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is doing its best to inform, but only one museum dedicated to the potato is surely inadequate. The UN will be vital to the mission to explain, for it can inform the world about the thousands of varieties of potato, most sorely neglected. How many do you know? My point entirely. Apart from Royal Jersey – the only UK vegetable with an EU designation of origin – and King Edward, none at all, I expect. Oh, OK, Maris Piper. And Maris Bard. And Nicola. And Desiree. Kipfler, perhaps. And Saxon. Maybe Charlotte. But apart from those few we are all shockingly ignorant about this vegetable. When the UN dedicates an entire year to a cause it captures the global imagination, as you will no doubt remember from 2005: the International Year of Microcredit. And next year, if you can bear the excitement, will be the International Year of Natural Fibres. The potato shares this year with the UN's International Year of Sanitation and the International Year of Languages. If you are concerned, though one can't see why you should be, that The International Year of the Potato has too narrow a focus, or that the designation is being diluted, then don't worry: the UN is keen to raise awareness of other important issues facing mankind. All issues in fact. 2008 is also the UN's International Year of Planet Earth. That should just about cover everything. Or nothing. Here's to a smashing year. Neck and neck at the elections Iowans gather in their caucuses tomorrow to begin (finally) the process of choosing presidential candidates. In the Democratic field it's a three-way race, but Barack Obama was ahead of Hillary Clinton in the latest Des Moines Register poll. Will the election come down to a tie, or a lack thereof? In Britain, the Leader of the Opposition is a charismatic fellow whose lack of a tie is emblematic of his youth and his ability to inhabit comfortably both his own skin and the modern age. In America, the leader of the opposition to the establishment candidate is a charismatic fellow whose lack of a necktie is emblematic of his youth and his ability to inhabit comfortably. . . etc. In every TV appearance I was struck by how at ease he was. Hillary Clinton was not. She is all Clinton, but with the Bill missing. And in terms of charisma and the political x-factor, that is the crucial bit. Still, as David Cameron and Barack Obama both must fear, it's still a long journey from looking like a winner to winning. Surf it at Christmas In TV terms I am a dinosaur. I just watch whatever happens to be on at that moment. But over Christmas I stayed in a house where we watched whatever we fancied from the many offerings that had been stored away on the hard drive. The day when we will be able to watch whatever we want, whenever we want, wherever we are is not far off. But I'm not sure how I feel about always watching something that I want to watch. I rather like watching stuff that I don't want to watch. I love channel surfing. Zipping through the channels, pausing for just a split second to assess what is being offered before continuing the hunt for something decent. Lapping through the cable channels again and again at speed is a mindless and satisfying activity at the end of a long day. I hope it doesn't fall victim to the computer menu card. Font: timesonline www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Virus threats seen earlier in seed potatoes Argenpapa. Gran Brteaña, 06-02-2008 SEED potato growers will need to start their insecticide applications earlier and put together more comprehensive programmes to tackle an increasing threat of virus transmission by aphids, according to leading Scottish advisor, Stuart Wale of SAC. Speaking at a series of Syngenta-organised potato meetings across Scotland, Dr Wale said that some of the non-persistent viruses – such as Virus A– are appearing earlier in the season. “We have witnessed an unexpected increase in virus levels, even before aphids conventionally associated with virus spread have been caught in monitoring traps.” Dr Wale advised growers that they will have to revise the practice of waiting for aphid warnings to be issued, or treating when there are signs of them building up in the crop. “The suggestion is that it is non-colonising aphids, such as cereal aphids, migrating through the potato crop that are feeding on plants and transmitting the viruses,” he said. “The changing physiology of virus transmission suggests that growers will need to start programmes as soon as the crop has emerged this season.” He acknowledged this may mean growers have to spray more often over the season, but that high grade seed producers have to err on the side of caution – especially on varieties susceptible to virus A such as Russet Burbank and Estima. “Tolerance of virus infection in Scottish seed is among the lowest in the world, which makes it a key selling point. The incidences we have seen are extremely low, but do give cause for concern. Growers must act now, to prevent any escalation.” He believes new insecticide products available in growers' armoury will allow the more comprehensive approach without risking resistance development. Dr Wale advocates that fast aphid knockdown is a key element in preventing virus transmission, along with the potential of residual activity and repellency to stop aphids landing and feeding on the crop. Font: farmersguardian www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día SAC Association of Potato Producers' conference Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña, 11-02-2008 After the problems of last year, blight was one of the key subjects at the SAC Association of Potato Producers' conference in Perth. Neil Ryder reports. Don't be rigid – respond to blight threats as they occur Pre-planned blight control programmes do not work well in 'unusual' years like 2007, says SAC blight expert Ruairidh Bain. DO not have a rigid pre-planned programme for blight control in potatoes, but make sure good, effective fungicides are to hand and be prepared to respond to threats as they arise. That was the key message from SAC potato pathologist, Dr Ruairidh Bain. He said a pre-planned control programme could work successfully in ‘normal' blight years but not in an ‘unusual' year such as 2007, when it was important to deal with specific situations as they arose. He said it was difficult to quantify the factors giving rise to the high incidence of blight last year. For instance ,there had been significant changes in blight populations which may have made it more difficult to control blight, but how much this affected the disease compared to weather conditions was difficult to tell. A further factor was the timing of weather conditions favourable to blight. The worst year for potato blight in Scotland was in 2002, though disease was not as severe. In 2002 in Fife there was one Smith day in June, three in July and four in August. In 2007 the pattern was radically different with seven Smith days in June, two in July and one in August. This meant that there was a completely different start to the growing season in 2007 compared to 2002. Last year's crops were under a great deal of pressure from blight early in the growing season when crops were small and when it was more difficult to protect them than would be the case later in the year. There was an element of luck last year in that there were fewer problems with tuber blight than had been expected as light rainfall and cool weather restricted the numbers of spores produced on tubers, said Dr Bain. Scientists have been examining the effect of spray sequence on blight control, and trials had been set up to look at this at SAC Auchincruive, Ayr. Results from the work comparing block applications of a range of fungicides have been inconclusive, with no one treatment performing significantly better than the others. The key to control lay largely in matching fungicides to the situation including rain fastness, persistence, curative activity and tuber protection, said Dr Bain. Last year had also shown that levels of natural resistance to blight in varieties was a factor in control and greater use should be made of these characteristics. For instance, the new variety Sarpo Mira was rated nine for blight resistance compared to just three for King Edward, he said. Font: farmersguardian www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día ANÁLISIS GENÉTICO DEL TUBÉRCULO Chile, cuna de las patatas que hoy se cultivan en todo el continente europeo Argenpapa. Chile, 27-02-2008 RAMY WURGAFT El peregrinaje de Mercedes Ammes por 53 herbolarios de Europa y las prolongadas horas que estuvo encerrada en el laboratorio se vieron recompensados cuando ella y su tutor, David Spooner, consiguieron descifrar el enigma de la patata europea . ¿De dónde proviene el tubérculo que constituye la dieta básica de millones de habitantes del viejo continente? En un artículo publicado este mes en la revista 'American Journal of Botany', la pareja de investigadores de la Universidad de Wisconsin-Madison, sostiene que el 99% de las variedades que se cultivan en Europa proceden de las llanuras del centro y del sur de Chile . Aparte del interés que despertó en la comunidad científica, el trabajo de los investigadores norteamericanos tuvo un inesperado efecto colateral, al avivar el viejo pleito que Chile y Perú mantienen acerca del origen de la patata doméstica (existen en total 4.000 especies diferentes), conocida científicamente como 'Solarum tuberosum'. Hasta ahora se barajaba la hipótesis de que las primeras patatas que crecieron en suelo europeo provenían de un ancestro común que se cultivaba en los Andes, en el hábitat comprendido entre el sur de Venezuela y el norte de Argentina. Una plaga originada por el hongo 'Phytophthora infestans'en el siglo XIX habría acabado con todos los cultivos, desde las estepas de Rusia hasta Irlanda. En este país la epidemia desató una hambruna feroz que provocó la muerte de más de un millón de personas y obligó a dos millones de irlandeses a emigrar al otro lado del Atlántico, entre los años 1845 y 1848. La citada teoría postulaba que, a partir de entonces, los europeos comenzaron a exportar una especie originaria de los valles centrales y del archipiélago chileno de Chiloé, para sustituir los cultivos que desaparecieron bajo los devastadores efectos de la epidemia del Tizón Tardío. Mercedes Ammes visitó los herbolarios en busca de especies muy tempranas, que fueron cuidadosamente seleccionadas antes de enviarlas al laboratorio de genética de Wisconsin en panales similares a los que utilizan los arqueólogos para conservar la materia orgánica que encuentran en las excavaciones. Finalmente, la joven investigadora eligió 64 muestras de patatas europeas que crecieron entre los años 1700 y 1910. "Muchas de las muestras tenían más de 300 años y no estaban bien preservadas. Mercedes tuvo que utilizar todo su ingenio para extraer el ADN de esas reliquias", comenta David Spooner. La investigación se prolongó más de lo que el profesor de Horticultura y su discípula habían previsto. Justo cuando se les acababa el presupuesto, la Organización de las Naciones Unidas (ONU) dispuso que el 2008 fuese declarado el Año Internacional de la Patata, en vista de lo cual la National Science Foundation decidió financiar el proyecto. Después de extraer exitosamente el ADN de 49 muestras , Ammes analizó cada una utilizando un marcador genético que permitía distinguir las cepas procedentes de los Andes de las originarias del sur de Chile. "Hallamos que, efectivamente, las primeras patatas que se cultivaron de forma sistemática en Europa provenían de la región andina. La variedad chilena arribó 34 años antes de que se declarara la epidemia . Es más, ambas especies convivieron al menos hasta 1892, lo cual demuestra que no todas las plantas andinas sucumbieron a la plaga del hongo. A partir del siglo XX, hubo un proceso de colonización, al término del cual la variedad chilena se convirtió en la dominante , hasta erradicar a su antecesora", explica Ammes. El equipo de Wisconsin-Madison opina que los europeos introdujeron las patatas chilenas con la convicción de que éstas se adaptarían mejor a las condiciones del continente. Su proliferación terminó por darles la razón. Fuente: elmundo www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Blight: Vigilance and tight control Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña, 05-03-2008 THE British Potato Council (BPC) is advising potato growers that vigilance and a tight and responsive rein on control will be key to keeping blight at bay this season following the confirmation by scientists that one aggressive strain of the disease now dominates the British blight population. BPC-funded blight monitoring and testing, involving the collaborative efforts of ADAS, Central Science Laboratory (CSL), Sárvári Research Trust, Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) and SCRI has produced more information about the nature of genotype 13 – the A2 strain of blight that now dominates the population. SCRI's Dave Cooke, who co-ordinated the research said that over 70 per cent of the 1,600 isolates that were gathered from 300 sets of blight samples sent in for analysis in 2007were genotype 13. “Which means growers should be deciding their control strategy around how this type behaves in the field,” he said. Researchers have confirmed that this blight strain is resistant to phenylamide fungicides. “We have worked closely with the agrochemical sector on resistance to fungicides and phenylamides in particular. “Growers who have relied on these fungicides in the past should take note of manufacturer's advice and discuss with their agronomist how their plans should adapt to maintain tight control,” said Dr Cooke. Genotype 13 is now known to be more aggressive than other blight strains. In cooler conditions it is able to form larger lesions that sporulate sooner than other genotypes. This means spray intervals will have to be tight when the threat of blight is high. Scientists have confirmed that genotype 13 is prevalent in blight populations throughout the growing season. It is one of the first strains to appear in the crop, setting it apart from other phenylamide-resistant genotypes that are reportedly less able to survive over the winter. “Vigilance in the early part of the season will therefore be vital in 2008. Stay alert for signs of the disease and control sources of infection, such as outgrade piles and volunteers,” said Dr Cooke. Syngenta is advising growers that they may need to update their strategy for use of Fubol Gold, which contains the phenylamide fungicide metalaxyl plus mancozeb, over the coming season. The company has temporarily reduced the number of Fubol Gold applications recommended during rapid canopy growth to one. “We need to assess the blight population in the early spring this year, to identify the level of resistance remaining in the population and the risk to crops. “Until then, growers should proceed with caution and ensure that Fubol Gold is followed with fungicides with an alternative mode of action, taking care not to stretch intervals where the risk of blight is high,” said Syngenta technical manager Beth Hall. Yorkshire-based SAC potato agronomist John Sarup said he would not be recommending the use of phenylamide fungicides this season. “The risk is at the moment too great to warrant their use,” he said, adding that he had yet to decide what would replace phenylamides, traditionally used in the rapid canopy expansion phase, in blight control programmes. Font: farmersguardian www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Now, UN designates 2008 as the Year of the Potato Argenpapa. India, 02-04-2008 New Delhi, March 29: The United Nations has designated 2008 as the International Year of the Potato (IYP), and India seems set to celebrate it with a bang. Earlier in the year, the intense cold snap around January-February raised concerns that it could affect the crop, but the latest reports suggest the contrary. The crop has been so plentiful that farmers are panicking about falling prices and how to store the crop. One news report said there were long lines outside cold storages in the North, and fights were breaking out and cold storage owners were fleeing as farmers tried to get their tubers inside. This was a problem that should have been foreseen. Whatever the vagaries of the weather, the overall production of potatoes in India has been growing to the extent that increased cold storage capacity was obviously needed. India has increased its potato production to the point that in terms of sheer quantity it is now the third largest producer after China and Russia, with over 26.2 million tonnes grown last year. That's pretty impressive for a product whose cultivation in India may date back less than 200 years, and where, as Dr SK Pandey, director of the Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI) in Shimla points out, per capita consumption is still a low 15-17 kg a year, compared to a global average of 33 kg, and a European average of a weighty 120 kg per capita. CPRI has big plans for IYP, with a Global Potato Conference scheduled for Delhi in December, radio and TV broadcasts and potato awareness programmes for farmers. Between such activities and the new high-yield varieties developed by CPRI, Dr.Pandey is confident that potato production can be greatly increased. But I can't help wondering if we would ever manage to have enough cold storage capacity if Indians really started consuming potatoes at anything like the global average (and forget Europe!) Why is cold storage needed at all? The answer makes our huge potato production seem even more impressive. The fact is that originally potatoes were not a crop suited to most of India. It is a plant of the Andean mountains in South America, where the Incas in Peru developed it as a mainstay crop. When the conquistadores crushed the Incas and took potatoes back to Europe they found varieties that could grow outside the mountains, but they did need cool climates. In India, too, CPRI has developed crops suitable for low-lying areas like Gujarat, a major cultivation area, but it remains a winter crop, and for supply around the year the cold storages are a must. There are several theories for how potatoes first came to India. The earliest reference seems to be that of Edward Terry, chaplain to Sir Thomas Roe, the British ambassador to Emperor Jehangir, who noted the presence of ‘potatoes excellently well dressed' in a banquet given by the Mughal noble Asaf Khan for Roe on November 1617. The problem is that at this time in Europe ‘potato' was also used for sweet potatoes (shakarkand), another American import that did much better than potatoes originally. Sweet potatoes probably came to Indian with the Portuguese who are generally credited with bringing many New World plants to India, like chillies, guavas and sapodillas (chikoos). The Portuguese could have brought potatoes too, but I think there's one problem. The other crops associated with them tend to be ones that do well in the tropical areas like Goa where they had their outposts. Potatoes do not - a fact that gains some support from the one case where an Indian ruler sought to introduce a tuberous crop. This was Vaishakam Thirunal in Travancore in 1880-5 who was looking for an easy crop to help deal with food shortages. Rather than potatoes, he chose tapioca, despite the special processing it needs to remove toxins, which would suggest that as late as then potatoes were still a specialty crop in India. morungexpress www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Lincoln researching superior potatoes with China Argenpapa. Nueva Zelanda, 25-04-2008 Crop and Food Lincoln researching superior potatoes with China. From Diane Keenan who is with the Mayor's delegation in China. Scientists from Crop and Food Lincoln are cooperating with research organisations in Christchurch's Friendship city of Wuhan, China, to develop potatoes with superior qualities including resistance to cold-induced sweetening. Professor Tony Conner, a senior scientist at Crop and Food, Lincoln, was in China this week to meet the Wuhan scientists he is working with on the international potato genome sequencing project and to speak at the China-New Zealand Science to Market conference in Beijing. Crop and Food has strengthened its ties with Huazhong Agricultural University since Christchurch signed the Friendship City Agreement two years ago. Former Chief Executive Paul Tocker was part of the Mayoral delegation in 2006. Canterbury Development Corporation's Eugene Feng has worked closely since then with Crop and Food to cement its Memorandum of Understanding with the Wuhan research facility. Professor Conner said there had been a number of scientific exchanges between the two organisations. Three Crop and Food scientists visited Wuhan in September 2006 which was followed by a delegation from Wuhan to Christchurch. He, with fellow Lincoln scientist, Jeanne Jacobs visited in April the following year through a grant from the Royal Society. “We had a lot of interaction which included giving lectures to students, looking in depth at the potato programme they are carrying out and editing their scientific papers,” Professor Conner said. Wuhan scientists were back in New Zealand again last month to look at food and ornamental research at Crop and Food's Lincoln and Massey campuses. “Such is our degree of cooperation and the alignment of our programmes on potato research, the talk I gave at the Beijing conference could have been given by any one of the Wuhan scientists,” he said. New Zealand and China are part of the International Potato Genome Sequencing Consortium. China is mapping the gene sequence of two of the 12 chromosomes and Crop and Food is mapping one. The other countries involved include Netherlands, Britain, Ireland, Australia, Denmark, Turkey and Poland. The scientists are working at breeding potato cultivars with disease resistance and also desirable processing traits. Professor Conner said that when potatoes are stored at a low temperature after harvest their starch breaks down to sugar, which results in them browning when cooked. Crop and Food has the elite breeding material with the trait which resists this sugar break down, he said. Professor Conner is an advocate of international cooperation on scientific research. “The research facilities they have in Wuhan are excellent. We have much to gain from this relationship which is based on trust and mutual respect,” he said. Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker says the Crop and Food relationship is one of 22 officially recognised partnerships that Canterbury businesses and educational organisations have in Wuhan. “With the signing of the historic free trade agreement in China the level of cooperation on scientific projects will only increase,” he says. “We are fortunate that as a city we have been a pioneer in building relationships with China and this is now paying dividends and allowing our business, science and education sectors to punch above their weight in the massive Chinese market.” Source: scoop.co.nz www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Blight resistance - top of mind for potato growers Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña, 02-05-2008 A robust approach to potato blight control that alternates the best chemistry throughout the programme, not just for the sake of efficacy but also for resistance management must be the top issue on growers minds this season, say Dow AgroSciences. "Potato blight is a devastating disease which has become more aggressive. At this year's Potato Council Blight Forum, experts reported that over 70% of blight populations tested in 2007 were of the new genotype 13 A2. The A2 mating type remained rare in the UK blight populations until 2005 and now is it dominant. With the evolution of genotype 13 it has become apparent that blight is now more aggressive, it can grow faster, it has a shorter latent period and is possibly more active at lower temperatures. So effective season-long control of this more aggressive pathogen must be planned with resistance management very much top of mind," says Andy Leader, Principal Biologist for Dow AgroSciences. "The current chemistry available to growers is effective against these new aggressive blight strains, though care needs to be taken in which products to apply when and not over stretching spray intervals. With fungicide resistance a significant concern for growers and advisors, measures to minimise the problem should be implemented in any disease control programme. General advice is to alternate or block fungicide groups within a programme, to use multi-site products more frequently and to integrate products with more than one active ingredient. To do this effectively growers and advisors need to go into a lot of detail on individual products, their active ingredients, their modes of action, their resistance status and their label recommendations," says Andy. "For instance the protectant fungicide Electis will control all known blight races and strains, including A2 isolates. It has intrinsically low resistance risk as it contains two complementary active ingredients, mancozeb and zoxium. There is no known potato blight resistance to zoxium, which has a different mode of action distinct from all other potato blight products, or to the multi-site mancozeb which has been around over 40 years. There has been no shift in resistance during testing of Electis since launch in 2001 and it has excellent activity against phenylamide resistance strains. Its label allows up to ten sprays in any one crop and growers have ultimate flexibility as to how they integrate this fungicide into their programmes." "This is not the case for many other blight fungicides, particularly the more recently introduced products. According to their labels, cyazofamid (Ranman) and benthiavalicarb-isopropyl + mancozeb (Valbon) can be applied up to 6 times to the one crop but with restriction on the number of successive sprays. Fluopicolide + propamocarb (Infinito) can be applied up to a maximum of just 6.4 l/ha per crop, so at 1.6 l/ha has a maximum of 4 sprays. Mandipropamid (Revus) can be used just 4 times," says Andy. "With some products you also have to take into account restrictions based on fungicides from the same group. For instance mandipropamid (Revus), benthiavalicarb-isopropyl + mancozeb (Valbon) and dimethomorph + mancozeb (Invader) are all from the carboxylic acid amide (CAA) group. Mandipropamid can be applied up to a maximum of four sprays per crop, which can be applied up to a maximum of three applications in a block and should then be alternated with non CAA chemistry. The planning process can be very complicated for some products - but not so for Electis," says Mr. Leader. Andy points out that it is also important to apply each blight fungicide at its most appropriate time as well as considering its resistance management contribution. "Electis is one of the strongest protectant fungicides that is best used from stable canopy onwards. In many years of successful commercial usage, it has proven excellent activity on both foliar and tuber blight and is categorised as one of the best protectants blight fungicides by independent European industry experts. Where kick-back activity is needed such as last year, the addition of cymoxanil to Electis has proved to be successful. Electis is very effective against both foliar and tuber blight and is a highly suitable product to integrate into any blight programme, appearing to enhance the programme and help in minimising any resistance risk, an increasingly crucial issue," concludes Andy. For further information, please contact Andy Leader, Dow AgroSciences on 01462 457272 or 07802 225769 (mobile). Farming UK www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Blue 13 blight strain is set to dominate Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña, 14-05-2008 PHENYLAMIDE resistance will be the main blight control challenge this season and to tackle it effectively programmes need to be constructed in two distinct phases. Last year the frequency of A2 mating types increased dramatically and the highly aggressive ‘Blue 13' strain dominated the population from the start of the season throughout the country. And in recent fungicide sensitivity tests all ‘Blue 13' samples showed resistance to phenylamides, including metalaxyl-M. To tackle the new Blue 13 blight strain control programmes must be considered in two distinct phases – rapid growth up to canopy complete and the stable canopy phase, says Bayer. According to Bayer CropScience blight expert Eileen Bardsley there is every reason to believe that ‘Blue 13' will predominate from day one of this season too. “To tackle this ‘new blight' programmes need to be considered in two distinct phases - the rapid growth phase up to canopy complete and the stable canopy phase thereafter – selecting products with the appropriate activity for crop growth stage,” she said. “During rapid canopy growth only systemic fungicides can give new growth the protection it needs. And the only true systemics, unaffected by phenylamide resistance, are the propamocarb-based co-formulations Consento, Merlin and Tattoo. Products with strong tuber blight activity need to be kept back until the canopy is stabilised.” Dr Mark Palmer, Agrovista technical manager supports this two-phase approach and says it proved its worth under last year's very high blight pressure. “Where growers used two or three Consento treatments up to canopy complete, then switched to alternating between Infinito (fluopicolide+propamacarb) and Ranman (cyazofamid) defences held up well, both in the field and subsequently in storage. “Propamocarb is a proven systemic with the mobility to protect rapid growth and the fenamidone component builds in early tuber protection. With an alternative like this available you have to ask: ‘Why run the risk of using a phenylamide when 80 per cent of the blight you're trying control is likely to be resistant to it?' ” said Dr Palmer. www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Potato blight control merits closer sprays ARGENPAPA . Gran Bretaña. 02-07-2008 Although blight pressure on potatoes was not unduly severe earlier this week, there was a Smith period in Exeter last week, noted Masstock Arable's Malcolm Smith. And in East Anglia rain at the weekend meant blight could soon be troublesome, according to Agrochemex agronomist John Keer. Last year's difficulties in controlling blight and the emergence of new potentially more damaging strains have led some advisers to urge producers to adopt tighter spray intervals. "There's been a massive shift in populations in two years," said Mr Smith. Last year the A2 strain, more aggressive than the A1, dominated samples analysed by the SCRI in the BPC's Fight Against Blight campaign, accounting for 82% of the total. And 71% of all samples, including the A1s, were of the so-called 'blue-13' type against which phenylamide fungicides are relatively ineffective because of resistance. Keep spray intervals tight & be prepared to alternate products to stay on top of blight, advises Malcolm Smith Indeed the SAC no longer recommended phenylamides this season pending results of a review of how they performed against the new genotypes. "Blue-13 is very aggressive, has a shorter life cycle and can reproduce at both higher and lower temperatures," warned Mr Smith. "Masstock Arable is now suggesting a maximum of seven-day intervals irrespective of the blight pressure." There were two main approaches to mid-season control - 'alternate' and 'block', he explained. The latter, possibly simpler, involved several successive protectant treatments followed by several sprays using products with curative action. "There are data to support both techniques. But we always advocate alternate programmes because they're best for resistance management and give you more flexibility when it comes to the maximum number of applications in sequences." Whatever the approach, if blight pressure became intense, Mr Smith recommended adding cymoxanil to boost the treatments' 'kick-back' curative action. Unlike cereal septoria sprays such treatments only dealt with blight infections up to about 48 hours beforehand. "But that can be very significant in seven-day schedules," said Mr Smith. Several curative products, including Merlin and Infinito , had label doses linked to blight pressure, he noted. "That means you can tweak rates accordingly." Mr Keer believed seven-day intervals had to become the norm. "If conditions are conducive [to blight] you've got to be on narrow intervals and using the better products such as Infinito, Revus and Ranman . They're the three key ones when the going gets tough. Provided intervals stay tight there's no reason why good protective products won't work." Should intervals become stretched, as they did for many growers last year, Dr Keer advised Curzate for its curative action in tank-mix with the modern protectants. Valbon appears to offer useful 'kick-back' notes Mr Smith. "2007 was the first year to give Valbon a true test against strong blight pressure." Potato fungicides Phenylamides Epok , Fubol Gold + others (metalaxyl-M) Galben M , Intro Plus + others (benalaxyl) Mainly protectant Dithane + others(mancozeb) Electis , Roxam (mancozeb & zoxamide) Ranman (cyazofamid) Shirlan + others (fluazinam) Curative & protectant Curzate & others (cymoxanil + mancozeb) Infinito (fluopicolide + propamocarb hydrochloride) Invader (dimethomorph + mancozeb) Merlin (chlorothalonil + propamocarb hydrochloride) Revus (mandipropamid) Tanos (cymoxanil + famoxadone) Tattoo (mancozeb + propamocarb hydrochloride) Valbon (benthiavalicarb-isopropyl + mancozeb) Curative mixture addition ( Option , Sipcam C50) (cymoxanil) FWi www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día L'utilizzo della fecola di patate con funzione di antiagglomerante nei formaggi tagliati Argenpapa. Italia, 12-09-2008 Il Ministero ha chiarito che non viola l'art. 32 del R.D.D. 2033/1925 l'operatore che utilizza fecola di patate con funzione di antiagglomerante sulla superficie dei formaggi grattugiati, tagliati a cubetti, in listarelle e simili confezionati in atmosfera protettiva nella misura massima del 2%. Di recente, ad alcune aziende del settore lattiero caseario è stata contestata la violazione dell'art. 32 del R.D.D. 2033/1925, che riserva la denominazione «formaggio» al prodotto che si ricava dal latte intero ovvero parzialmente o totalmente scremato, oppure dalla crema, in seguito a coagulazione acida o presamica, anche facendo uso di fermenti e di sale di cucina, in quanto i prodotti prelevati, quali ad esempio mozzarelle o simili tagliati a cubetti o listarelle, risultavano contenere fecola di patate utilizzata con funzione antiagglomerante. A tal proposito si rileva che l'uso della fecola di patate allo scopo di contrastare il c.d. impiccamento di formaggi grattugiati, a cubetti ecc. è già da tempo consentito in diversi Stati membri dell'Unione europea che hanno correttamente notificato alla Commissione le relative proposte di legge ai sensi della Direttiva 98/34/CE. Esperita la procedura prevista dalla normativa comunitaria da ultimo citata, in merito a tali proposte non sono stati espressi rilievi da altri Stati membri, Italia compresa. Non essendo aggiunta nel corso del processo tecnologico di produzione del formaggio non si ritiene che l'utilizzo della fecola di patate sia idonea a snaturare il prodotto stesso che può continuare a fregiarsi della denominazione di vendita prevista dall'art. 32 della L. 2033/1925. Ciò posto la presenza della sostanza deve essere comunque evidenziata in etichetta sulla base delle norme generali di cui al D.lvo 109/92. In Italia la questione dell'impiego di fecola di patate - con funzione di antiagglomerante - nel confezionamento di formaggi tagliati a cubetti, in listarelle e simili, allo scopo di evitare che i singoli pezzi si leghino tra loro, è stata chiaramente affrontata e risolta dall'allora Ministero delle attività produttive, previa consultazione in apposita riunione del Ministero della Salute, del Ministero delle Politiche Agricole e dell'I.S.S., con nota 26229 del 4 maggio 2005 di cui non tutti gli operatori del settore e gli stessi organi di controllo sono a conoscenza (tale «nota» non è infatti mai stata pubblicata in G.U.). Nel documento citato si legge che «è noto che il confezionamento gia tagliati a «cubetti», in «listarelle» e simili presenta difficoltà di ordine tecnologico dovute al fatto che i vari cubetti o listarelle tendono a legarsi e ad attaccarsi tra loro (impiccamento) annullando l'effetto che si mira a raggiungere, e che le difficoltà possono essere tecnologicamente risolte mediante la spolveratura in superficie dei cubetti o delle listarele di formaggio nel momento in cui i cubetti o le listarelle sono dosate nel contenitore di vendita con sostanze antiagglomeranti idonee ad evitare il fenomeno dell'impaccamento ». Sulla base dei suddetti presupposti, ed alla luce del fatto che tale uso è già permesso in altri Stati membri, il Ministero ha ritenuto che la fecola di patate possa essere utilizzata sulla superficie dei formaggi a pezzi confezionati in atmosfera protettiva nella misura massima del 2%, con l'obbligo di menzione in etichetta con la dicitura «antiagglomerante: fecola di patate . Si precisa in ogni caso che per i formaggi D.O.P. o I.G.P. tale aggiunta è ammessa solo se prevista nei relativi disciplinari di produzione. newsfood Noticias al día Semi sterili anche per le patate Argenpapa. Albania, 19-09-2008 Tirana - Dopo il mais sterile gli agricoltori albanesi denunciano un altro scandalo. Circa 100 ettari di terreno, a Korca, coltivati con patate non hanno dato alcun raccolto. Gli agricoltori dei due comuni colpiti, Pirg e Vreshtas , hanno denunciato pubblicamente il "disastro ambientale", chiedendo l'intervento del Ministero dell'Agricoltura per compensare il danno economico provocato dal mancato raccolto e dalle inutili risorse profuse. Si sentono profondamente traditi dallo Stato, che ha permesso la commercializzazione di "semi sterili" attraverso proprio un ente pubblico, senza alcun controllo sulla loro produttività o pericolosità nei confronti dell'ambiente e delle coltivazioni "sane". Stando a quanto dichiarato dagli agricoltori, il seme di patata incriminato è del tipo “Fabula”, mentre secondo i media si tratta del tipo “Kalit”. Inoltre, inizialmente si sospettava che i semi provenissero dall'Olanda, tuttavia non è ben nota l'origini dei semi. Gli agricoltori hanno ammesso di aver acquistato da due imprenditori diversi, Irakli Goreja , sindaco del Comune di Divjaka, e Qamil Petriti , distributore di piante di patata, i quali sembrano siano anche i soli ad importare semi della patata. Non sono stati ancora resi noti, però, i nomi delle aziende che hanno acquistato e distribuito i semi. Nonostante la gravità dell'accaduto, continua l`indifferenza del Tribunale per i Crimini Economici presso la Direzione di Polizia della Regione, che non ha ancora iniziato alcuna inchiesta per individuare i responsabili. rinascitabalcanica www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Protecting potato diversity in Peru Argenpapa. Perú, 03-10-2008 The definitive potato directory for Huancavelica credit: CIP An Andean treasure that long predates the Incas, the potato was first domesticated in Peru about 8,000 years ago. There are now some 3,000 weird and wonderful varieties in the Andes - blue and knobbly; white and pebble-like; others look more like boomerangs than tubers. In Quechua, the indigenous language of the Andes, the word for potato is papa , father, and in this region, potatoes are more than just food; they enjoy cultural significance, with farmers continuing to nurture the varieties their ancestors domesticated. Vanishing varieties? But potato biodiversity in Peru is vulnerable, partly due to the tradition of local knowledge being passed down through the generations by word-of-mouth. With no written record, there is no guarantee that ancestral knowledge about particular varieties and how to grow them will be preserved. At the turn of the 21 st century, some farmers were also concerned that the introduction of improved cultivars and food aid programmes had undermined the genetic resource base developed over millennia. There was also some anxiety over the risk of bio-piracy - outsiders obtaining farmers' planting material and claiming varieties as their own. While no evidence was available to support the claims, there was no practical way to protect the farmers if their concerns turned out to be true. To help preserve knowledge and provide a better understanding of the problems farmers faced, the International Potato Center (CIP) decided to document potato varieties in-situ . Then, if necessary, efforts could be made to help preserve their varieties though on-farm conservation. Out of the shadows Potato farmers help with identification process credit: CIP On the steep slopes of the Huancavelica region of south-west Peru, a team of CIP scientists arrived in 2003 to create a historical record of local potatoes. "At first, there was a lot of suspicion and it took a lot of effort to establish confidence, says CIP's project coordinator Stefan De Haan. "We spent a lot of time with the communities, staying with the local people. Gradually we were able to create a working environment based on mutual respect and trust." One of the results of the four-year study has been the Catalogo de Variedades de Papa Nativa , a 200-page directory documenting 144 varieties of indigenous potatoes. Each variety is identified with photographs, detailed descriptions from farmers and, crucially, unique DNA fingerprints. By signing a clause of prior informed consent, participating farmers permitted the publication of their potato varieties and have a legal safeguard in place for the varieties their forefathers nurtured. Lasting impact The research found virtually no evidence of potato varieties being under threat, and made some promising discoveries. One was Araq Papa ( Solanum tuberosum subsp var lelekkoya ), a large-tuber potato variety commonly harvested from the wild in Huancavelica. Araq Papa has shown no susceptibility to late blight and has now been earmarked for use in the development of new resistant varieties. The Araq Papa potato, which could help in the fight against late blight credit: CIP The CIP team has also helped to repatriate S. phureja , a cultivated potato species previously common in Huancavelica that had declined significantly. This early-maturing potato has similar properties to improved varieties currently being developed to resist the effects of climate change. The team discovered that the decline in S. phureja was linked to the political conflict of the 1980s and 90s, which forced rural families to flee their homes for months at a time. When they returned, the potato seeds had dried up and the species, with no dormancy, had virtually vanished. Through the repatriation efforts, cultivation of S. phureja is on the increase, although it still teeters on the brink of extinction. A hardy, little-known variety called Puqya ( S. stenotomum ) was also discovered. "It's a very rustic landrace," enthuses De Haan. "We found that a lot of farmers had it but it was not grown commercially. It has very small leaflets that close in the afternoon and we found it always survived severe frosts and hail. This makes it very important for food security." This inherent resilience means Puqya will be an important variety for future research. De Haan admits that at times the project has been frustrating. "In the beginning farmers would ask for help but we couldn't intervene because it would influence the study. At the end we were able to respond to their requests, reintroducing lost varieties, and cleaning up seeds." He believes one option now is for these communities to become commercial seed producers, using their own seed varieties to generate income, while preserving the tradition of potato production for future generations. new-agri www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Les producteurs de pommes de terre ajoutent de la valeur Argenpapa. Canadá, 06-10-2008 «Nous nous concentrons sur les avantages sur la santé et le côté pratique de Todays Potatoes. E n Europe, ces types de produits représentent une entreprise géante et nous pensons qu'ils vont bien marcher ici aussi,» déclare Jason M eyers. Se retrouvant avec une pile de plus en plus importante de pommes de terre de qualité inférieure qui devaient aller au compost, un de plus grands producteurs de pommes de terre de la Saskatchewan, Barrich Farms à Outlook et Bassano Growers à Bassano, en Alberta, ont cherché une meilleure façon de commercialiser leurs pommes de terre. Ces deux producteurs se sont associés pour lancer Todays Potatoes afin d'obtenir davantage de valeur de leur production de pommes de terre. «La demande des consommateurs qui changeait faisait que nous devions trier les pommes de terre qui avaient des petites taches sur la peau. Nous devions jeter des pommes de terre tout à fait parfaites à cause d'une petite imperfection,» dit Jason Meyers, porte-parole de la société Todays Potatoes . Empruntant une idée utilisée en Europe, où les pommes de terre moitié cuites sont populaires pour leur facilité de préparation et leur temps de cuisson rapide, ces sociétés canadiennes ont lancé Todays Potatoes. Todays Potatoes transforme les pommes de terre à l'usine de Bassano en les pelant, en les coupant et en les faisant cuire en partie avant de les emballer et de les envoyer dans des magasins de détail dans l'ensemble de l'Ouest canadien. Les produits à base de pommes de terre fraîches partiellement cuites représentent maintenant une partie importante du marché des pommes de terre en Europe, et Jason Meyers pense que la même chose se passera au Canada. Cette société a pris deux ans et demi à concrétiser ce concept. Pour être sûr d'avoir un bon lancement, Todays Potatoes a créé des alliances avec de grands transformateurs européens pour obtenir les compétences et les connaissances nécessaires pour développer des produits similaires dans l'Ouest canadien. Pour l'instant il y a trois produits de pommes de terre disponibles chez Todays Potatoes: Les pommes de terres Norland à peau rouge sont découpées en dés de 10 mm et elles sont destinées aux salades de pommes de terre, aux pommes de terre rissolées et aux plats d'accompagnement. Les pommes de terre Yukon Gold à peau jaune sont découpées en tranches pour les pommes de terre dauphinoises et le barbecue. Le produit coupé comme à la maison est préparé avec des pommes de terre Russet et sert à la purée de pommes de terre ou aux pommes de terre pour accompagner les rôtis. Jason Meyers dit que les produits de Todays Potatoes se trouvent entre les pommes de terre crues non transformées et les pommes de terre entièrement transformées que l'on trouve dans les épiceries. Comme les pommes de terre de Todays Potatoes sont à moitié cuites, le temps de cuisson est réduit de moitié . De plus, les consommateurs n'ont pas à peler, à couper ou à trancher les pommes de terre. Un autre avantage des produits à base de pommes de terre fraîches de Todays Potatoes est qu'ils conservent la teneur en éléments nutritifs des pommes de terre non transformées, y compris de bons taux de potassium, de vitamine C, de vitamine B et de calcium . D'un autre côté, ils ne contiennent pas de taux élevés de matières grasses, de sel et d'agents de conservation que l'on trouve généralement dans les produits à base de pommes de terres entièrement transformées. «Nous n'utilisons pas d'agents de conservation. Nous utilisons un agent séquestrant et nous effectuons un conditionnement sous atmosphère modifiée, ce qui aide pour la conservation au détail,» explique Jason Meyers. «Les pommes de terre conservent toutes les qualités naturelles et bonnes pour la santé des pommes de terres crues.» Les produits ont une date de péremption après 14 jours quand ils sont envoyés chez le détaillant. Les produits de Todays Potatoes se trouvent dans la section des salades emballées et réfrigérées dans les épiceries et se vendent en sachets de 500 grammes à 2,99 $ pièce. Cette société a été capable de vendre ses produits dans les magasins Safeway dans l'Ouest canadien et dans les magasins Co-op en Saskatchewan. Jason Meyers dit que le produit est dans les magasins Safeway depuis environ quatre mois et la demande a été active. Todays Potatoes travaille au développement de la distribution au détail et espère arriver à accélérer la capacité de production pour arriver à une pleine production. L'usine peut transformer 2 500 livres de produit fini à l'heure. Farmcentre www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día UK potato supplier sets standard in sustainable food production Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña, 15-10-2008 Greenvale AP in the UK has come top in sustainability of food production, according to the latest results of a two-year research project just published by the Cambridge University Institute for Manufacturing (IfM). The Competitive and Sustainable Food Manufacturing (CSFM) Project assessed five different areas of the UK food industry – Strategy, Corporate Social Responsibility, Process Control, Lean Manufacturing and Sustainability. Greenvale was one of twelve key UK food businesses selected, including companies in food production (growers), wholesalers, food processing and supermarkets, benchmarking each company against its sector and industry average. And the results were remarkable, ranking Greenvale as by far the highest scoring company in the research programme. The researchers found its performance to be way above all sector and industry averages, always better than 'very good'. The researchers singled out the company for praise particularly in 'lean manufacturing' (minimising waste), which in the past has been identified as one of the food industry's weakest areas. Greenvale 'excels' in lean manufacturing, says the Institute, not only in understanding the issues, but also implementing them 'tangibly', and adopting the techniques throughout the company. The report also praised Greenvale for its intensive employee training programmes to achieve these results. Other 'excellent' practices by Greenvale included an extended recycling regime and good energy saving schemes, as well as packaging reduction programs and the elimination of waste. Greenvale was considered 'excellent', compared to both the industry and sector averages. "Greenvale AP was the highest scoring organisation out of 12 companies interviewed," concluded the report. Trevor Dear, Operations Director at Greenvale AP, said: "Obviously we are delighted with these results. In recent years we've worked very hard to lead by example in agriculture and food production. But to know we are also setting a standard for the rest of the food industry - wholesalers, food processing, supermarkets and the like - is especially gratifying." For more information visit the Greenvale AP website at www.greenvale.co.uk . Potato News www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Low demand frustrates potato growers Argenpapa. Bangladesh, 12-11-2008 ( The Daily Star).- Potato growers, already faced with preservation constraints for their produces, are now at a risk of not being able to sell the perishable item ahead of fresh season. This year 297 cold storages across the country preserved 22 lakh tonnes of potato, including 4.5 lakh tonnes of seed. But, at least five lakh tonnes of potato kept in such storages will remain unsold on arrival of the harvest in the market within this month, the sector people warned. The potato season begins in November and ends between April and May. This item is required to be stored in a period between April-May and November. "Demand for old potato declines sharply when new varieties come to the market. Thus the farmers and cold storage owners will lose around Tk 800 crore by failing to sell their stored potato or selling those at a low price," said Jasim Uddin, president of Bangladesh Cold Storage Association. There was a bumper production of around one crore tonnes of potato last year, of which around 10 lakh tonnes went rotten since the farmers failed to find any space in the cold storages for getting their produces preserved. All the cold storages can preserve 22 lakh tonnes a year. With the preservation cost, the wholesale price for a kilogram of potato stands at Tk 15. But, the farmers are now compelled to sell out it at Tk 10 from any cold storage premises on low demand for the item. However, such demand was very high at the beginning of the year because of the inadequacy of different crops including vegetables when cyclone Sidr left a trail of devastation. Meanwhile, owners of cold storages see tough time ahead. They are worried that the indebted potato growers might not be interested to get their produces released from the cold storages. Owner of Uttara Cold Storage Ltd Reazul Haque said, “ Farmers are provided with loans ranging from from Tk 200 to Tk 400 for each 80-kg potato bag they stored with any cold storage. But they may not release their potato this time since the price is bellow the production cost." The worst-sufferer would be those owners who disbursed big amounts of loan to farmers, Haque said. The government has fixed an 80 lakh tonnes potato production target for the next season. "But the farmers will not feel encouraged to cultivate potato if they face loss by producing this perishable item. In that case, the government has to import potato from abroad at a high price," said the cold storage association chief. As a solution, the sector people suggested the government include potato in its 100-day employment generation scheme and different social safety net activities such as Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGF) and Vulnerable Group Development (VGD) programmes. A high official of the Centre for Relief Control Room of the food ministry said the government has not yet planned incorporating potato in such safety net programmes. "We will be able to allocate potato if the government takes such a policy decision,” said the official preferring not to be named. Source: thedailystar.net www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Low demand frustrates potato growers Argenpapa. Bangladesh, 14-11-2008 This file photo shows potatoes piled up in front of a cold storage as growers faced preservation constraints for their produces. Now they are frustrated over the low demand for this perishable item, sector people said. Thedailystar.net).- Potato growers, already faced with preservation constraints for their produces, are now at a risk of not being able to sell the perishable item ahead of fresh season. This year 297 cold storages across the country preserved 22 lakh tonnes of potato, including 4.5 lakh tonnes of seed. But, at least five lakh tonnes of potato kept in such storages will remain unsold on arrival of the harvest in the market within this month, the sector people warned. The potato season begins in November and ends between April and May. This item is required to be stored in a period between April-May and November. "Demand for old potato declines sharply when new varieties come to the market. Thus the farmers and cold storage owners will lose around Tk 800 crore by failing to sell their stored potato or selling those at a low price," said Jasim Uddin, president of Bangladesh Cold Storage Association. There was a bumper production of around one crore tonnes of potato last year, of which around 10 lakh tonnes went rotten since the farmers failed to find any space in the cold storages for getting their produces preserved. All the cold storages can preserve 22 lakh tonnes a year. With the preservation cost, the wholesale price for a kilogram of potato stands at Tk 15. But, the farmers are now compelled to sell out it at Tk 10 from any cold storage premises on low demand for the item. However, such demand was very high at the beginning of the year because of the inadequacy of different crops including vegetables when cyclone Sidr left a trail of devastation. Meanwhile, owners of cold storages see tough time ahead. They are worried that the indebted potato growers might not be interested to get their produces released from the cold storages. Owner of Uttara Cold Storage Ltd Reazul Haque said, “ Farmers are provided with loans ranging from from Tk 200 to Tk 400 for each 80-kg potato bag they stored with any cold storage. But they may not release their potato this time since the price is bellow the production cost." The worst-sufferer would be those owners who disbursed big amounts of loan to farmers, Haque said. The government has fixed an 80 lakh tonnes potato production target for the next season. "But the farmers will not feel encouraged to cultivate potato if they face loss by producing this perishable item. In that case, the government has to import potato from abroad at a high price," said the cold storage association chief. As a solution, the sector people suggested the government include potato in its 100-day employment generation scheme and different social safety net activities such as Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGF) and Vulnerable Group Development (VGD) programmes. A high official of the Centre for Relief Control Room of the food ministry said the government has not yet planned incorporating potato in such safety net programmes. "We will be able to allocate potato if the government takes such a policy decision,” said the official preferring not to be named. www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Une bio raffinerie à base de pomme de terre sera développée grâce à un réseau franco-canadien Argenpapa. Canadá/ Francia, 24-11-2008 (Campagnesetenvironnement).- Le bassin Picardie - Nord Pas de Calais - Champagne Ardenne souhaite devenir le centre de gravité pour une plate-forme de travail autour de la pomme de terre sur le concept de bioraffinerie. Une délégation française constituée de représentants de l'Université de Picardie Jules Verne, du CoDEM, du Comité Nord Plants de Pommes de Terre et du pôle de compétitivité Industries AgroRessources, a rencontré des représentants de l'Agriculture AgriFood Canada et de l'industrie canadienne de la pomme de terre en octobre. Cette rencontre a jeté les bases d'un réseau transatlantique visant à développer des projets pré-compétitifs de recherche/développement sur le concept de la bioraffinerie à base pomme de terre. Les thématiques fédératrices de BioPom sont les bio-pesticides, la pomme de terre aliment santé ou encore les bio-plastiques. L'objectif est de mobiliser des programmes de RetD afin de promouvoir le développement de l'industrie par l'innovation scientifique et technique et assurer la position des partenaires franco-canadiens sur la scène internationale. www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día La pomme de terre de demain s'invente dans le Pays de Caux Argenpapa. Francia, 26-11-2008 BRETTEVILLE DU GRAND CAUX (AFP) — A certaines périodes de l'année, Frédérique Aurousseau mange des pommes de terre quatre fois par jour en dehors des repas: elle est généticienne et teste ainsi les qualités culinaires des nouvelles variétés qu'elle élabore dans une station de recherche à Bretteville du Grand Caux, en Seine-Maritime. Frédérique Aurousseau, la généticienne responsable de la Station de Recherche sur la pomme de terre de Bretteville-Du-Grand-Caux, le 19 novembre 2008 L'hiver, lorsque les autres travaux se font plus rares, l'épreuve se répète tous les jours à 10H00, 12H00, 15H00 et 17H00 avec la petite dizaine de membres de son équipe dans la cuisine de cette station, qui est une émanation des 500 producteurs de plants de pommes de terre du nord de la France. "A midi, on apprécie car on commence à avoir faim mais à 15H00 c'est plus difficile", reconnaît-elle. Odile Brière, technicienne labo à la Station de Recherche sur la pomme de terre de Bretteville-Du-Grand-Caux, le 19 novembre 2008 A la différence des oenologues qui peuvent recracher le vin, les dégustateurs de pommes de terre doivent ingérer la tubercule. "La pomme de terre ne développe pas d'arômes comme le vin et il faut l'avaler pour en apprécier pleinement le goût", explique-t-elle. Dans la cuisine, la conversation ne tourne donc pas autour de la violette, du pamplemousse, des fruits rouges ou de la pierre à fusil. "On note simplement la pomme de terre sur une échelle de un à dix pour dire si elle est bonne ou pas bonne", résume-t-elle. La dégustation se fait à l'aveugle, après cuisson à la vapeur, avec comme "témoin" une variété ancienne, la Bintje. Il faut dix ans pour inventer une nouvelle variété et l'étape de la dégustation n'apparaît qu'au bout de la quatrième année. L'élaboration commence par une réflexion sur l'objectif à atteindre. Que veut-on? Une variété hâtive ou tardive? Très ou moyennement résistante aux maladies? A la chair jaune ou blanche? Pour faire des frites ou des salades? Une fois défini l'objectif, il faut trouver deux "parents" qui réunissent à eux deux les qualités imaginées. Le "mariage" s'opère par pollinisation entre un plan masculinisé et un autre féminisé par le sélectionneur parce que la pomme de terre est naturellement hermaphrodite. Les graines issues de cette fleur sont semées l'année suivante pour donner des plants tous génétiquement différents, qui sont autant de variétés potentielles. Mais au fil des ans et des plantations, la plupart seront impitoyablement éliminées par le sélectionneur parce que malades, chétives, difformes ou peu productives. A partir de la quatrième année, les survivantes sont cultivées expérimentalement en plein champ par des agriculteurs qui collaborent aux programmes. Les variétés hâtives sont ainsi testées dans les régions productrices de primeurs comme la Bretagne ou l'Aquitaine. Ce parcours du combattant s'achève au bout de la dixième année devant le jury chargé de l'inscription au catalogue officiel des variétés. Signe de reconnaissance, l'inscription permet aussi à la station de toucher des royalties sur chaque plant vendu et de financer ainsi ses recherches futures. A ce jour, une vingtaine de variétés inventées à Bretteville du Grand Caux ont reçu le précieux sésame. Parmi elles, figurent des pommes de terre aujourd'hui reconnues pour leur exceptionnelle qualité gustative comme la Pompadour ou la Franceline. www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día New CIPC rates in Britain mean planning is vital for potato growers ARGENPAPA. Gran Bretaña. 19-12-2008 Gran Bretaña. (Potato News.).- Potato Council is urging store managers to review chlorpropham (CIPC) product labels. New application rates are in place and it's vital that applications are carefully planned to ensure they follow label recommendations. New limits apply to CIPC applications, following a review by PSD. In addition, some products have been re-registered which has resulted in significant label changes. However, not all product has been re-registered and so there is some scope for confusion. Noticias al día National Network for Innovation in the Potato Argenpapa. España, 26-12-2008 España. (Innovation Report).- NEIKER-Tecnalia has actively participated in the recent creation of the National Network for Innovation in the Potato, the coordinator of which is José Ignacio Ruiz de Galarreta, principal researcher at NEIKER-Tecnalia. Anzeige The general aim of the Red Patata (Potato Network) is to organise and make operational a Spanish network for the enhancement and technological transference of the potato, as well as to serve as a forum for the interchange of information and knowledge about the needs of the sector, identifying emerging technologies and creating a consortium that represents all the links in the chain in order to increase the competitiveness of this crop. The strategic objectives of this network are to identify the needs and the knowledge of the various sectors involved, to define the mechanisms of communication for enhanced transmission of knowledge, to promote cooperation between the various players for participation in R+D+i, projects, to define the factors at a scientific, economic and industrial level that enable an increase of competitiveness of the crop and, finally, to publish the various existing international initiatives concerning the potato. Technological objectives The Red Patata also sets out three technological objectives. The first is achieving greater access to advanced germoplasm (clones), and sources of resistance (pre-enhancement products) through the interchange coordinated and facilitated by the Network. This involves interchange between countries, through their respective national (INIAs) programmes and international ones (CIP). The interchange at a national scale, within each country and between the players belonging to the chains of research and production of the tuber, will also be gradually augmented, special emphasis being given to end users – made up of small farmers in disfavoured regions. Agreements will be needed between countries belonging to the Network, to coincide in the regulation of the interchange of the germoplasm. With this it is proposed to partially mitigate the legislation which inhibit this interchange of germoplasm - in favour of developing countries - through common agreement What is proposed is a planned system of interchange, taking full advantage of the wealth of biodiversity of the potato in Latin America, in order to attend to the specific demand of each country or region. This will be facilitated by the implementation of virtual selection systems enabling users to inform themselves of the origin, properties and characteristics of the germoplasm required. Moreover, it will enable the virtual pre-selection of material by users and also enable feedback for the data bases with records of use and selection trials, so that players within the Network can access the results obtained from the use of interchanged germoplasm. representative organisations in the sector. The third objective of the Red Nacional de Innovación en Patata aims at greater efficiency in the evaluation of the various resistant and productive germoplasms, by means of standardised, comparable and shared procedures; also through operational information systems. Greater professional capacity in national enhancement programmes using greater access to information and new technologies is proposed. Thus, what is involved is the application of new marketing and promotion strategies, accelerated schemes for freeing up systems, strategic alliances between public-private sectors, and active participation of the various organisations in the potato growing, production and distribution chain and also an improved provision of good quality seeds of new varieties, economically accessible by smallholders also. Finally the application of technological innovations for seed production, adapted to the specific contexts of greater professional capacities in national programmes and in seed growing sectors. www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Potato industry don't want seed potato levy to cease Argenpapa. Irlanda del Norte, 14-01-2009 Irlanda del Norte. (Nwipp).- Northern Ireland Potato Stakeholder Forum Chairman Derek Shaw and Ulster Farmers' Union Potato Policy Chairman James Lawrence have jointly voiced their concern at the Agriculture Ministers decision to cease the collection of the Seed Potato Levy. James Lawrence said; "The UFU and the NI Potato Stakeholders Forum have opposed the revocation of the Seed Potato Levy and have repeatedly advised DARD of the views held by the potato industry. Stopping the levy abruptly is inappropriate; industry representatives had proposed that the levy should be sustained for at least the next five years. Levy collection should have continued, with the industry given the opportunity to work with AFBI, especially at such an exciting time, when an invitation to tender for future breeding programmes at Loughgall has been announced". The UFU and the Potato Stakeholder Forum say historically, Seed Potato Levy money has been used to support industry led trials, marketing demonstrations and other projects such as the successful Hygiene Awareness Training Programme and Storage Training Programme. James Lawrence added; "The Ministers decision is poorly timed, however limited this amount of money may have been. The potato industry is very aware of the decline in the hectarage of seed potatoes planted over recent years, but the sector has potential for growth and the levy should be an integral part of that process". www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Aid agencies help Jaffna farmers plant potatoes Argenpapa. Sri Lanka, 19-01-2009 Sri Lanka. (lankaeverything).- Aid agencies have sent a consignment of seed potatoes to Jaffna, for distribution to hundreds of farmers before the end of the monsoon season. Responding to a request made by the Government Agent in Jaffna coordinated by the Ministry of Social Services and Social Welfare, Approximately 58 metric tons of seed potatoes is being supplied to some 500 conflict-affected farmers, some of whom are also Samurdhi beneficiaries who are restarting their livelihoods. The UN Development Programme (UNDP), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) worked closely together to import the seedpotatoes directly from the Netherlands and to ensure that this joint effort complements other programmes these agencies are involved with in Jaffna to increase people's well being. Since there is a current shortage of potatoes in the district, this distribution will boost production in what is considered to be one of the most fertile regions for potato farming in Sri Lanka. The Department of Agriculture, the Agrarian Services Centre and the Government Agent in Jaffna are assisting with the distribution of the seed potatoes, ensuring efficiency and fair distribution. By swiftly responding in this targeted fashion, and as team with the expertise of different UN agencies, were boosting critical producers, helping create jobs and adding to the food security of this country, said Neil Buhne, UN Resident Coordinator. This joint effort will also complement efforts to mark 2008 as the United Nations International Year of the Potato. Potatoes are an integral part of the global food system and its consumption is expanding strongly in developing countries, which now accounts for more than half of the global harvest. In addition, the ease of cultivation of this crop and its high energy content have made it a valuable cash crop for millions of farmers. The UN remains committed to helping developing countries such as Sri Lanka boost food production in close cooperation with the local government and entities. www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Scots farmers will use GM to fight potato blight 'in 10 years' Argenpapa. Escocia, 04-02-2009 Escocia. (Scotsman).- SCOTTISH potato producers will be using genetic modification in their battle against potato blight. The man behind this week's prediction, Denis Buckley, is an independent crop consultant based in Shropshire and he told a meeting of specialist growers in Perth that GM technology would be considered acceptable within the next ten years in dealing with this disease that can ravage a crop. He believed there would be two main drivers for this change. The first was the recent move by the EU to ban one of the main fungicides currently used in the fight against blight. Also arising from the ban would be an inevitable rise in production costs and price was always a driver for change, he said. "Organic production is not the answer." Part of the present problem of blight control is that more than half of the potato varieties grown today were bred almost half a century ago. When they first arrived on the scene, they may have had good resistance to blight but over the years, as the blight organism modified, the in-built resistance in the tuber has decreased. In comparison, a new aggressive strain of potato blight, Blue 13, arrived on the scene in 2004. By last season, it was dominant in attacking potato crops in the UK. In order to deal with this new strain, growers have had to up their spray programmes to the extent that they now cost 50 per cent more than they did only four years ago. Buckley told the one hundred or so growers at the meeting that the best defence in the future would be to have GM varieties of potatoes that would carry a gene resistant to blight and would therefore not require the same spray protection that are currently required. Another speaker at the conference described the latest piece of EU legislation to remove many of the crop protection sprays as "serious but not as serious as we first thought". Barrie Florendine, from UAP, a pesticide supply company, pointed out to growers that it could take up to eight years to remove unwanted pesticides as the legislation allowed times for ceasing production followed by a period after which actual usage would be banned. He also stated that there could well be use made of powers that would allow continued use of some chemicals if it was proven there were no substitute control materials. Such a derogation would be for an initial five year period, but could be extended. The legislation that will remove about 10 per cent of all the pesticides from use also had its good points. One of these would be that new products would be acceptable Europe-wide and not as at present, where individual countries have their own criteria. www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Per San Valentino regalatevi la patata a forma di cuore! Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña, 13-02-2009 I supermercati britannici stanno per introdurre sui loro scaffali uno dei più curiosi regali di San Valentino che si siano mai visti: una patata rossa a forma di cuore. Questo particolare tubero, coltivato in Francia, non sarebbe mai stato ammesso in commercio prima dell'abolizione delle norme relative agli standard di forma e peso degli ortofrutticoli, recentemente aboliti dalla comunità europea ( vedi anche articolo correlato ). Il prodotto, noto come patata Franceline, sarà lanciato dalla catena inglese di supermercati Tesco sabato prossimo, in occasione del giorno di San Valentino, festa degli innamorati. "E' incredibile pensare - ha dichiarato Jonathan Corbett, buyer per il comparto patate di Tesco - che queste patate a forma di cuore non siano mai state vendute prima a causa della loro forma non convenzionale. ma adesso è giunto il loro momento!" La curiosa forma dei tuberi viene ottenuta lasciandole crescere in contenitori che le aiutano a prendere l'aspetto di un cuore. Noticias al día Potato herbicide timing will require more attention Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña, 23 02 2009 Gran Bretaña. (F armers Weekly ).- Lower maximum linuron rates for this season plus the loss of key contact material, paraquat , before last season means potato growers will have to pay much closer attention to herbicide programmes, says Barrie Florendine, UAP's potato specialist. Timing is going to be much more tricky than when PDQ (paraquat) and higher rates of linuron were available, he says. While Retro (diquat) can be applied up to 40% emergence of main crops, the other contact options Basta and Shark should be used pre-emergence, as should residual options Defy, clomazone and the new lower maximum 1.2 litres/ha dose of linuron, he says. Ideally, growers should try to apply products just as the main shoots break the surface at the latest, he advises. "If you're using clomazone it will need to be a bit before then to make sure it isn't washed down on to the shoots [which can cause crop damage]." Hitting that timing accurately will require much more effort, however. "Once the shoots start to come, they come very quickly, so the crops will need walking and digging much more regularly." The grower has to take a bit more responsibility, he suggests, both in monitoring fields every third day, and in making sure the right chemicals have been ordered in advance." Growers will have to monitor potato fields more carefully to time herbicide sprays effectively Which residuals are used will depend on the weed species present, he adds. "But the new linuron rate is only ever going to be a mixer rate." Syngenta's Jon Ogborn says if growers choose to go on earlier, at early post-planting, for logistical reasons, then a Defy mix with metribuzin will work better than Defy plus linuron. "Assuming no varietal or soil issues, then use Sencorex it has more residual activity. Closer to emergence linuron is fine." Growers deciding to go early post-planting should also consider the strategy as potentially a two-pronged approach, he says. "Put on the residual and then monitor, and top up with Retro later on if weeds are coming through as the crop comes up." But Mr Florendine is not convinced growers will apply two weed control sprays in potatoes. "A lot of growers struggle to get one on they will need a lot of convincing to do two." Related articles www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Potato weed control overhaul requires mixture plan Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña, 16 03 2009 Gran Bretaña.(FWi).-After over 30 years of PDQ + linuron as the standard weed control in potatoes, growers will need to totally rethink weed control programmes for 2009. Last season saw the final use of PDQ , and next season a maximum of 600 g ai/ha linuron will be permitted. PDQ + linuron, applied at crop emergence, was capable of controlling all annual weeds that emerged and also provided sufficient residual control until canopy closure. Such a radical change in our herbicide armoury prompted me to propose a weed control project to the Potato Council , designed to assess PDQ alternatives and look at how to bolster the performance of reduced rates of linuron. Retro and Basta were brought to the market in an effort to replace PDQ. These two products joined Shark , already on the market as a contact herbicide in potatoes. In the trials it became clear none of these PDQ alternatives possessed the same broad spectrum weed control. Shark (0.33 litres/ha) was the best against broadleaved weeds, but had virtually no grassweed activity. Basta (2.0 litres/ha) was probably best overall, but grassweed control was inferior to PDQ and small nettle was not completely controlled. Retro (2.0 litres/ha) efficacy was greatly improved by the addition of a wetter (Activator 90), but grassweed control was not as good as PDQ, and knotgrass and small nettle were also not best controlled. Crop safety was also compared. Retro caused the expected chlorosis and necrosis but was no more damaging than PDQ. Basta, although not permitted on the emerged crop, was also no more damaging than PDQ. However, Shark caused a much higher level of crop necrosis compared with PDQ. Despite the label allowing early post-emergence applications of Shark, I think the product should only be used as a pre-emergence option. Another advantage of PDQ was the flexible application timing. Linuron + PDQ was usually aimed at just prior to emergence but weather delays often meant the mixture was applied post-emergence. Growers wanting similar flexibility will be restricted to Retro. Mixtures involving Basta or Shark should be applied probably one to two weeks earlier than traditional "at emergence" timings. These earlier timings will ensure crop safety without compromising weed control - so long as sufficient residual control is built into the tank mix. Growers and agronomists will need to ensure only linuron formulations with the new MAPP numbers are applied this season. These labels allow a maximum of 600g ai/ha to be applied in 300 litres/ha water. This low rate still contributes cost-effectively to the control of many weeds, especially the difficult polygonums weeds that are not well controlled by other residual herbicides. However, 600g ai/ha provides insufficient residual activity in all situations and needed to be bolstered by mixing Sencorex , Defy, Artist or Gamit , depending on the expected weed spectrum. More work is required to refine mixtures of residuals - three way combinations may be required for difficult weeds. Another way around the loss of PDQ is to apply higher rates of residual herbicides, before weed emergence, negating the need for contact type products. This is a viable option on sandier soils with a fine tilth, where herbicide was applied to suitably moist soil. However, more bodied soil types did not suit the earlier, residual-only approach. The subsequent weathering of soil aggregates after herbicide application disrupted the herbicide "seal", allowing weeds to escape. PDQ (2.0l) controlled virtually all emerged annual weeds in potatoes, often with something to spare, with the partner herbicide merely providing some residual activity. More thought is required now on how herbicide mixtures are put together. The residual component must also have contact activity on weeds not controlled by the contact partner, when dealing with emerged weeds. Sencorex, Artist and Defy all offer useful contact grassweed control which will complement contacts with limited grassweed activity, for example Retro and Shark. Sencorex, Linuron and Artist can similarly be used to plug the broadleaved weed gaps. Future work will seek to refine herbicide combinations and look at early applications of pendimethalin. by Mike Abram www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día No 1 potato eaten by most New Zealanders Argenpapa. Nueva Zelanda, 27 03 2009 Nueva Zelanda.(Fresh Plaza).-Potato eaters in New Zealand have almost certainly eaten the nation's number one cultivar bred by scientists at Plant & Food Research. More Moonlight potatoes are grown than any other potato here and roughly five million of them are eaten in New Zealand each year. The smooth white-skinned, white-fleshed general purpose potato named after mountain runner, Melissa Moon is a recent release from New Zealand's sole commercial potato breeding programme based at Plant & Food Research. New Zealand's potato science programmes are attracting attention this week as expert speakers gather to talk on the global potato industry's future at the 7th World Potato Congress in Christchurch from Sunday 22nd March. It is the first world congress to be hosted in New Zealand and the country's potato science is under the spot-light. The nation's potato research programmes are carried out at Plant & Food Research, the new Crown Research Institute formed in December 2008 through the merger of HortResearch and Crop & Food Research. The company's chief executive, Peter Landon-Lane says Plant & Food Research is unique in the world in the diversity of its involvement with potatoes. “We have scientists deciphering the DNA code of potatoes, developing improved crop management systems and breeding potatoes with elite characteristics,” he says. “We're also gaining a better understanding of the nutritional benefits of potatoes and our food scientists are developing healthy convenient potato-based products.” Much of the research is in partnership with industry including Potatoes New Zealand, processors and food manufacturers and it receives funding from both the New Zealand government and from royalties from cultivar sales, Mr Landon-Lane explained. A recent new technology developed by Plant & Food Research scientists is saving growers in New Zealand, Australia and now North America hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in fertiliser and irrigation costs. The potato calculator is a decision-support web-site that enables farmers and processors to predict yield and maturity dates. It has been extensively trialled and is being marketed by CropLogic. New Zealand's sole commercial potato breeding programme is based at Plant & Food Research. The popular Moonlight potato - a smooth white-skinned, white-fleshed general purpose potato named after mountain runner, Melissa Moon – is one of the releases. Another latest release is a purple skinned potato with purple tones in its flesh name ‘Purple Heart'. The purple colours come from anthocyanin pigments which are strong antioxidants. Several Plant & Food Research scientists are participating in the congress as speakers, workshop organisers and panellists. • Dr Andrew Pitman and Professor Richard Falloon are the organisers for the technical Workshop on Soilborne disease of potato • Jeremy Carter will profile the potato calculator that is saving growers fertilisers and irrigation costs. • Dr Hamish Brown is speaking in the first session about ‘Nitrogen/nitrate management for potato production'. • Dr Julian Heyes will address the congress on ‘Opportunities from potato processing waste'. • Dr Marian McKenzie is an invited participant to the Workshop on ‘Ensuring a growth market for tomorrow – applying science to rising consumer nutritional expectations'. The 7th World Potato Congress is at the Christchurch Convention Centre from Sunday 22nd March to Wednesday 25th March 2009. Noticias al día Production de la pomme de terre dans la province du Loroum : Une alternative dans la lutte contre la pauvreté Argenpapa. Burkina Faso, 01 04 2009 Burkina Faso. (Lefaso.net).-A quelques jours de la tenue de la fête de la pomme de terre qui se tiendra le 28 mars 2008 à Titao dans la province du Loroum, nous sommes allé à la rencontre des productrices et producteurs du périmètre du barrage de Titao. Zoom sur une filière en pleine expansion dans la province. Rasmané Kagoné alias Banca est vendeur de carburant à Titao. En plus de cette activité dont il semble avoir le monopole dans la commune, il (l'homme) s'investit dans la production de la tubercule jaune. Il y a environ un mois, alors que la majorité des producteur étaient au stade des semis, il fut le premier à mettre sur le marché, la pomme de terre au prix de 300 F CFA le kg à Titao. Depuis environ un mois, l'homme est permanemment sous le hall d'un bâtiment qui lui sert de magasin et où trône une balance. Préoccupation essentielle : peser et vendre aux clients sa production. Comme les autres années, l'homme affirme tirer profit de cette filière. Et son secret, produire très tôt, écouler rapidement sa production à un moment où la loi de l'offre et de la demande lui est favorable en terme de commercialisation pour devenir peu après acheteur. Bon an, mal an c'est entre 6 et 7 tonnes de pomme de terre que Banca met sur le marché de la pomme de terre. « Je suis à ma 5ème phase de récolte. Il me reste une dernière génération non encore récoltée d'environ 1 tonne. D'ici à quelques jours, j'aurai bouclé ma saison de production. ». C'est entre 1,2 et 2 millions de francs que Banca tire de la vente de la pomme de terre. Tout comme Banca, Malick, Idrissa et bien d'autres producteurs s'investissent de façon sérieuse dans la production de la pomme de terre. Ils sont organisés par groupement et par site. « Nos exploitations bénéficient de l'encadrement des groupements naams. Nous avons un comité de gestion qui nous permet d'avoir les semences à temps et nos exploitations sont suivies », affirme, Naaba Wadga, Chef du village de Titao membre du conseil de gestion. Ibrahim Ouédrago, responsable du comité de gestion du groupement naam de Titao. A Titao, les femmes sont nombreuses sur les périmètres maraîchers. Sur des lopins plus ou moins confinés en quelques planches, les femmes semblent tirer leur épingle dans cette activité autrefois réservé aux hommes. « Nous produisons la pomme de terre et les oignons pour faire face aux besoins de nos familles. Les hommes ne veulent plus prendre en charge la popote. Avec donc les recettes issues de la vente de ces produits, nous assurons souvent la popote et les dépenses de nos enfants. C'est nous qui nous occupons la plupart du temps de l'habillement des enfants, de leurs santé et de leur alimentation », affirme Azéta, une productrice. Sur le périmètre de Watinoma, plusieurs femmes sont présentes. Diversifier la production pour mieux répondre aux défis du marché Elles s'activent, chacune exploitant entre 10 et 40 planches de pomme de terre. Elles excellaient dans la production de l'ail et de l'oignon. Mais depuis deux à trois ans, plusieurs femmes interviennent dans la pomme de terre. Lizeta, productrice sur le site de Watinoma affirme attendre 100 mille francs de recettes pour cette campagne. A Toulfé, Rimassa et Tansalaga, des groupements de femmes exploitent entre un demi hectare et un hectare. Elles sont appuyées dans leurs activités par la FAO à travers un projet d'appui d'urgence. Le projet de « Reconstitution de la capacité de production des familles vulnérables victimes de malnutrition, de la hausse des prix et des chocs climatiques » appui 1 350 femmes dans la province du Loroum. Elles produisent en plus de la pomme de terre de l'oignon, de la carotte et des choux. Les producteurs du Loroum bénéficient également de l'appui des partenaires tels le Programme de développement rural durable, King Agro, le Programme d'appui aux filières agrosylvopastorales, le projet de sécurité alimentaire par la récupération de terres fortement dégradées, le programme petite irrigation villageoise, etc. Il est 13 heure. Sous un soleil ardent, Azéta, deux arrosoirs en main fait le va et vient entre un puits maraîcher situé à quelques dizaines de mètres de là, et ses parcelles d'oignon et de pomme de terre. « Nous souhaitons avoir un accompagnement des projets et programmes de développement. Les femmes se battent mais leur moyens sont limités. Souvent, accéder à la terre est un véritable casse tête chinois. Les propriétaires terriens préfèrent donner la terre aux hommes. Il est difficile d'avoir le même espace pendant deux ans successifs. Nous sommes souvent surpris de nous voir exproprier la terre au profit d'une autre personne », soutient Azéta. Malgré tout, elles contribuent de façon significative à l'accroissement de la production maraîchère dans la province du Loroum. Si elles ne sont pas sur leur petits lopins personnels, elles sont sur les exploitations familiales. C'est elles qui arrivent tôt sur les sites le matin et repartent tardivement dans la soirée. Il y en a qui font la cuisine sur place. Sur les différents sites de production, plusieurs producteurs s'activent à produire la pomme de terre et l'oignon. El Hadj Halidou Zango est un habitué des bas-fonds de Titao. Il s'active depuis quelques jours à la récolte de sa production d'oignon. « L'année passé, l'oignon a connu une mévente mais ce n'est pas pour autant que nous devons l'abandonner. Nous tentons de diversifier la production, pour ne pas être surpris », souligne t-il. « Cette année, j'ai produit 60 planches de pomme de terre et 100 planches d'oignons. Avant, je produisais la carotte sur le même site. Mais aujourd'hui, c'est la pomme de terre et l'oignon », poursuit-il. « La fête de la pomme de terre, a contribué à promouvoir cette filière maraîchère dans la province du Loroum. Avant, il n'y avait que quelques producteurs qui intervenaient dans la culture maraîchère. Mais de nos jours, le barrage est pris d'assaut au risque même d'être ensablé », conclut El Hadj Zango. Ezékiel Niampa, producteur sur le site, Pasteur s'attend à 2,5 tonnes de pomme de terre. Il dit investir ses recettes dans l'élevage. “L'an passé, j'ai pu réaliser un bénéfice net de 500 mille francs de la vente de ma production. J'investit les recettes dans l'élevage. J'ambitionne construire une maison avec mes recettes de pomme de terre”. Conquérir le marché sous-régional Sur le terrain, les producteurs restent confronté à un sérieux problème d'eau pour parachever la campagne. Le barrage de Titao ne contient à présent que quelques filets d'eau. Les producteurs se sont rabattus sur des puits maraîchers, de plus en plus profond. Cette insuffisance d'eau est liée à la faiblesse de la pluviométrie enregistré au cours de la saison précédente. « La province n'a pas enregistré de fortes pluies capables d'alimenter le barrage. Le déversoir n'a même pas coulé un seul instant pendant la campagne », soutient Almissi Sawadogo, directeur provincial de l'Agriculture et des Ressources halieutique du Loroum. Toutefois, le directeur est rassurant quant à l'achèvement de la campagne. Almissi Sawadogo trouve même que c'est cette année que la province a le plus produit. « Nous attendons 2 140,5 tonnes de pomme de terre pour la seule commune de Titao contre 1 718 tonnes la saison précédente ». Cette situation est due au fait que les producteurs évoluent en amont. Et le retrait rapide de l'eau leur a permis cette année d'anticiper la production. La fumure de la saison précédente n'a pas été entièrement dégradée. Aussi, ajoute M. Sawadogo, « beaucoup de personnes se sont investis cette année dans la production maraîchère pour compenser le déficit céréalier enregistré pendant la campagne agricole afin de reconstituer leur stock alimentaire ». Le kilogramme de la pomme de terre se négocie sur le marché à 200 F. D'années en années, les rendements et les productions sont en continuelle progression. Les techniques de production sont de plus en plus maîtrisées. La filière pomme de terre rapporte aux producteurs du Loroum trois cent à quatre cent millions de francs l'an. Une activité économique qui mobilise plus de 403 producteurs dans la seule commune de Titao, dont 269 femmes et 134 hommes. La commercialisation demeure également une préoccupation majeure des producteurs. Même si Abdoulaye Niampa reconnaît que la fête de la pomme de terre a contribué à donner plus de visibilité à la production maraîchère du Loroum, les producteurs attendent que le marché soit plus organisé. Pour Célestin Bélem, Président de l'Association des Producteurs Maraîchers du Burkina (APMB), il s'agit de travailler à mieux organiser les producteurs. « Les producteurs doivent se regrouper pour mieux défendre leurs intérêts. C'est le défi que compte relever l'APMB dont l'objectif principal est de promouvoir la culture maraîchère dans la province. Nous travaillons à soutenir toutes les activités en amont comme en aval, c'est –à – dire acquérir d'une façon durable les moyens de production, entreprendre toute action qui peut contribuer à favoriser l'écoulement de la production. Nous entendons diffuser des technologies de conservation à faible coût au niveau des producteurs », confie M. BELEM. Pour Monsieur BELEM, le Loroum doit aller vers un label de production de la pomme de terre biologique. « Nous incitons les producteurs à l'utilisation de la fumure organique. Ce qui nous permets d'avoir des pomme de terre de meilleure qualité avec des rendement de 25 à 30 t/ ha », renchérit le Président de l'APMB. www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día New blight strain demands extra vigilance Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña, 13 04 2009 Gran Bretaña.(FWi).-With aggressive potato blight strain A2-Blue13 now dominant, skill is again needed to strike the right balance between effective control and acceptable fungicide use. The new strain first showed up near Ipswich in 2005 and has rocketed in prevalence from 38% that year to almost 80% now. When combined with blight-conducive weather and poor spraying conditions, as in 2007, it can put pressure on blight control programmes, leading to some of the worst potato blight on record. "Growers need to be aware that we are dealing with a different type of blight these days," advises Potato Council blight specialist Gary Collins. "It is more aggressive, it is fitter and it will come into crops earlier. So consult an agronomist to ensure you correctly interpret the risk of blight, indicated by Smith Periods, and choose the right control strategy." That A2-Blue13 is more damaging is not disputed. PC-funded glasshouse trials show it is the most aggressive strain, creating larger blight lesions and producing spores more rapidly than other strains. Significantly it can produce spores at less than 10C and the period between infection and sporrulation is far shorter than previously encountered - typically four and a half days for the new A2 blight, compared to six or seven days for conventional blight. SCRI's Dave Cooke confirms the rise of A2-Blue13. "The onward march of the Blue A2 blight strain is really quite clear. Genotype testing of more than 1600 samples in 2008 has revealed it now represents 79% of the blight population - up from last year's 71%. Blue 13 is now dominant across the whole of Great Britain." So does that render Smith Periods obsolete? Not at all, insists Mr Collins. "Smith periods are still a very good indication of blight risk. Research so far has compared A2-13 to other strains at two temperatures. It's enough to show us there's a change, but not enough to redesign decision support systems." Paul Coleman, technical director with potato packer Greenvale, agrees. "Smith Periods still have a valid part to play and the Blightwatch website highlights whether blight has been found in your area and whether Smith Periods and, perhaps more relevantly now, 'near misses' have occurred. That helps drive spraying decisions." Where blight pressure is moderate start spraying early and adopt a seven-day interval, tightening to an even closer five-day interval under severe pressure, advises Mr Coleman. But he is keen for growers not to over-react. "We've been living with this new strain for three years now. Yes, it is more aggressive, with larger lesions and a marginally shorter lifecycle, so blight management strategies do need to change, but only when conditions are conducive for blight. There's no need to charge in too early with seven-day sprays when the weather is still dry and there is no risk of blight. Look at the risk factors first," he urges. John Keer, who runs field trials in East Anglia, echoes the view that blight is now a different disease. "I see it clearly in trials, where older products, based on phenylamides, mancozeb, Shirlan and the like, are giving nowhere near the control they did 10 or 11 years ago." But that does little to change his view of Smith Periods. "I've always seen them as rather retrospective. I'd rather look at whether blight is in the area, and Blightwatch is very helpful for that, and then consider the weather forecast. Even today's better chemistry is still protectant, so protecting the crop ahead of what is coming is what counts." So what is the advice for flexing strategies this spring? "Where the threat of blight is high, an early start to the programme may be necessary, and there may be less scope to extend spray intervals," Mr Collins comments. "Growers should also ensure a good mix of active ingredients in their fungicide programme, particularly being mindful of a more cautionary approach to phenylamide use as recommended by manufacturers. "It's now more important than ever to build well-timed applications around a realistic threat-based blight control strategy. Above all, stay alert and report any signs of blight." Potato blight £20m a year spent on control A2-Blue13 more aggressive: Sporulates at lower temperatures and cycles in 4.5 days not 7-8 days. Dominant in UK - first found near Ipswich 2005 2007: Worst blight pressure on record - 301 outbreaks and double the usual number of Smith Periods in June and July (2200 cf 800); hampered by poor spraying conditions 2008: 255 blight incidents, crops received 11 fungicide treatments on average Smith Period guide to infection risk: Two consecutive days over 10C with at least 11 hours a day above 90% relative humidity. "Near miss" if one or both days includes 10 hours above 90% rh Sign up to PCL Blightwatch and Fight Against Blight at www.potato.org.uk/blight (existing users get first message in early May) Blight research Ensuring decision support systems keep pace with the new blight strains is a key focus of a new three-year £250,000 Potato Council-funded blight research programme, which aims to improve understanding of how new populations respond to temperature and humidity. The Potato Council is also commissioning blight scouts to undertake intensive crop monitoring and sampling again this year, to aid ongoing blight population research. by Charles Abel www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Mozambique has potential to produce potato seed Argenpapa . Mozambique, 15 04 2009 Maputo, Mozambique.(MacauHub).– Mozambique could put an end to the import of potato seed and produce it locally and needs only to make use of the agricultural and ecological conditions that some of its regions offer, said the director of the Mozambican Agrarian Research Institute (IIAM). According to Mozambican newspaper Notícias, Calisto Bias said that the mountainous region of Socera, in Manica province, is the one that currently has the best specific conditions and that, if it were used, the country would no longer need to import the seed. Potato cropping is currently being re-launched in Mozambique. The 2008-2011 plan for food production, developed by the Ministry of Agriculture, projects that cultivating potatoes (as opposed to sweet potato which is more common in Mozambique), the planting of which was re-launched in 2005, will, by 2011 produce some 72,000 tonnes, which is enough to cover 83 percent of the needs of the country's urban and suburban areas. For that purpose planting areas will be around 1,800 hectares in the 2008/09 season, and 2,500 and 4,000 hectares in the 2009/10 and 2010/11 seasons, respectively. During the three abovementioned seasons investment is expected to total some 955 million meticals, of which around 73 million will be earmarked for research programmes, 9 million for seed imports, 845 million for subsidised loans for producers and around 26 million meticals for fertilisers and pesticides. Current Mozambican production of potatoes is around 81,000 tonnes per season, which represents a deficit of 174,000 tonnes, given that the country consumes 256,000 tonnes. (macauhub) www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Potato aphicide tactics rethink needed Argenpapa . Gran Bretaña, 27 04 2009 Gran Bretaña.(First4Farming).-Have you got to grips with Blue 13 in potato blight programmes yet? Well a fresh wave of virus vectors and a newly-dominant strain of Myzus persicae demand an aphicide strategy rethink, too. A number of previously ignored aphid species are piling on the pressure from potato viruses A and Y. These new villains have caused up to a quarter of certified seed crops in England to be downgraded and home-saved seed with over 10% infection has suffered serious yield penalties. The so-called non-persistent viruses hitch a ride between plants on the mouthparts (stylets) of a wide range of aphid species, spreading infection during the briefest probing of leaf tissues as aphids move from plant to plant seeking suitable food. Jon Pickup at SASA in Edinburgh has shown that the rose-grain aphid and cereal aphid are significant sources of PVY. Infection can be carried on stylets for 18-21 hours, so infected aphids moving on the prevailing wind could transfer viruses significant distances, if there is no feeding in between to purge their mouthparts. The world has changed, says Eric Anderson, senior agronomist with Scottish Agronomy . Previously, we focused on Myzus persicae and PLRV. Now we need to think about cereal aphids as significant potato virus vectors, too. Brian Fenton and Gaynor Malloch at SCRI in Scotland have also logged the rapid rise of new o-genotype MACE-resistant Myzus persicae. Unknown before 2006 and from just 43% of the population in 2007, it hit 92% in Scottish Agronomy's Fife trial site last year. That mirrors national data and the o-genotype is now considered endemic in England and Scotland. The good news is that it is fully susceptible to pyrethroids - the link between MACE and kdr (knock-down resistance) has been broken. More good news is that this spring's aphid attack should be up to a fortnight later than recent seasons. The cold start means we should expect less of an impact, because aphids should fly in later, says Stephen Foster of BBSRC's Rothamsted Research. But it isn't all good news. The winter will have hit predators and parasitoids, too, so when aphid numbers start building, they could do so very quickly. Allowing for label restrictions, Mr Anderson urges growers to use a neonicotinoid in the first and third aphicide spray to combat PVY. In susceptible varieties, including Desiree, King Edward, Lady Rosetta, Maris Peer, Maris Piper, Pentland Dell, Saturna and Shepody, start control with the first blight spray as plants emerge. Noticias al día Blight outbreaks from dumps are on the rise in Great Britain Argenpapa . Gran Bretaña, 29 04 2009 Gran Bretaña. (Potato News).- More blight may be originating from outgrade piles as a result of growers losing focus on control, according to Potato Council. Through the Fight Against Blight (FAB) campaign, Potato Council has been raising awareness and monitoring the disease. In previous years this has led to a substantial reduction in blight from outgrade piles and volunteers. However, in 2008, figures show that blight from outgrade piles has increased since the previous year. This is something Potato Council is keen to keep in check. “During the 2003 season, blight scouts reported that over 18% of outbreaks originated from outgrade piles. This led to a campaign to target this major source of infection,” notes Potato Council blight specialist Gary Collins. “The result was to reduce the level dramatically, with only 1.6% of outbreaks in 2007 attributed to outgrade piles. During 2008 the level rose to 5.8%, showing that everyone needs to be vigilant when it comes to controlling any growth from this potential blight source.” The rise in potatoes grown in allotments poses another risk for growers. Mr Collins comments: “The credit crunch has increased the trend in producing home-grown potatoes, grown in gardens and allotments. This may result in increased levels of blight from areas that are seldom treated.” He urges growers to be vigilant, especially near allotments, and to report any signs of infection through the FAB scout network. Potato Council is also planning separate communications with garden and allotment associations. Mr Collins recommends growers stick to the following principles: * Vigilance. Stay alert for signs of blight and control sources of infection, such as outgrade piles and volunteers. Sign up for the free FAB/Blightwatch alerts at www.potato.org.uk/blight * Planning. Discuss your control strategy with your agronomist well before the season begins. Spray programmes should be well-timed applications around a realistic threat-based blight control strategy * Timeliness. Where the threat of blight is high, an early start to the programme may be necessary, and there may be less scope to extend spray intervals * Product. The current fungicide armoury, used well, will bring you good control. But growers should also ensure a good mix of active ingredients in their fungicide programme, particularly being mindful of a more cautionary approach to Phenylamide use being recommended by manufacturers, and possibly customer restrictions, such as limits on the total dose of propamocarb. There is still little evidence to suggest that recombination is taking place in British crops, which would result in the formation of oospores, but it is important to look out for the common signs which will indicate that blight possibly originated from this soil-borne source. A new Growers' Advice sheet on identifying outbreaks that may be associated with oospores, will be available on the website soon. “An early indication of infection from oospores will be many small lesions affecting lower leaves that are touching, or close to, the soil surface. Airborne blight typically affects the upper leaves first. Infection will look particularly aggressive and needs urgent treatment,” warns Mr Collins. “Although the viability of oospores over time in different British soils is not known, growers should remain alert. The A1 and A2 mating types that can lead to recombination were present in fields that can be back in potato production from this season,” he highlights. Growers are encouraged to sign up to Fight Against Blight on www.potato.org.uk/blight which provides free access to the latest, localised information on blight outbreaks and Smith periods via Blightwatch, which can be accessed through the Potato Council website. Alerts are available via both email and mobile phone. Any grower who finds evidence of blight, especially if it may be related to oospores, and anyone interested in becoming a blight scout should contact Gary Collins at gcollins@potato.org.uk . www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Growers urged to take anti-resistance measures seriously Argenpapa . General, 11 05 2009 General. ( Gowan Comércio).- He advises that growers should apply the rules of resistance management more strictly, by integrating blight fungicides that work on different sites of action and that have proven multi-site activity into the blight control programme. “Electis contains two active ingredients; zoxium which works on a unique site of action distinct from all known blight products and mancozeb which works on several different sites in the fungus. So Electis offers a particularly strong anti-resistance position. The unique combination of actives also results in proven foliar and tuber blight activity,” points out John. “Furthermore there is no known resistance to Electis and no shift in its status since its launch in 2001. In fact mancozeb has been around for over 45 years with no known resistance problems anywhere in the world. Electis controls all known blight races and strains, including the new A2-13 genotypes and those resistant to phenylamides,” he says. John Edmonds reports that FRAC defines 5 sites of action for potato fungicides and zoxium with its unique site of action offers one out of this limited number of possibilities. “By including this unique active into your blight programme, growers can take advantage of all available sites of action and so minimise any future risk.” “The low resistance risk of Electis is demonstrated by its label which allows up to ten sprays in any one season. This gives growers ultimate flexibility as to how they integrate this fungicide into their programmes for effective foliar and tuber blight control and as a resistance management strategy.” John Edmonds points out that Gowan Comércio are keen to reinvigorate this unique and highly effective blight product this year and for the future and are investing heavily in it, not just in demonstration trials but also in late blight trials in the UK and Europe. “In addition we are also looking to the future at appropriate partner products to prolong zoxium for the benefit of potato growers.” For further information, please contact John Edmonds, on 01223 506 606 or 07764 268 199 (mobile). www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Con reportage fotografico di 25 immagini La buona novella: la patata primaticcia e' anche "ipocalorica"! Argenpapa . Italia, 29 05 2009 Italia.(Fresh Plaza).- In occasione del Workshop organizzato dall'ICE (Istituto per il commercio estero) di Bari per la promozione di due produzioni tipiche pugliesi - la patata novella e l'asparago ( vedi precedente articolo ) - il Dott. Pietro Santamaria ( nella foto qui accanto ) dell'Università di Bari ha presentato un'interessante relazione sulle specifiche caratteristiche che distinguono la patata precoce o "primaticcia" da quella comune. Clicca qui per accedere al reportage fotografico sul Workshop Patata Novella e Asparago Rispetto alle patate comuni, le patate novelle presentano un maggior contenuto di acqua e un minore contenuto di zuccheri: il loro potere calorico è dunque inferiore a quello delle patate comuni. In quanto a vitamina C, inoltre, le patate primaticce ne contengono il doppio rispetto a quelle comuni; alcune varietà coltivate in Puglia raggiungono anche 29 - 35 mg di vitamina C per 100 grammi di prodotto. Questa caratteristica nutrizionale risulta molto importante nei paesi in cui il consumo di patate è molto più elevato di quello italiano (ade esempio, Belgio, Gran Bretagna o Irlanda). "Si pensi - spiega il dott. Santamaria - che mentre in Italia si consumano in media 50 grammi di patate al giorno, in Belgio il consumo è da 4 a 5 volte maggiore". Clicca qui per accedere al reportage fotografico sul Workshop Patata Novella e Asparago La patata precoce risulta meno calorica di quella comune anche per la presenza di un minore contenuto di amido. Nella patata novella, inoltre, è presente un amido resistente, che non viene metabolizzato dall'organismo e che dunque abbatte ulteriormente il potere calorico di questo alimento. (Foto: FreshPlaza Italia). "Abbiamo scoperto - continua Santamaria - che alcune tecniche colturali possono contribuire a ridurre ancor più l'apporto calorico della patata novella. Inoltre, la minore presenza di zuccheri rende le patate primaticce maggiormente idonee alla frittura, in quanto la loro pasta non presenta imbrunimento". Clicca qui per accedere al reportage fotografico sul Workshop Patata Novella e Asparago Quando il contenuto di zuccheri semplici è molto basso - come nel caso delle cultivars di patata precoce Princess, Safrane. Sieglinde e Spunta - il prodotto non imbrunisce in caso di frittura. (Foto: FreshPlaza Italia). Tra le principali varietà diffuse in coltura precoce in Italia ci sono Sieglinde, Nicola e, di recente, Annabelle. Tutte si caratterizzano per una forma allungata, una pezzatura da piccola a media, una pasta soda di colore giallo intenso e una produttività da media a bassa. Clicca qui per accedere al reportage fotografico sul Workshop Patata Novella e Asparago Sieglinde è la principale cultivar di patata novella prodotta in Puglia, nelle province di Lecce e Bari. Il suo mercato di vendita è - quasi per la totalità - quello estero. (Foto: FreshPlaza Italia) Per quanto attiene le patate precoci da consumo fresco, caratterizzate da pezzatura che va da media a grande e forma ovale, si coltivano principalmente le varietà Spunta, Jaerla, Arinda, Adora, Liseta, Safrane e, di recente introduzione, Arnova e Almera. Clicca qui per accedere al reportage fotografico sul Workshop Patata Novella e Asparago Classificazione delle varietà in funzione della consistenza della polpa. Tra gli aspetti di rilievo per le patate da consumo fresco, il dott. Santamaria ha sottolineato che i tuberi devono presentare una pelle liscia e una forma regolare, adatta al confezionamento, devono presentare una buona attitudine alla cottura e un buon gusto tipico di patata. La presenza di elementi funzionali e una chiara segmentazione culinaria sono altre caratteristiche importanti. Clicca qui per accedere al reportage fotografico sul Workshop Patata Novella e Asparago Alcune varietà (terza colonna da sinistra) presentano un ottimo profilo di gusto tipico di patata, senza retrogusti metallici/erbacei che possono riscontrarsi in altre cultivars. Pietro Santamaria ha concluso la sua relazione sottolineando il notevole grado di sicurezza alimentare dei prodotti ortofrutticoli italiani: solo 1,1% di campioni analizzati oltre i livelli massimi ammessi di residui, contro il 4,9% dei campioni analizzati a livello UE (fonte: Min. Lavoro, Salute e Politiche Sociali, 2008). Per gli ortaggi, tale percentuale scende allo 0,7% e, tra gli ortaggi, la patata è stata nel 2007 la seconda varietà - dopo il pomodoro - per quantità di campioni analizzati (297 campioni). Di questi, nessuno è stato trovato con residui superiori ai limiti di legge. Sotto tutti i profili, perciò, la patata novella costituisce anche una "buona novella", cioè una buona notizia per i produttori e per il mercato. Per maggiori info: Dott. Pietro Santamaria Università degli Studi di Bari E-mail: santamap@agr.uniba.it www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Potato virus strategy must start at emergence Argenpapa . Gran Bretaña. 08-06-2009 Gran Bretaña. (farmersguardian).- EARLY catches of aphids in suction traps are a signal to seed potato growers that virus control programmes will need to begin at emergence this year. The first potato aphid of 2009 was caught in Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture's (SASA) Edinburgh suction trap on April 18 – a month ahead of forecast. The first peach-potato aphid was caught at Starcross in Devon on April 29, 27 days earlier than forecast. During the last week of April, potato colonising aphids began flying in numbers and were caught at seven of the 16 Rothamsted Insect Survey trap sites. Warmer weather It seems the warmer-than-average weather this March and April has prompted much earlier first flights, says Bayer CropScience potato campaign manager Dr Bill Lankford. If warm conditions continue, aphid numbers are likely to build up much faster than predicted, he says. “Virus control measures may well have to begin at emergence this year. Programmes will need to be constructed to control all viruses, not just Potato Leaf Roll Virus (PLRV) which is mainly vectored by the peach-potato aphid. “Over the last four years, incidence of Potato Virus A (PVA) and Potato Virus Y (PVY) in seed crops has increased and these non- persistent viruses are transmitted very rapidly by most aphid species,” he says. Since last season, Bayer's neonicotinoid insecticide Biscaya has gained a label recommendation for virus reduction. Dr Lankford says there is evidence to support its use as the first (T1) and third spray (T3) in virus control programmes to reduce transmission of PVA and PVY as well as PLRV. Last year, Cambridge University Farm conducted an experiment to compare efficacy of aphid control from programmes using Biscaya and other standard potato aphicides. Spray programme The standard programme was application of lambda-cyhalothrin (Hallmark Zeon) + pymetrozine (Plenum) alternating with application of lambda-cyhalothrin + pirimicarb for the first six sprays, followed by lambda-cyhalothrin + pirimicarb for the final two sprays. Three weeks after the final sprays, tuber samples were taken for virus testing. PVY incidence was found to be 8 per cent in tubers from the untreated control, 5.5 per cent from the standard programme and 0.5 per cent from the Biscaya programme, where it was substituted in at T1 and T3. In a trial by Scottish Agronomy last year, similar results were seen for PVA reduction. In this case, the standard programme comprised eight sprays of lambda-cyhalothrin + pirimicarb. PVA incidence was 5.5 per cent in daughter tubers from the untreated control and 4.3 per cent from the standard programme. Using Biscaya at T1 and T3 reduced PVA to under 0.5 per cent. Noticias al día La patata OGM "Amflora" sotto esame all'EFSA Argenpapa . General. 26-06-2009 General. (Newsfood).- Scienziati e ambientalisti nuovamente divisi sugli eventuali rischi legati alla coltivazione della patata transgenica 'Amflora' prodotta dalla multinazionale Basf. La Commissione europea ha infatti chiesto all'Agenzia per la sicurezza alimentare dell'Ue (Efsa), di valutare se la coltivazione della patata Ogm poteva avere effetti sulla salute pubblica. E più in particolare, se la patata poteva trasmettere ai batteri il suo gene di resistenza ad alcuni antibiotici, rendendo l'uso di quest'ultimi meno efficace per l'uomo. Oggi gli scienziati dell'Efsa hanno risposto che è improbabile che un gene passi da una pianta ad un batterio e quindi non ci dovrebbero essere pericoli per la salute umana o animale. Tuttavia, hanno ammesso gli scienziati, possono restare delle incertezze legate ai metodi di ricerca e anche al fatto che non è possibile definire con esattezza le fonti da cui provengono i geni che conferiscono la resistenza agli antibiotici. I gruppi ambientalisti hanno subito sottolineato queste riserve mentre la multinazionale Basf ritiene che il nuovo parere dell'Efsa permetterà alla Commissione europea di dare al via libera alla coltivazione della patata 'Amflora'. Interrogata dall'ANSA, Barbara Helfferich, portavoce del commissario europeo all'ambiente Stavros Dimas, non ha voluto commentare il parere scientifico limitandosi ad affermare che la Commissione europea "ora lo esaminerà". Noticias al día Irish potatoes raising incomes Argenpapa . General. 12-06-2009 General. (Monitor).- Mr Ben Banyanga, 52, is an Irish potato farmer in Muyanje Rubanda County, Kabale District. He says that twice a year, he harvests 40 bags of potatoes per season. With each bag costing Shs60,000, he earns Shs4.8m a year. With the Irish potato proceeds, Mr Banyanga opened a garment shop in Kabale Town and can now afford to pay schools fees for his four children. His main challenge though is getting quality seedlings. In a bid to promote food security and increase house hold incomes, the Member of Parliament for Rubanda West constituency in Kabale District, Henry Banyenzaki, recently embarked on supplying free Irish potato and beans seeds. “My target is to supply 2,000 bags of Irish potato seeds and climbing beans to benefit 10,000 households. The main objective of this project is to fight poverty amongst my constituents and also promote food security in homesteads,” Mr Banyenzaki said. Rubanda County comprises Rubanda East and West constituencies and has for many years been the source of Irish potatoes supplied in the markets in Kampala, Rwanda, Congo and of recent, Juba in Sudan although challenges of soil exhaustion are affecting the quality and quantity of the potatoes. “I want to help my people make money. I also want to revive credit and savings institutions in my constituency so that farmers who want to borrow money to purchase garden equipment can do so without any stress,” Mr Banyenzaki said. The Kabale District agricultural officer, Mr James Katsimbazi, says that the directorate of production and marketing has prioritised growing of Irish potatoes and climbing beans in the counties of Ndorwa and Rubanda. About 2,500 bags of Irish potato seedlings have been distributed to the farmers under the National Agriculture Advisory Services (Naads) and Plan for Modernisation of Agriculture (PMA) government programmes. “We have signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Agriculture Research Organisation (Naro) Kabale branch to train local farmers in Irish potato seeding multiplication,” Katsimbazi said. “We have also built two stores in Muko and Kamuganguzi sub-counties under the Food and Agriculture Organisation (Fao) programme to help local farmers in harvesting, storing and marketing so that they are not exploited by the middle men.” Mr Katsimbazi said that an average of 100 farmers in the sub-counties of Muko and Kamungauzi earn Shs100m per season. He added that promoting these crops will help the farmers fight poverty and enhance food security. The Kabale District vice chairman who doubles as the secretary for production, Mr Silver Baguma welcomed the development and asked the beneficiaries to use pesticides to control pests and diseases that normally attack the Irish potato plants if they want to harvest good quality Irish potatoes. “I appeal to our farmers to use fertilizers and apply pesticides if they are to earn big from Irish potato growing. However, shortage of land is the biggest challenge because the average Kabale household has two acres of land which is not viable for large scale farming,” he said. Noticias al día Branston's field walks Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña . 17-08-2009. (Foodeast). Branston used this year's Summer Field Walks to introduce growers to the company's new varieties, biocontrols, desiccation techniques and the latest developments in GPS. The potato supplier entertained and educated some 45 members of its Lincoln Producer Group at E.M. Howard Limited, Nocton Rise. Noticias al día Impact of new pesticide and water regulations assessed Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña . 10-08-2009. ( Potato Council Ltd). “The good news is that our research and knowledge transfer strategy is a very robust response to the new regulations we face,” reports Potato Council's head of R&D Mike Storey. “But every grower and industry representative need to play their part to bring this to fruition.” Noticias al día Eyes in the soil will help food security Argenpapa. Información Técnica. 19-08-2009. (Foodeast). A new tool developed by scientists at The University of Manchester will allow farmers to see under the soil to check how efficiently crop roots are using water and nutrients. The research could have a strong impact on food security – the subject of this week's announcement by the Government that it is consulting on how it can ensure that the UK's food supply remains safe for future generations. “Climate change means that the ability to rapidly identify new plant varieties tolerant to drought and other stresses is going to be critical to breeding the food crops of tomorrow. “Our technology will help do that,” said Dr Bruce Grieve from the Syngenta Sensors University Innovation Centre. Chief Government Scientist Professor Beddington recently visited the University of Manchester to talk to scientists in the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering about their project. Dr Grieve said: “This project will deliver a new visualisation tool for farmers which will provide them with a 24/7 signal from each and every plant in a screening programme indicating how efficiently the roots are drawing upon the water and nutrients in the soil. “These subsoil sensor systems are novel but founded upon established low-cost body scanner technologies, which exploit the bending of electrical fields within the subject. “This new tool will not simply provide a picture of the size and shape of the root structure but rather a non-destructive, quantified and real-time indication of how well they function”. He added: “Currently, above soil features, or phenotypes, are monitored in industrial greenhouses and field trials during seed breeding programmes to provide an indication of which plants have the most likely preferential genetics to thrive in the future global environments. “These indicators of “plant vigour” are often based on loosely related features which maybe straightforward to examine, such as an additional ear of corn on a maize plant, but labour intensive and lacking in direct linkage to the required crop features.” Within the next six months the team will implement and characterise a next generation of electrical imaging instrumentation which has been designed to meet the specific needs of subsoil imaging for plant root function. The tests will be carried out under highly controlled conditions using a single genetic strain of plants and the subsequent findings will then be integrated into a larger research programme alongside micro x-ray tomography. Noticias al día Seed Potato Certification Argenpapa. Nueva Zelanda. 24-08-2009. (Potatoesnz). Seed potato certification is managed by the potato industry through the New Zealand Seed Potato Certification Authority. The Authority acts as the official and independent agent of the potato industry for the certification of seed tuber potato crops. The programmes operated by the Authority certify that cultivars are as true to type as possible and meet pest and disease tolerances through visual inspection of crops and harvested tubers. Participation in the scheme is voluntary, as there is no compulsion for vendors, proprietors or agents of a seed tuber production venture to use the services of the Authority. The Authority establishes the seed quality standards that must be met within its certifications schemes, documents the rules (PDF) that must be adhered to in order to obtain certification, authorises and contracts inspection and administration services, manages a dispute resolution process, and operates industry education and quality improvement activities. History of Seed Potato Certification The Seed Potato Certification Authority has been responsible for seed potato certification since 1988. The Authority was established in that year by the Potato Sector of the New Zealand Vegetable and Potato Growers' Federation following the repeal of the Potato Growing Industry Act. Seed potato certification began in New Zealand in 1927, with the Department of Agriculture operating a trial scheme involving 11 varieties and 190 acres planted in Canterbury. The trial was a success and the scheme opened to entries from Southland, Otago and Canterbury in 1928. The Department continued to operate the field and tuber inspection service until 1971 when the Department determined that tuber inspection was less important than field health, and ceased its tuber inspection service. The Potato Board, set up in the 1950s to stabilise the potato growing industry, took responsibility for the tuber inspection service from 1973 onwards. In 1985, under the Government policy to shed services where there were identifiable commercial beneficiaries, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries withdrew from seed potato certification services entirely. As described in the detailed and highly insightful review of " The History of Potato Seed Certification in New Zealand 1927-2000 (PDF) " (H B Maunder, 2005): "A splendid record of nurture and co-operation by dedicated departmental field officers over a period of 58 years had come to an end". The Potato Board assumed responsibility for the entire seed potato certification service in 1986, but in 1988 the Government repealed the Potato Growing Industry Act. This legislative change left the potato industry without a body to administer and operate seed potato certification and without funding. The Vegetable Growers' Federation stepped in, offering to join with potato growers and form a new representative body – the New Zealand Vegetable and Potato Growers' Federation, which then established the Seed Potato Certification Authority. Perhaps the most significant change since 1988 has been the Seed Potato Certification Review (PDF) , conducted by the industry in 2005. The terms of reference of the review were: to review the current Seed Potato Certification Scheme operations, procedures and rules with the aim of identifying any deficiencies, improvements or alternative processes that could be implemented to improve the Scheme; to consider components (e.g., Cultivar production, transportation, tuber treatments etc) that impact on certification but are currently outside the rules of the Scheme. The review produced several recommendations for change: Review / merge operational and procedural manuals Inspection of high grade seed Develop staff skill proficiencies Registration of all participants Separation of PCN and seed certification applications Fresh Produce Approved Supplier Scheme (Now 'New Zealand Gap') not a requirement Integration of "Open" and "PT" schemes Improved education / information transfer Five improvements recommended through benchmarking of the NZ schemes against 3 international schemes Accreditation of facilities producing nucleus product Standardisation of certification labelling Leaf sampling of higher generation crops Aphid standard for field inspection Publish "guidelines" booklet for packaging, storage & transport Labeling all 1st generation and farm saved seed Implementation of a grower tuber inspection system Diagnostic laboratory accreditation Many of these recommendations are being progressively adopted by the Authority. The main change to date has been to align the disease tolerances of the two pathogen tested schemes into one set of "pyramid scheme" disease tolerances. Membership of the Authority The Potato Product Group is responsible for the appointment of members and staff to the Authority, and its financial servicing. The Authority consists of seven members each serving a term of three years. Elected members are representatives from Processors, Growers and Merchants. A grower chairman is voted into the chair each year. Members may be re-elected. Secretarial services are provided to the Authority by the Potato Product Group of Horticulture New Zealand. Andy Innes (Chair) Ph 03 302 2868 Mobile 027 432 7073 Ron Gall (Secretary) Horticulture New Zealand P O Box 10232 Wellington Ph 04 472 3795 Fax 04 471 2861 Mobile 027 446 6838 Bharat Bhana Pukekohe Ph 09 238 0015 Fax 09 238 7248 Mobile 027 482 8305 David Ryan Ph 03 687 4070 Mobile 027 496 6041 Ian Corbett Ph 06 328 9712 Fax 06 328 9717 Mobile 027 444 4858 Chris Nicholson Ph 09 233 4892 Mobile 027 498 1764 John Smith Ph 03 615 7150 Mobile 027 432 4294 John Stanley Ph 03 313 2060 Mobile 029 918 0419 Noticias al día Seed Potato Certification Argenpapa. Nueva Zelanda. 28-08-2009. (Potatoesnz). Seed potato certification is managed by the potato industry through the New Zealand Seed Potato Certification Authority. The Authority acts as the official and independent agent of the potato industry for the certification of seed tuber potato crops. The programmes operated by the Authority certify that cultivars are as true to type as possible and meet pest and disease tolerances through visual inspection of crops and harvested tubers. Participation in the scheme is voluntary, as there is no compulsion for vendors, proprietors or agents of a seed tuber production venture to use the services of the Authority. The Authority establishes the seed quality standards that must be met within its certifications schemes, documents the rules (PDF) that must be adhered to in order to obtain certification, authorises and contracts inspection and administration services, manages a dispute resolution process, and operates industry education and quality improvement activities. Seed Certification Authority notices The New Zealand Seed Potato Certification Authority's August 2009 newsletter can be downloaded by clicking here . The Application for Seed Certification 2009 can be downloaded by clicking here . The summary of seed entries and payment (part 1) can be downloaded by clicking here . The NZ GAP application form can be downloaded by clicking here , and an NZ GAP flow chart is located here . History of Seed Potato Certification The Seed Potato Certification Authority has been responsible for seed potato certification since 1988. The Authority was established in that year by the Potato Sector of the New Zealand Vegetable and Potato Growers' Federation following the repeal of the Potato Growing Industry Act. Seed potato certification began in New Zealand in 1927, with the Department of Agriculture operating a trial scheme involving 11 varieties and 190 acres planted in Canterbury. The trial was a success and the scheme opened to entries from Southland, Otago and Canterbury in 1928. The Department continued to operate the field and tuber inspection service until 1971 when the Department determined that tuber inspection was less important than field health, and ceased its tuber inspection service. The Potato Board, set up in the 1950s to stabilise the potato growing industry, took responsibility for the tuber inspection service from 1973 onwards. In 1985, under the Government policy to shed services where there were identifiable commercial beneficiaries, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries withdrew from seed potato certification services entirely. As described in the detailed and highly insightful review of " The History of Potato Seed Certification in New Zealand 1927-2000 (PDF) " (H B Maunder, 2005): "A splendid record of nurture and co-operation by dedicated departmental field officers over a period of 58 years had come to an end". The Potato Board assumed responsibility for the entire seed potato certification service in 1986, but in 1988 the Government repealed the Potato Growing Industry Act. This legislative change left the potato industry without a body to administer and operate seed potato certification and without funding. The Vegetable Growers' Federation stepped in, offering to join with potato growers and form a new representative body – the New Zealand Vegetable and Potato Growers' Federation, which then established the Seed Potato Certification Authority. Perhaps the most significant change since 1988 has been the Seed Potato Certification Review (PDF) , conducted by the industry in 2005. The terms of reference of the review were: to review the current Seed Potato Certification Scheme operations, procedures and rules with the aim of identifying any deficiencies, improvements or alternative processes that could be implemented to improve the Scheme; to consider components (e.g., Cultivar production, transportation, tuber treatments etc) that impact on certification but are currently outside the rules of the Scheme. The review produced several recommendations for change: Review / merge operational and procedural manuals Inspection of high grade seed Develop staff skill proficiencies Registration of all participants Separation of PCN and seed certification applications Fresh Produce Approved Supplier Scheme (Now 'New Zealand Gap') not a requirement Integration of "Open" and "PT" schemes Improved education / information transfer Five improvements recommended through benchmarking of the NZ schemes against 3 international schemes Accreditation of facilities producing nucleus product Standardisation of certification labelling Leaf sampling of higher generation crops Aphid standard for field inspection Publish "guidelines" booklet for packaging, storage & transport Labeling all 1st generation and farm saved seed Implementation of a grower tuber inspection system Diagnostic laboratory accreditation Many of these recommendations are being progressively adopted by the Authority. The main change to date has been to align the disease tolerances of the two pathogen tested schemes into one set of "pyramid scheme" disease tolerances. Noticias al día Pest ravages potatoes Argenpapa. Nueva Zelandia. 09-09-2009. (Gisborneherald). The full effect of a plant disease that damages potato and tomato plants is beginning to be understood and the news is not good. Potato growers around Hawke's Bay abandoned hectares of failed crops this year, not bothering to harvest the sub-standard produce after they were decimated by the destructive pest — the tomato and potato psyllid. The pest also attacks tomatoes, tamarillos and capsicums. One grower wondering where to go from here is Doug Whitfield, who said in the 50 years he had commercially grown potatoes, the 2008-09 season was easily the worst. He said this season he lost half his crop to the psyllid — ploughing in 16-hectares worth of potatoes. Where there would normally be abundant large, healthy potatoes, there were now fewer stunted, small and mis-formed examples, some growing on land he said was as good as any he had farmed. He said other growers in the region would be losing considerably more. “We first saw it in the crop in 2006-07, but the worst-hit crop was the 2008-planted and 2009-harvested season,” he said. “It would be the worst pest or disease I've had in a potato crop in the 50 years I've been growing. “We're really in a quandary — we don't know what to do.” The horticulture industry has launched a $1.5-million, three-year project to tackle the psyllid which will aim to identify how to best manage the pest and provide growers with access to information and options for managing it. Horticulture New Zealand researcher, Sonia Whiteman, said the psyllid had the potential to devastate the potato industry. There was also no chance of it being eradicated, so finding ways to live with it were now the main focus. “Very little is known about how to treat infected crops,” she said. “This new research programme will help protect an industry that could otherwise be decimated by this insect. “If they don't get this thing, they're dead in the water. “We want them to be proactive, but we need the science to make some informed decisions.” With a scientific solution some years away, she said some growers, including big outfits, were not going to plant potatoes this year. Dr Whiteman said she believed a solution could be found, but it would require a lot of co-ordination and work. “The US has been dealing with this for longer than us and they've managed to get into a situation where they can live with the pest.” The barrier New Zealand would have in controlling it would come from the limited amount of chemistry available here. “We have to advocate hard-to-get on the radar of the agri-chemical companies — we're talking global companies — because the New Zealand market is relatively small and the cost of introducing and registering new chemicals is high.” But until then there was little for growers to do other than be vigilant with spray programmes and the timing of planting. Noticias al día Potato genome sequence released by international group of scientists Noticias al día Rolling contract for a high specification Noticias al día 2010 IPPSC Dates Announced Noticias al día Le Cnipt dénonce une promotion de Leader Price à laquelle Jean-Pierre Coffe donne sa voix Noticias al día Vegetable farmers face uncertain future Noticias al día A modernised methodology for obtaining new varieties of potato Noticias al día Online analysis of late blight DSS Noticias al día Eccellenze calabresi ritrovate: patate rosse. Noticias al día Time to rethink the potato? Noticias al día UK potato production 'increases alternaria threat' Noticias al día UK potato production 'increases alternaria threat' Noticias al día Le gouvernement du Canada aide les producteurs de pommes de terre à accroître leur rentabilité Noticias al día New Actara in-furrow treatment targets early aphid activity Noticias al día Potatoes: Understanding blight Noticias al día Fiji in bid to start potato production Noticias al día Cold spell reduces aphid risk for potatoes Noticias al día Dry weather increases alternaria risk in potatoes Noticias al día Plan for Resistance Management, too Noticias al día 200 variétés de pommes de terre Noticias al día UE CONFERMA, IN SVEZIA BASF COLTIVA PATATA ILLEGALE Noticias al día FLEISHMAN-HILLARD LOSES MCCAIN FOODS Noticias al día Cash incentives to export potatoes urged Noticias al día Russia looks afar to replace drought-hit potatoes Noticias al día En Chine, le développement passe par la pomme de terre Noticias al día Potato Conference highlights agronomy innovation Noticias al día International Potato Processing & Storage Convention 2011 announced Noticias al día Spud prices rise after weather disruption Noticias al día EMILIA ROMAGNA: PATATA DI BOLOGNA DOP IN PROMOZIONE IN COOP Noticias al día La Patata di Bologna DOP in promozione nella catena Coop Italia dell'Emilia Romagna Noticias al día Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña: Potato Council campaign to boost crop at crucial time Noticias al día Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña: Returns from long-term potato storage only in high price years? Noticias al día Argenpapa. Tune: Saisie de 180 tonnes de pommes de terre de contrebande en provenance de Libye Noticias al día Argenpapa. Argelia: 50 ans après…la pomme de terre à 100 DA Noticias al día Argenpapa. Francia: La pomme de terre primeur? Il n'y a rien de meilleur ! Noticias al día Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña: New research work into the control of Alternaria in potatoes Noticias al día Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña: Tuber Blight added to fungicide Zampro DM label Noticias al día Argenpapa. Italia: (Marigliano): Polemiche sulla pratica del disseccamento delle piante di patata Noticias al día Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña: Potato promotion hits summer high Noticias al día Argenpapa. Cuba (Información Técnica): Comportamiento del crecimiento y el rendimiento de la variedad de papa (Solanum tuberosum L.) Spunta Noticias al día Argenpapa. India: Bhupesh Bhandari: All about potatoes Noticias al día Argenpapa. Argelia: Du pain à base de farine de pomme de terre : C?est possible et c?est bon ! Noticias al día Argenpapa. Potatoes South Africa: The way forward Noticias al día Argenpapa. Nueva Zelanda: The Southern Ladybird To Be Let Loose On A Potato Crop Noticias al día Argenpapa. Tunisian potato production Noticias al día Argenpapa. L'Algérie produira bientôt de la semence de pomme de terre Noticias al día Argenpapa. Uganda: Scientists work to save the Irish potato in Kabale Noticias al día Argenpapa. Italia nord-orientale: la pioggia mette a rischio le principali colture orticole Noticias al día Argenpapa. Italia (San Felice a Cancello- Caserta): 'A causa del maltempo, ancora l'80% delle patate da chips e' da raccogliere' |
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