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Usted está en: Búsqueda personalizada: planting | 20 de Junio de 2013 |
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Resultados de la búsqueda en nuestro sitio Noticias al día The gross potato harvest in all types of agricultural enterprises is expected to reach the level 8.9 mln. tons in Belarus in 2007 comparing to 8.3 mln. of tons in 2006; the Department of fruit&vegetable production, processing and trade of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food of Belarus provided this information to Interfax. Noticias al día The summer potato harvest in the United States has proven to be a disappointment, slipping 1% below the USDA's July forecast for a 9% drop from last year's crop. Production is now expected to total 16.5 million cwt (100 pound units), according to the latest USDA crop production estimates. Harvested area is estimated at 50,300 acres, down 7% from last year. The average yield is forecast at 328 cwt per acre, 17 cwt above the July forecast but 9 cwt below last year. In Texas, record high rainfall led to increased abandonment from the previous forecast, however the average yield is up 90 cwt from July 1. In Alabama, dry conditions adversely affected the quality of the crop. Colorado growers started Noticias al día Bill Brewer, executive director of the Oregon Potato Commission, said that potato growers are looking for a return to normal production in 2007. "So far, we're happy with the quality," Mr. Brewer told The Produce News. "Potato growers are pretty happy with their crops at this time." In 2006, Oregon potato growers experienced a weather rollercoaster. Planting was delayed during a wet, cool spring. Temperatures then began to climb before a second cooling trend set in. In July, the mercury shot up. This season, Mr. Brewer said Mother Nature was more cooperative. "We had some late frost that set the early crop back," he indicated. "Then we had nice weather that brought the early crop back to normal." There are some concerns about the impact of record-setting temperatures in July. "It's hard to assess the damage to Noticias al día A new potato variety has been unveiled today at the Perth Royal Show, which growers are hoping will give consumers bigger, better and tastier potatoes during the winter months. The White Star potato was developed by the Department of Agriculture and Food to provide the WA potato industry with a new and improved variety for winter production. Agriculture and food minister Kim Chance said White Star offered higher production yields, larger sized potatoes and improved culinary quality. “White Star has a much higher starch level than the popular Nadine potatoes and produces a higher yield of large tubers which will minimise the excess production of small potatoes in winter,” he said. Noticias al día Washington state potato growers have settled processing contracts with the J.R. Simplot Co. and H.J. Heinz Co. for the 2008 growing season, it indicated Capital Press . Simplot will pay growers a $240-per-acre "energy surcharge" under the new contract, Potato Growers of Washington executive director Dale Lathim said. Noticias al día Not-so-Famous Potatoes ARGENPAPA. EEUU. 22-10-2007 BUTTE - Spud farmers don't talk all that much, or at least the men. "I've worked out here since I was 16 and they don't talk at all," Wanda Denault, 32, said recently at Nicholes Seed Farms 17 miles north of Anaconda near Galen. "I can't see why they need to be so quiet out here." On a crystal-blue October day in the middle of harvest season with temperatures at a balmy 70 degrees, this potato farm can seem like heaven. There are fresh-cut wheat fields nearby and a strong earthy smell, not to mention the shadows of a snow-capped Mount Powell and, in the distance, the Anaconda Range. Noticias al día Potato brown rot in spotlight Argenpapa The UFU Potato Policy Committee have urged growers to be vigilant following the recent detection of Brown Rot in Wexford. The Potato Policy Committee stress the importance of protecting Northern Irelands 'High Grade Status'. Processors and packers must also be vigilant and play their part in protecting the N I Potato Industry. What is Brown Rot? - Brown rot is a disease caused by the bacterium ralstonia solanacearum. The disease has the potential to cause significant yield losses, through the rotting of tubers. This disease poses no risk to human or animal health. Noticias al día Potato farmers stare at loss for fertiliser crisis Argenpapa. Bangladesh, 30-10-2007 Zahangir Alam Biswas, Manikganj Potato farmers at sadar upazila in Manikganj's Ghior upazila fear they may make a loss of an estimated Tk 20 crore this year because of fertiliser crisis in the planting season. This correspondent talked to some farmers of the union on Saturday who complained that though the potato-planting season is nearing an end, they have not been able to start the planting for fertiliser shortage. They said potato is the cash cow for them as the vegetable earns them around Tk 70,000 in profit per bigha, adding that they sold just about 2.5 lakh maund of tuber for Tk 20 crore last year, the amount they risk losing this year. Farmers at Mailagi village told this correspondent that sub-assistant officer at Agriculture Extension Department, Rokeya Begum, along with fertiliser dealers and acting union parishad chairman, came to the village on Wednesday to Noticias al día Watch out for rot in potato stores Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña, 10-11-2007 Stay vigilant and handle stored potato crops carefully in order to minimise the risk of rots developing, the British Potato Council has advised. Adequate ventilation, careful temperature pull-down and close monitoring are key. “You must avoid hot spots and condensation developing,” said the BPC's Jeff Peters. “Make sure you stack or load the store to ensure good airflow and ventilate correctly. Watch for carbon dioxide build-up – this will affect quality, while anaerobic store atmospheres will bring on rots.” ou are in: Home > News > Arable Watch out for rot in potato stores Stay vigilant and handle stored potato crops carefully in order to minimise the risk of rots developing, the British Potato Council has advised. Adequate ventilation, careful temperature pull-down and close monitoring are key. “You must avoid hot spots and condensation developing,” said the BPC's Jeff Peters. “Make sure you stack or load the store to ensure good airflow and ventilate correctly. Watch for carbon dioxide build-up – this will affect quality, while Noticias al día Are chips the answer to world hunger? Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña, 23-11-2007 What do old people, fresh water, physical education and potatoes have in common? They have all been designated their own year by the United Nations. Solanum tuberosum – the potato - will have its year in 2008. The UN is trying to wean developing countries off rice and persuade them to adopt the potato as a staple food. Potatoes beat rice on most measures. They need less water and less space to produce a crop. They also grow faster, yield more food and have a far greater nutritional value than a comparable quantity of rice grains. Within developing countries, where family land has been divided into smaller and smaller allotments through the generations, families have less land to cultivate to feed themselves. With ever more volatile weather patterns, those families also need to produce robust crops. Charles Crissman, of the International Potato Centre, in Lima, Peru – the birthplace of the potato – said: “Potatoes produce more food per acre per unit of time than a grain crop. Pototoes come out of the ground faster than rice and provide more nutrition.” In nontropical conditions, a potato crop can yield food within about 90 to 100 days, compared with 120 to 140 days for a rice crop. Dr Crissman pointed out that it is possible to exist entirely on a diet of potato and one protein-rich food, such as fish or milk. “With mashed potato, mixed with milk, you have vitamin C, other trace minerals and a complex carbohydrate,” he said. “On mashed potato alone, you would be doing pretty good. A pure rice diet would just give you carbohydrate.” Although rice is by far the world's biggest crop, followed by wheat, the UN is already preaching to the converted. According to the UN, potato production and consumption levels have risen substantially over the past 20 years in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Output in those regions has risen from about 30 million tonnes in the early 1960s to almost Noticias al día Spud growers surprised Argenpapa. Autralia, 28-11-2007 The UN's decision to declare 2008 the 'Year of the Potato', has bemused but thrilled many in the potato industry. The United Nations General Assembly is honouring the world's third most significant food crop, in recognition of the potato's nutrition and its potential to feed the world's growing population. Out planting potatoes this week, Tasmanian farmer Stewart McGee was pleased but shocked by the recognition. "And I don't know that I've actually got over that yet", he said. "People don't realise the importance of the potato to our diets. "They'll go with anything, they bulk up a meal. "Potato salad, chips, mashed potatoes, they're all great and they all fill up the tummy at the end of a hard day." Fuente: ABC www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Nematodes could be causing greater yield loss in potato crops Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña, 03-12-2007 Direct feeding by free-living nematodes could be causing greater yield loss in potato crops at lower population numbers than previously thought, a Scottish Agricultural Colleges' researcher believes. Andy Evans' research has shown direct feeding by free-living nematodes cause potatoes to put more resources into root production at the expense of top growth. Laboratory experiments indicated that tuber development in potatoes grown in soils without a nematode population produced tubers much faster than those grown in soils with nematodes, he said. “That definitely has an impact on Noticias al día The not so humble potato Argenpapa. Autralia, 07-12-2007 By Pamela Anderson Potatoes are easy to take for granted, but in fact they are the most important root and tuber crop in the world. The humble potato holds enormous promise to contribute to meeting the needs of the developing world. In fact, the adjective “humble” is a complete misnomer. Picking up a bag of potatoes in the supermarket puts you directly in touch with a treasure trove of history. The potato did not come from Idaho, Ireland or Germany. Its origin stretches back 8,000 years, past 16th century scholars, Spanish conquistadors, the Inca civilisation and pre-Colombian cultures to the shores of Lake Titicaca high up in the Andes. Noticias al día Frankenstein food beats starvation Argenpapa. Australia, 07-12-2007 AS we eat our chips, hamburgers and milkshakes for lunch today, let's put the debate about genetically modified food into perspective. We eat food laden in fats and preservatives largely without debate or complaint. Yet the prospect of producing GM foods that could be drought resistant, grown without being heavily treated with pesticide and made more nutritious has caused a huge outcry. Until the NSW and Victorian governments lifted the GM crop moratorium last we Noticias al día Rising potato production and export potential Argenpapa. Pakistán, 12-12-2007 POTATO is a tasty, nutritive and highly digestible vegetable with 75 per cent water contents. One hundred grams of potato possesses 22g carbohydrate, two gram protein, 90 kilocalories energy, 13mg calcium, 17mg vitamin C, 11mg riboflavin 1.2 mg niacin and traces of certain other minerals and fibre. Potato is eaten intensively in a variety of forms such as boiled, baked, and cooked. As vegetable it is eaten alone as well as mixed with other vegetables, and as snacks, the most popular of them being the finger chips. It has medical significance. It is free of cholesterol and also contains some antioxidants which are capable of protecting human beings against cancer and heart diseases. It has potential to lower high blood pressures due to presence of a compound kukoamine. Potato mask can be employed for skin beauty especially on the pigmented ones. Potato tubers if exposed to sunlight during growth become green in colour due to formation of poisonous alkaloid compounds solanine and chaconin which are injurious for humans as well as animals and can even cause death. Potato was introduced to the subcontinent in the 16th century and at present it is being grown as cash crop. During the year 2006-07 the area under potato was 0.131 million hectares (ha) with a total production of 2.6 million tons which was 67.2 per cent more than the preceding year's production of 1.5 million tons. Noticias al día Potato farmers fight back Argenpapa. EEUU, 12-12-2007 SEASIDE - They've been sacked by the low-carb diet craze and plagued with overproduction and poor returns, but some of the nation's potato growers are fighting back through the power of information. Starting from an organization in Idaho, the nation's big spud producer, the two-year-old, multi-state United Potato Growers Association is sharing production and market information to whip up better profits. At a session at the National Bargaining Conference in Seaside Nov. 27, association leaders and an agricultural economist assessed the value of producer collaboration. Albert Wada, an Idaho potato grower and shipper, said the association started from the formation of the United Potato Growers of Idaho in 2004. The voluntary organization now covers 12 states, including California, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. Wada said about 80 percent of the potato acres in the U.S. and Canada are now represented in the United Potato Growers Association. He said the major benefit of the association is communication. Sharing supply management data across a broad growing region has allowed the organization to raise prices by better matching potato supplies with demand. "We're talking to one another," Wada said. He described the industry's oversupply and poor profitability as "an albatross hanging around our necks for years." Idaho farms provide nearly 30 percent of the nation's total potato supply. Nationally, yields have increased dramatically, rising from 213 hundredweight per acre in 1971 to 393 cwt. per acre in 2006. As yields have gone up, people are eating fewer fresh spuds. Per capita consumption has fallen nearly 15 pounds in the past decade as consumption has shifted from fresh to processed forms, according to Shermain Hardesty, an economist at the University of California, Davis. Two of every three potatoes grown in the U.S. now go into processing channels compared to 19 percent in 1959, Hardesty said. As a result, data show that Idaho potato growers suffered an average loss of $2.67 per cwt. in 2000 when fresh market prices averaged $5.27 per cwt. Hardesty said information sharing cooperatives like United Potato Growers can help growers and shippers regain some of the marketing power they lost due to consolidation. The Capper Volstead Act provides authority for farmers to cooperative associations to gain countervailing market power without violating antitrust laws, she said. Albert Wada said the organization's top priority is to create more demand, but he said there is a very sensitive relationship between production and price. A 1 percent change in potato supply can cause a 7 percent change in price, Wada said. "Without supply management and grower solidarity, we don't have adequate profit margins, Wada added. "Growers tend to think it is a sin to produce a profit. Potato growers are very independent and the one thing that they can do is independently go broke." A key feature of United Potato Growers' activities is a weekly conference call of members. Buzz Shahan, the association's chief operating officer, described the calls as "market conversation." "We present ... the market dynamics to them and let them decide," Shahan said. "You give them pure data that is solid and they manage themselves." Hardesty said the main components of United Potato Growers' program are planting controls, market data reporting and analysis as well as product flow controls. Because it is a voluntary organization rather than a marketing order, there are non-members who benefit. "All that UPGA can really do is to continue to promote the benefits of membership," she said. "If everybody plays along, is going to benefit everybody," she said. Noticias al día German chemicals giant BASF still hopeful EU will approve use of new biotech potato Argenpapa. Alemania, 14-12-2007 BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) - Officials from German chemical giant BASF AG said Tuesday they remained hopeful they could get European Union approval to start cultivation of their genetically engineered potato by next year's growing season. A final green light from the EU's executive commission for BASF's «Amflora» potato product, would be the first EUapproval of a biotech crop for cultivation in Europe in a decade. «We are still looking forward to getting approval on time to start commercial cultivation next year,» said Hans Kast, CEO of BASF's Plant Science division, which developed the potato. He said however that time to prepare and sell seeds would run out if a decision is not made by the end of December. «Our farmers need to know by Christmas for planting,» Kast said. Approval of the biotech potato, along with two genetically modified corn products, has become the focus of heavy industry and environmental lobbying at the headquarters of the EU, which has the final say on granting licenses. Kast said there was no reason to delay final approval because numerous safety studies had found the potato posed no health risks to humans or animals. The product has already passed a safety check by the EU's European Food Safety Authority and it is not meant for human consumption. Instead, the potato would provide starch for industrial uses, such as making glossy magazine coatings and as an additive in sprayab Noticias al día Toll of Climate Change on World Food Supply Could Be Worse Than Thought Argenpapa. Global, 17-12-2007 Predictions, Already Daunting, Fail to Account for Extreme Weather, Disease and Other Complications, Say New Reports. Global agriculture, already predicted to be stressed by climate change in coming decades, could go into steep, unanticipated declines in some regions due to complications that scientists have so far inadequately considered, say three new scientific reports. The authors say that progressive changes predicted to stem from 1- to 5-degree C temperature rises in coming decades fail to account for seasonal extremes of heat, drought or rain, multiplier effects of spreading diseases or weeds, and other ecological upsets. All are believed more likely in the future. Coauthored by leading researchers from Europe, North America and Australia, they appear in this week's issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). “Many people assume that we will never have a problem with food production on a global scale. But there is a strong potential for negative surprises,” said Francesco Tubiello, a physicist and agricultural expert at the NASA/Goddard Institute of Space Studies who coauthored all three papers. Goddard is a member of Columbia University's Earth Institute. In order to keep pace with population growth, current production of grain—from which humans derive two-thirds of their protein—will probably have to double, to 4 billion tons a years before 2100. Studies in the past 10 years suggest that mounting levels of carbon dioxide in the air—believed to be the basis of human-caused climate change—may initially bolster the photosynthetic rate of many plants, and, along with new farming techniques, possibly add to some crop yields. Between now and mid-century, higher temperatures in northerly latitudes will probably also expand lands available for farming, and bring longer growing seasons. However, these gains likely will be canceled by agricultural declines in the tropics, where even modest 1- to 2-degree rises are expected to evaporate rainfall and push staple crops over their survival thresholds. Existing research estimates that developing countries may lose 135 million hectares (334 million acres) of prime farm land in the next 50 years. After mid-century, continuing temperature rises—5 degrees C or more by then--are expected to start adversely affecting northern crops as well, tipping the whole world into a danger zone. Noticias al día Potato farmers fight back Argenpapa. EEUU, 17-12-2007 They've been sacked by the low-carb diet craze and plagued with overproduction and poor returns, but some of the nation's potato growers are fighting back through the power of information. Starting from an organization in Idaho, the nation's big spud producer, the two-year-old, multi-state United Potato Growers Association is sharing production and market information to whip up better profits. At a session at the National Bargaining Conference in Seaside Nov. 27, association leaders and an agricultural economist assessed the value of producer collaboration. Noticias al día Motorists may fill 'er up on 91 kumara Argenpapa. Nueva Zelanda, 19-12-2007 Motorists may be able to run their cars on kumara fuel once United States scientists give the tubers a tune-up. Sweet potatoes, as Americans call kumara, are being re-engineered at North Carolina State University as a source of ethanol to help the US reduce its dependence on imported oil and ease the biofuel industry's troublesome reliance on corn. While the American table sweet potato is orange inside and becomes sweet during baking as enzymes break down starch into sugar, the industrial sweet potato on which the scientists are working typically has a purple or white skin and is white inside, with a high starch content that limits its sweet taste. It doesn't taste much like the classic kumara, but can produce twice the starch content of corn, the leading source of ethanol. More starch means more sugars that can be fermented into biofuel. The university's Dr Craig Yencho said the big challenge was lowering production costs. "If we could plant them the same way you plant an Irish potato, by planting cut seed pieces and mechanically planting them into the ground, we could cut planting costs in half." The ethanol production from sweet potatoes would then become more cost effective and feasible. "Not only would these sweet potatoes be a much more viable ethanol source than corn, but because they are industrial sweet potatoes, we wouldn't be taking away from a food source," said Dr Yencho, who is now in China helping the world's number one producer of sweet potatoes tap the crop's biofuel potential. Dr Yencho is also working on an unconventional approach to further boost sugar and thus ethanol yield. By using bacteria from deep-sea thermal vents, he is creating an industrial sweet potato that practically processes itself into ethanol. Dr Yencho said special genes could reduce the cost of enzymes that are used by biofuel processors to break down the starch in corn to sugars which are then converted into alcohol by fermentation. While corn is cheaper to produce than the industrial sweet potato, some groups arg Noticias al día Potato growers see profit in sharing data Spud industry unites to counter poor returns and oversupply Argenpapa. EEUU, 02-01-2008 SEASIDE, Calif. - They've been sacked by the low-carb diet craze and plagued with overproduction and poor returns, but some of the nation's potato growers are fighting back through the power of information. Starting from an organization in Idaho, the nation's big spud producer, the two-year-old, multi-state United Potato Growers Association is sharing production and market information to whip up better profits. At a recent session at the National Bargaining Conference in Seaside, association leaders and an agricultural economist assessed the value of producer collaboration. Albert Wada, an Idaho potato grower and shipper, said the association started from the formation of the United Potato Growers of Idaho in 2004. The voluntary organization now covers 12 states, including California, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. Wada said about 80 percent of the potato acres in the U.S. and Canada are now represented in the United Potato Growers Association. He said the major benefit of the association is communication. Sharing supply management data across a broad growing region has allowed the organization to raise prices by better matching potato supplies with demand. "We're talking to one another," Wada said. He described the industry's oversupply and poor profitability as "an albatross hanging around our necks for years." Idaho farms provide nearly 30 percent of the nation's total potato supply. Nationally, yields have increased dramatically, rising from 213 hundredweight per acre in 1971 to 393 cwt. per acre in 2006. As yields have gone up, people are eating fewer fresh spuds. Per capita consumption has fallen nearly 15 pounds in the past decade as consumption has shifted from fresh to processed forms, said Shermain Hardesty, an economist at the University of California-Davis. Two of every three potatoes grown in the U.S. now go into processing channels, compared with 19 percent in 1959, Hardesty said. As a result, data show that Idaho potato growers suffered an average loss of $2.67 per cwt. in 2000 when fresh-market prices averaged $5.27 per cwt. Hardesty said information-sharing cooperatives like United Potato Growers can help growers and shippers regain some of the marketing power they lost due to consolidation. The Capper Volstead Act provides authority for farmers in cooperative associations to gain countervailing market power without violating antitrust laws, she said. Albert Wada said the organization's top priority is to create more demand, but he said there is a sensitive relationship between production and price. A 1 percent change in potato supply can cause a 7 percent change in price, Wada said. "Without supply management and grower solidarity, we don't have adequate profit margins," Wada said. "Growers tend to think it is a sin to produce a profit. Potato growers are very independent, and the one thing that they can do is independently go broke." A key feature of United Potato Growers' activities is a weekly conference call of members. Buzz Shahan, the association's chief operating officer, described the calls as "market conversation." "We present ... the market dynamics to them and let them decide," Shahan said. "You give them pure data that is solid, and they manage themselves." Hardesty said the main components of United Potato Growers' program are planting controls, market data reporting and analysis as well as product flow controls. Because it is a voluntary organization rather than a marketing order, there are non-members who benefit. "All that UPGA can really do is to continue to promote the benefits of membership," she said. "If everybody plays along, it's going to benefit everybody," she said. John Cross, a spokesman for United Potato Growers of the Klamath Basin, said his members joined the association as a chapter in 2005. "There are growers who don't believe in it, that don't think this is the way we should go, and that's their right," Cross said. "But I really think that the value to this is our ability to share information among growers." Cross estimated that the 53 members of the Klamath organization represent about 85 percent of the fresh market acreage in the Klamath Basin. They pay $10 per acre to be affiliated with United Potato Growers. "The main thrust of United was not to try to hit a home run every year, but try and get on base with some singles every year," he said. "If we can take the plummeting lows out of the marketplace, and by doing that, you are taking away some of the highs - if every year you can at least return the cost of production or a little bit better, then you're much better off." Bob Krauter is the California editor based in Sacramento. E-mail: bkrauter@capitalpress.com Font: capitalpress www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Potato planting underway in Cornwall Argenpapa. EEUU, 11-01-2008 EARLY potato planting got underway in Cornwall before Christmas, says the British Potato Council. By the end of last week an estimated 25 hectares of mainly Premiere and Rocket had been planted. All were covered behind the planter. Temperatures have been cold but no severe frosts have been reported, although storms over the weekend have halted activity. No planting has been reported in other regions. Font: farmersguardian www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Commission using online network Potato seeds wanted Argenpapa. Canadá, 11-01-2008 Executive director says growers near 'panic' in shortage COLUMBIA BASIN - With seed potato numbers declining after discovery of a pest in Alberta, the Washington State Potato Commission is asking growers to sell seeds online. The commission is encouraging seed growers to post advertisements on the www.craigslist.org Web site, said Executive Director Chris Voigt. "We're faced with a seed shortage this year," Voigt said. The golden nematode pest was found in two seed fields in Alberta, Canada, from which the state gets about 30 percent of its seed. "The border was closed to Alberta seed back in late October-early November, so essentially there's a good chance we've lost access to that seed," Voigt explained. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and its Canadian equivalent, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, are in the process of figuring out where the golden nematode is or could be, Voigt said. "They know where it is in two fields, but they think it might be in other fields, but they can't look for it because the ground is frozen," he said. "So they're going to draw kind of a circle or a square around an area and say, 'Seed potatoes in that area can't move. They've got to stay.'" Until the size of that area is determined, the commission doesn't know what's going to be off limits, Voigt said. "We're hoping part of Alberta will be opened up prior to planting for us, but we don't know how big an area of Alberta," he said. Seed supplies in the United States are "rather tight," Voigt said. Most potato producers have longstanding relationships with seed growers, he added. Now that they're not doing business with Alberta, the only alternative a grower has is to pick up every state-produced seed grower directory. "So a grower has to literally go through this book and call every grower in the state to find out what variety they have, do they have any available for sale that's not spoken for?" Voigt said. So the commission saw an opportunity to make things simpler for potato growers by encouraging seed growers from other states to post ads on Craigslist. "Just to facilitate the matching of buyers and sellers," Voigt said. "We thought that was just a good way." The commission considered creating its own Web site, but decided against the cost of setting one up and operating it, electing instead to utilize a free service like Craigslist. Voigt said he had already begun to see several ads pop up on the sites. Many potato growers in the state are concerned about the seed shortage, he noted. "A lot of concern, almost on the verge of panic," he said. "Our growers have commitments to processors that they're going to plant so many acres of potatoes and now they're finding they don't have the seed to do it. I get calls on a daily basis from growers wanting updates on what's happening in Alberta but, more importantly, is it going to open up in time for planting?" And Voigt's response? "I'm saying we're going to know more next week," he said. "Canada has been slow in getting some of the basis information to (the department)." The golden nematode has no human health concerns. "It's just a little microscopic worm that attacks the roots of potato plants," Voigt said. "The only way it can be transmitted is through transfer of soil, so if you move soil from one field to another field, you'd be moving that nematode, or if you're using equipment in one field and you're not washing it off before you go to the next field, then you're transmitting the pest." Moving seed potatoes in dirt with the nematode on the outside is another way to transport the golden nematode. Voigt said the United States wants to know where the seed potatoes came from to plant in the fields in Alberta, whether equipment was shared and where seed produced in those fields went. "That information hasn't been shared with USDA yet," he said. Once Canada supplies the information, the department can determine where else the pest might be and prohibit exports from those impacted areas, Voigt said, noting it was hoped such a move would happen this week. "If we can open up maybe half of Alberta, that would certainly be helpful in meeting our needs," he said. The state is most affected in early processing varieties. There's a good supply of Russet Burbank potatoes , which is good news because it is stored the longest, but Voigt said a Shepody variety is in very short supply. "We start harvesting potatoes just after July 4," he said. "That's the first one that gets harvested right after July 4. The next one is called the Ranger Russet, and that one is also in short supply. We typically start harvesting those in August." Growers begin planting in late February to early March, Voigt added. Seeds typically have to be brought in before planting, put to a certain temperature and then cut into pieces. "So typically they like to bring them in a month before they plant them," he said. "Kind of the end of January is the drop-dead date that we need seed." Font: columbiabasinherald www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día High production cost may hike potato price, fear growers Argenpapa. Bangladesh, 14-01-2008 Farmers in Munshiganj, a key potato cultivating district, fear late plantation of potato and high production cost could hamper potato yield this season. Potato farmers in the area are experiencing difficulties which could push the production cost of potato to over Tk 15.50 a kg against last year's Tk 13 a kg, said government officials and experts. "Farmers had to postpone their plantation until end of December as rainfall, due to cyclone Sidr, damaged prepared lands," said Jatindra Chandra Modak, deputy director of Agriculture Extension Department of Munshiganj. "Along with high production cost there is also a probability of low production which could put potato prices between Tk 17 and Tk 20 at the grocery shops," he said. Potato represents more than 55 percent of the total vegetable production of the country. Potato farmers fear incurring loss if the market price is below their production cost during harvest. They claimed since many farmers cannot afford to store their produce in cold storages, middlemen every year take the advantage forcing farmers to sell at lower prices. Referring to the present food price situation, experts say potato is sometimes considered as an alternative to rice for people of the low income group. High potato price would put extra burden on the consumers. "If potato price rises in line with the price of rice, it will create more pressure on consumer price index (CPI)," said Prof Mustafizur Rahman, executive director of Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD). Farmers of Kadishal, Taltoal, Kushumpur, Rashunia of Shirajdikhan upazila and Makahati and Mohakhali of Munshiganj told this correspondent that high fertiliser and seed prices, high labour cost, and bad weather is taking a toll on their potato production. They said this could result in high potato prices. Munshiganj alone produces almost 34 percent of the potato produced in the country. Last year, 10 lakh tonnes of potato was produced in Munshiganj district, according to Agriculture Extension Department of Munshiganj. The government this year estimated that potato would be cultivated on 35,000 hectares of land. Cyclone Sidr badly damaged potatoes on 1,624 hectares of land, which were the early crops. Nabi Hossain of Rashunia at Shirajdikhan upazila, while irrigating his land on Thursday, expressed his concerns about the potato production in the area. He said he lost his crops on four acres to Sidr soon after plantation. "Sidr damaged my crops worth Tk 1.5 lakh in November," he said, adding, "Then I tried to recover the loss by re-planting." He said he might not be able to recover from the loss as the production cost has risen significantly. He said Urea, TSP, and Potash fertiliser prices jumped to Tk 710, Tk 1,300 and Tk 1,300 per 50kg bags in the local market, which were Tk 300, Tk 700 and Tk 700 last year. Asked about his thoughts on the reason for the fertiliser price hike, he said, "The government's distribution system was not good and the system gave opportunity to the dealers for making an artificial crisis." He said per acre he had to spend Tk 24,100 for fertiliser, Tk 37,800 for seeds, Tk 75,000 as land rent, Tk 4,500 for irrigation, Tk 4,500 for insecticides and Tk 4,500 for labour. Hossain calculated that he would be spending around Tk 1.50 lakh to produce 10,000 kg of potato, with a production cost of Tk 15.04 per kg, which was Tk 13.45 last year. "Even if farmers make a small profit, their selling price would be around Tk 17 a kg," he added. Asked why seed prices shot up, Md Delwar a grower of Kadisha said, "We do not know… there was a crisis of seeds and we had to pay more." He blamed the middlemen for the high price of seeds. Since farmers usually use local seeds stored in cold storages, the middlemen manipulate the price. He said an 80-kg bag of seeds sold between Tk 950 and Tk 1,050 last year but this year it was between Tk 1,800 and Tk 2,200. He said some farmers had to collect seeds from the houses of dealers as they moved their outlets to avoid "trouble" from the joint forces. Abdul Jalil Sheikh, a farmer of Taltala union, said, "Once potato was considered as alternative to rice but this season it may not be the case. It could become a 'luxury' food item for the rich." He said potato could have a price tag between Tk 22 and Tk 24 a kg once the preservation cost is added to the selling price. FARMERS FEAR BAD WEATHER The yield of potato depends largely on the weather. Night temperature of under 17º Celsius is needed for a good harvest. But the weather forecast is not in favour of the farmers of the district. The Met office in Dhaka said it is unlikely to have a continuous temperature below 17º Celsius at night till the end of March. Temperature may increase after mid February, said Kamrul Hasan, officer on duty at the office. Md Azizul Haque, senior scientific officer of Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute of Tuber Crops Research Sub-centre Munshiganj, said potato production in Munshiganj could be harmed by the weather. "If temperature is higher than the required 17º Celsius, production and size of the potato would reduce significantly," he said. Font: thedailystar www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Industry expert forecasts US fall potato production down 9% Argenpapa. EEUU, 11-08-2008 The editor of North American Market News (NAPMN), Mr Bruce Huffaker, expects US growers to produce 370.9 million cwt of fall potatoes in 2008, based on August 1 growing conditions. Forecast production falls 38.2 million cwt short of the current estimate of the 2007 fall potato crop, a 9.3% reduction. If realized, the forecast takes 2008 production 3.1% below the 2005 crop, to its lowest level since 1990. According to information published in the lastest issue of NAPMN, this year's 8.1% acreage decline is the driving force behind the expected production cut. "However, delayed planting, and backward spring weather in several growing areas, have reduced yield potential. Our current forecast is based on an average US yield of 405 cwt per acre. That is down from the 410 cwt per acre reported for the 2007 crop. It falls short of the 30 year trend yield, 411 cwt per acre," according to Huffaker. This week's lead article in NAPMN examines the fall potato production outlook in detail, along with caveats regarding the production forecast, and explores the ramifications for the major sectors of the potato industry. Potato News www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Potato Council of the U.K. uses the TatukGIS Developer Kernel to Develop Interactive Web Mapping Solution Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña, 11-08-2008 Company: TatukGIS Industry: Agriculture, Software Development, Land Information/Land Use, Internet/Web Mapping/Web Services, Data Quality and Maintenance Location: Oxford, United Kingdom Article prepared by Peter Tickler ( ptickler@potato.org.uk ) In April 2008, the Potato Council (http://www.potato.org.uk - a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Agriculture & Horticulture Development Board) launched an on-line map-based system enabling the growers of England, Scotland and Wales to return details of their potato fields electronically. The intention was that this would gradually replace a paper-based system which currently involves sending out over 5000 maps to nearly 3000 growers. The system is a web-based system written in Delphi (BDS 2006) using Intraweb and the TatukGIS Developer Kernel Toolkit (VCL edition). It was set up on a Windows 2003 web server, running under IIS. Five different scales of Ordnance Survey maps were utilised. There are two key elements in any computer system, especially when you have users with a very varied skill-set: 1. Speed. If it takes more than a couple of seconds to display maps, users are very likely to become disillusioned with the performance of the system. Speed was one reason that we had opted for the DK-VCL, and in practice we were not disappointed. 2. Simplicity of use Growers only use this system once a year. They would not want to waste a lot of time working out how to use it. It therefore had to be designed to be easy to use. In addition, a help file was provided which they could consult at any time in the process (it opened in a separate window). Navigation was via Zoom in and Zoom out, and via the arrows along each side of the map - these are a standard part of the component. A search button enabled users to find a village by name, or to find a field using its map-reference. Next to the Zoom-in and Zoom-out radio buttons was an "Add/Edit Plantings" button. When this was turned on, all the user had to do was click on the relevant potato field, and a data entry screen would appear into which the user then enters the hectarage and some other information about each variety in the field. Coding Behind any easy to use system, there is usually a complex set of code. Using the DK-VCL enabled the programmer to leverage his full set of Delphi skills to ensure the validity of all data entered by the user, and also to trap any irregular user behaviour. Menus and screens were designed to enable users to logon on securely, change password, change the shape and colour of the symbols, and at any stage to review the data entered. A formal process of submitting the completed return was also designed into the system. The scale of the maps displayed at any point was controlled automatically by the Delphi code. Equally a routine was developed which ensured that only the required maps were accessed. These two features, combined with the speed of the DK-VCL components ensured that performance was optimised. Trialing For the 2008 season, just under 200 growers opted to use the system rather than submit paper returns. They were a cross-section of our customers, including some of our smallest and largest potato growing businesses. We hoped that this would result in us being able to manage any problems which might occur. When your customers have a wide range of IT skills, and hardware and software set-ups, it is inevitable that some problems occur. In the event, the problems which did occur were more often than not due to growers losing passwords. The one technical bug which did occur involved a user with a new version of the Safari browser, and that was quickly fixed with the help of TatukGIS's technical support team. Feedback Part of the trialling involved asking users to provide feedback, and this proved to be extremely positive. Ultimately it is the users who tell you if you've developed a good system. "Simple, straightforward, fast, painless. I wish the rest of the season carried on like this!" was one of many encouraging comments. It underlined that Delphi and TatukGIS's Developer Kernel Toolkit make a great combination. TatukGIS ( sales@tatukgis.com ) Phone: +48(58)6209262 www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día UI evaluates spuds for organic potential ARGENPAPA . EEUU. 13-08-2008 KIMBERLY, Idaho - A new research study could help Idaho farmers decide whether to convert some of their cropland to organic potato production. The new study, conducted by the University of Idaho and supported by the Idaho Potato Commission, will examine seven spud varieties for their potential in organic systems. The varieties were planted this spring on a 1-acre plot at the UI Kimberly Research and Extension Center. They included two processing varieties, Alturus and Defender; four fresh-market varieties, Yukon Gold, Dark Red Norland, Norkotah, Norkotah 8; and one dual-purpose spud, the Russet Burbank. UI scientists hope to identify which of the varieties performs best in an organic production system. Defender, a late blight-resistant variety, was the first to emerge, an indication that it competes well against weeds. Yukon Gold was the slowest to emerge. Researchers consulted with local organic growers for the best ways to control weeds and insects without using commercial pesticides. "The first objective for this research study was just to teach ourselves how to grow potatoes organically following USDA standards," UI soil scientist Amber Moore said during a tour of the research plot in late July. Colorado potato beetles were a big problem this year. The insects "just tore up some of our plants," Moore said as she displayed photographs of the damage. On the advice of some local organic growers, the researchers applied an organically approved pesticide called Spinosad, a product derived from a naturally occurring soil enzyme. "It does a great job of killing potato beetles," Moore said. Researchers planted their potatoes behind an alfalfa crop to capture the residual nitrogen in the soil. That helped boost fertility, but volunteer alfalfa plants competed aggressively with the spuds for water and nutrients. After four cultivations, the volunteer alfalfa plants and other weeds appeared to be no more of a problem than in most conventional fields, Moore said. "We might eventually have a little more of an issue, and at that point we're going to do some hand weeding," she said. Fertility treatments are a major part of the study. Cow manure and composted cow manure were applied to some of the experimental plots before planting, while fish emulsion was applied during the growing season. "Potatoes need nitrogen all summer long," Moore said. "They don't like it just pre-plant. For them to initiate tuberization and tuber bulking, they need lots of nitrogen." So far the researchers haven't seen any big differences in nitrogen concentrations among the different fertility treatments. "The plants all look about the same," Moore said. They'll collect post-harvest data to see what effect the different treatments had on tuber yield and quality. "Hopefully, from these findings, we're going to help potato growers determine the fertility options that will produce the highest possible yield for organic farming," she said. Moore and Nora Olsen, a UI Extension potato specialist, will also track costs and compare their organic crop with conventionally grown spuds. Their goal is to help Idaho growers assess the pros and cons of organic production. Many Idaho farmers are curious about organics, but only a handful grow potatoes under certified organic systems now. "There's a lot of interest and a lot of curiosity by growers," Olsen said. "A lot of people are wondering, 'OK, if I were to jump into this, how would it work?'" The researchers could have all of the same problems that neighboring conventional potato growers have, but they'll have to deal with them in a modified way, Olsen said. "It's a new challenge for us, and we're learning," she said. capitalpress www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Grain, alfalfa plantings cut into NW potato acreage ARGENPAPA. EEUU. 15-08-2008 High prices for commodities such as wheat, barley and corn could very well help a bloated potato industry by taking some spud acres out of production. Just how much help for Pacific Northwest potato growers is yet to be seen. There's no question that grains, especially $8 wheat, are getting more attention these days, said Lee Frankel, president and CEO of United Potato Growers of America. "That's a general trend based on (planting) intentions so far. At this point the returns are higher for wheat, barley and (field corn)." Frankel said growers who have grains as part of their rotation are "lengthening their cycle for potatoes and shortening them for grains where there's a good international market." Fresh Plaza Noticias al día Seed potatoes now part of DRC ARGENPAPA . Canadá. 18 08 2008 The Dispute Resolution Corporation (DRC) can now handle disputes involving seed potatoes. The by-law change approved by members at the 2008 Annual Meeting took effect once approved by the Canadian Government which happened recently. Seed potatoes are covered up to the point where they are planted as seed. This move further harmonizes the DRC rules with those of the PACA which does handle complaints regarding seed potatoes essentially up to the point where they are planted. “This change will enhance the coverage we provide to our current members and it will provide us a basis for attracting new members. Quite a few of our members as well as the Potato Committee Executive and the Seed Potato Committee of the Canadian Horticultural Council, which represents seed potato growers from across Canada have been asking us for some time to include seed under the DRC,” said DRC President Stephen Whitney. Matt McInerney, DRC Chairman stated, “One of the reasons it took some time for the DRC to make a decision is directly related to the nature of the complaints that can occur with seed. The DRC needed to ensure it had the necessary resources and expertise to deal with the types of issues that arise within this sector. This became much easier to address when it took a lead from PACA by limiting the disputes it will handle to those which occur prior to planting”. The Dispute Resolution Corporation is a private, non-profit organization of companies that trade or transport fresh produce in North America. It was established under Article 707 of NAFTA with the support and endorsement of the Canadian, U.S. and Mexican Governments. It is dedicated to providing fair, efficient, affordable, and enforceable dispute resolution services. For more information please contact: Stephen Whitney Tel: +1 (613) 234-0982 E-mail Fred Webber: Tel: +1 (613) 234-0982 E-mail www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Investing in potato farming Argenpapa. Nigeria, 16-01-2008 The developed nations are called so because of their ability to be self-reliant. The underdeveloped nations are called so because they are not self-reliant. You have hunger, malnourishment, unemployment, undernourishment, diseases and poverty prevalent in the underdeveloped nations. To eliminate these undesirable traits in us, we must fight hunger, poverty and diseases. One of the ways of fighting these is by developing our Agricultural base. We must, as a matter of policy, produce enough food to feed ourselves. We must be able to export to earn enough foreign exchange and do a lot of other things. This is the essence of this article. Investment justification Potato ranks fourth as one of the important crops in the world, yielding over N80 billion for the World annually. Potato is very rich in essential vitamins, minerals and trace elements. It has high quality protein equivalent to that of yam. The average amount to potato protein required for maintenance of Nitrogen balance in adults is similar to the amount in an egg. In this regard, production of potato will contribute immensely to our health care delivery system. This project will definitely increase the number of menus available in various homes. It has been known that varieties of food available to us in this part of the World are very limited. Thus, this is one of the steps to reverse this trend. The price of food items will definitely go down. This is because potato is a substitute to yam. Production of more potato will reduce demand for yam. This will eventually lead to fall in the price of yam.The land requirement for potato is very small. The problem of land procurement is therefore minimal. Export market for potato is also abundant. It has been discovered that 80 percent of Nitrogen requirement for baby can be obtained from potato. 100 grams of Potato can supply 13 percent of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO) recommended daily allowance of protein for children and up to seven per cent of allowance of adult. Potato has a well-balanced protein-to-calorie ratio. If you eat enough potato to supply a significant amount of energy, a significant quantity of protein will also be provided. It can be processed into chips, flakes, starch and other forms. Potato can grow well in Nigeria. The seeds are also available on request. In this vein, the project is technically feasible. In view of the social and economic benefits stated above, this project is recommended for the consideration of Nigerians. Production tehnology To establish a potato farm, we need a well-drained land. Cultivation process includes land clearing and preparation, procurement of seeds, planting, herbicide application, weeding, cultural practices and harvesting. Maturity is within six months. Profitability A well maintained potato farm would yield 10 tonnes per hectare. We therefore envisage 50 tonnes from five hectares. A tonne of potato sells for a minimum of N100, 000. Total revenue of about N5 million is expected from this small venture. Investors can be assisted in terms of preparation of feasibility report, procurement of seeds and other management services as related to this project by the author. Font: businessdayonline www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día NOTICIAS DE ENERO DE 2008 www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Bhutan Potato Story Argenpapa.Bhutan, 25-01-2008 Potato is adapted to temperate climate. In Bhutan, it can be cultivated as a winter crop in the subtropics and as a summer crop in temperate and sub-alpine environments. Yak herding communities may cultivate potato up to elevations of 4500m. The only other crops and vegetables thriving at these elevations are barley, mustard, pea, turnip, radish and mustard green. Potato in wheat/buckwheat growing regions: The elevation range of 2500-3500m provides good conditions for rainfed potato production. In this belt, farmers can produce seeds of high quality and store the seed for the next season. It is in this altitude belt where the bulk of potato is produced, especially in places such as Sephu, Gangte and Phobji gewogs of Wangdue Phodrang dzongkhag, all gewogs in Bumthang, Chapcha gewog of Chhukha and Naja gewog of Paro dzongkhags. In 2007, the above 4 dzongkhags sold 17,384 tonnes of potato in the auction yard, representing 80% of the total quantities auctioned. Potato in maize growing regions: At lower elevations (1500-2200m) potato is mostly cultivated, mixed with maize, especially in eastern Bhutan. This system offers a range of advantages for small holder farmers especially: increased productivity, improved soil conservation, reduced risk and increased food security. Potato in rice growing regions: In regions Cultivation practices The wide range in production environments resulted in a variety of production systems. Besides the environment, cropping systems and production methods adopted are influenced by cropping practices prior to introducing potato as a cash crop and by market opportunities. The methods described for Ap Pema and Aum Kezang are typical for potato producers of central and eastern Bhutan. Ap Pema in Chhoekhor gewog uses the power tiller for field preparation as well as for planting, earthing and harvesting his potato. He plants potato in rows with about 27,000 plants per acre, applies about 200 kg fertilizer per acre and uses herbicide for weed control. His main objectives are to optimise yield and reduce labour. Aum Kesang in Dremitse gewog plants potato in heaps. She uses only about 10,000 plants per acre and has to carry out all operations manually with the use of a spade. She uses only about 30 kg fertilizer per acre. Aum Kesang operates in a less favourable environment. Her field is steep and rainfall is often delayed and not sufficient. Her main objective is to optimize return to seed, minimize soil erosion and to reduce risk of crop failure. Potato Varieties Currently four varieties are recommended: Desiree, Kufri Jyoti, Yusikaap and Khangma kaap. Bhutanese farmers and consumers clearly prefer the red skin variety Desiree was introduced in 1970 and accounts for about 90% of the potato produced. The main reasons for the preference are: its excellent keeping/storing quality, better prices and good eating quality. Recent efforts to capitalize on the export potential for seed potato may lead to the adoption of other varieties, especially the variety Kufri Jyoti, which is preferred in many parts of West Bengal. New varieties with resistance to late blight, provided by the International Potato Centre (CIP), are currently being evaluated by the RNR Research Centres and the Bhutan Potato Development Program. Constraints to potato production The most important constraints to potato production are limited land holding, sloping topography, high labour cost and wild life crop depredation problems. Most of these constraints are linked. Small plots and sloping topography limit the options for mechanisation and result in high labour cost. The high labour requirement is further amplified by the requirements for guarding fields against wildlife crop damage. Wildlife Damage -Wild Boar Potato producers consistently cite wildlife problems as the most important constraints to potato production. In 2005, an average household spent 73 nights watching the potato field. The feral pig, a hybrid between the domesticated and the wild pig, is the cause for most of the miseries of potato producers. Conservative estimates of income lost annually are in the range of Nu 600-60,000 per household in potential potato producing areas, or a total of about Nu 240 million per year. This estimate includes cost of guarding fields as well as loss of opportunities by not extending potato cultivation. Late blight Bhutanese potato crops are affected by weeds, virus, disease and insects, of which most potato producers consider late blight as the most damaging. This fungal disease is common throughout major potato producing areas in the world and may have been present in Bhutan for over 100 years. In the main potato producing areas, it occurs annually without fail, a few weeks after the onset of the rainy season. Depending on the crop stage at the time of appearance, the yield losses can be substantial. Application of fungicides may slow the epidemic and reduce the damage. Most farmers, however, do not use any prevention methods because the benefits are limited. Is potato cultivation causing erosion or other environmental problems? Commercial potato cultivation requires high inputs to produce good yields. It also causes major soil disturbance at the time of planting and harvesting. Potato cultivation thus requires special attention to soil fertility and conservation. Experiences in Bhutan with intensive potato cultivation by small holders for the past 40 years have, however, shown that potato cultivation can be sustainable. High inputs of organic fertilizers, intercropping with maize, mulching with crop residues, planting in heaps are some of the strategies used by Bhutanese producers to maintain fertility and minimize soil erosion. Contribution by the Bhutan Potato Development Program (Department of Agriculture) Source: Kuenselonline www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Less than 30% of organic potato farmers used copper last year, with the availability of blight resistant varieties Argenpapa. General, 28-01-2008 Despite last year being the worst for blight in 50 years, fewer than 30% of Soil Association organic farmers resorted to the use of copper. Two-thirds managed through the use of blight resistant varieties [1], crop rotations [2] and burning or chopping infected vegetation [3] - this is good news, contrary to the Daily Mail's doom and gloom report yesterday ["Thousands of tons of organic food produced using toxic chemicals", 1 January 2008]. In 2006, 58 organic farmers applied to the Soil Association to use 2.2 tonnes of copper. Last year, out of 300 growers, 85 applied for permission as the wet summer created the right conditions for blight to spread. The Soil Association only allows the use of copper when disease is a major threat to the crop and hopes to reduce the amount farmers can use as alternative organic controls and resistant strains of potatoes are being developed. The amount that organic farmers use is tiny compared to the amount used on non-organic farms where it can be routinely applied as a soil conditioner . Up to four pesticides are permitted but only as a last resort by the Soil Association; this compares to the 311 chemicals that are available to non-organic farmers. The maintenance of biodiversity to encourage natural predators, crop rotations and preserving optimum crop health are fundamental practices used in organic systems to reduce the incidence of pests and disease. Peter Melchett, Soil Association's policy director and an organic farmer, commented, "In 2007 my spring wheats and some spring barley were affected by blight but so far all the crops have passed for seed use, so even considering the fungal-favouring conditions and despite using no fungicides, my organic cereals have yielded well considering the weather, and are in reasonable condition - although more affected by disease than in previous years, when usually there is no detectable disease." Ends For more information, please contact: Soil Association press office on 0117 9874580 or press@soilassociation.org. Peter Melchett, Soil Association policy director on 07740 951066 or pmelchett@soilassociation.org. Ben Raskin, Soil Association technical manager on 0117 3145185 or braskin@soilassociation.org. Notes to editors [1] Research is currently underway at the Centre for Alternative Land Use (CALU) at Bangor University (www.calu.bangor.ac.uk) looking at the Sarpo blight resistant varieties. [2] Copper will build up in the soil, but this is not a problem for organic farmers because of the potato cropping rotations of clover/grass leys to build fertility, followed by a range of crops that benefit from the banked fertility (naturally fixed atmospheric nitrogen) before rebuilding the fertility. A typical rotation might be three years clover/grass to build fertility (grazed/manured by cattle); one year of winter wheat to break the ground and take off some of the fertility; stubble turnips with mustard; a good dose of well-composted manure; and potatoes, before returning to the clover/grass ley ). Organic potatoes are only in the crop rotation every six years and the 6kg of CU (copper) per ha permitted as an input, is not resulting in accumulation problems because more than 6kg is removed with the crops over the six year period. [3] Organic farmers use gas flame machines to burn off the haulms, or chop them off mechanically – that can control blight, but stops the growing of the tubers (potatoes) below ground. Burning off the foliage, if done in time, saves all the tubers, but as they don't grow any more, this affects yield. Burning off the haulms (vegetation) with sulphuric acid is common practice in non-organic potato farming, pre-harvest, and also to stop blight – although non-organic farmers will use fungicides primarily for the latter purpose. Sulphuric acid, a hazardous chemical, is not permitted under the Soil Association's organic standards. - Potato blight is caused by the fungus Phytophthora infestans . It spreads quickly in wet and humid conditions, and can destroy an entire field of potatoes. The spores develop on the leaves and can then be washed into the soil where they spread to neighbouring plants. They can also be carried miles on the wind. - Under Soil Association standards, four pesticides can be used as a last resort on organic farms, mainly to control insect pests and fungi. These include rotenone, soft soap, copper and sulphur. These are simple chemicals compared to the more complex substances used in non-organic farming. Copper and rotenone can only be used with consent by the certification body where the farmer provides evidence of a major threat to the crop and no alternatives are available. The Soil Association encourages the planting of blight resistant varieties as an alternative to copper usage. - Around 10 tonnes of pesticides are used on Soil Association organic farms a year, 0.03% of the total 31,000 tonnes sprayed on non-organic UK farms. If all farmland in the UK converted to organic methods, pesticide spraying would fall by 98%. They are mainly used on two organic crops: potatoes and orchards. No pesticides are used on other organic arable crops and no herbicides (weedkillers) can be used on organic farms. All other organic arable farming in the UK has no need, and no possibility, of using pesticides. - 311 chemicals are available to non-organic farmers to kill weeds, insects and other pests that attack crops. The most dangerous chemicals used in farming such as organophosphates have been linked with a range of problems including cancer, decreasing male fertility, foetal abnormalities, chronic fatigue syndrome in children and Parkinson's disease. Font: soilassociation www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día In 2008, This Spud's for You Argenpapa. EEUU, 30-01-2008 Mr. Potato Head, this is going to be your year: The United Nations has declared 2008 the International Year of the Potato. To be sure, potatoes pop up in fields from South Africa to South Dakota and in dishes from empanadas to, yes, chocolate cake. But you can pay homage closer to home -- and with more familiar eats -- at the potato farms and french fry stands of southern Pennsylvania . The United Nations chose the tuber to promote potato production in developing countries ( http:/ / www.potato2008.org ). The root vegetable, which has quite a history (both tasty and tragic), is readily cultivated and packed with such nutrients as carbohydrates, protein and vitamin C. Of course, Pennsylvania's potato farmers have known this for generations, and Washingtonians have been eating the state's starch for nearly as long. (Hint: Read the small print on the next bag of potatoes you buy at Safeway .) Tater foraging in Pennsylvania harks back to the Seneca Indians, who dug up wild ones called whoppanies. Spuds, however, really gained acclaim in the state in 1922, when the Pennsylvania Co-Operative Potato Growers was formed under the direction of Ernest Nixon, Richard Nixon 's uncle. Just as wine grapes depend on the terroir , potato quality is influenced by weather and the soil's character. Pennsylvania's intermittent rainfall creates perfect growing conditions for the round white varieties, which have a thin skin and white or yellowish flesh. They often turn up in french fries, soup or the Pennsylvania Dutch dish called potato filling, basically mashed potatoes smooshed with bread cubes, vegetables and herbs. Today, the state's potato farms are losing ground to corn and soy plantings and housing developments. About 60 commercial farmers grow taters on 12,000 acres, down from more than 300,000 acres in the early 1900s. So, for the International Year of the Potato, let us all honor Pennsylvania's humble spud, then stick a fork in it. Font: washingtonpost www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Water shortages lead to rise in potato imports Argenpapa. Australia, 04-02-2008 Vegetable processor Simplot Australia will import a third of its potatoes this year, more than it has ever had to before. Concerns over water shortages in Tasmania meant that not enough farmers were able to sign contracts to supply potatoes to Simplot. Tasmania is the company's main supplier. Managing director Terry O'Brien says it was water, and not prices, which deterred farmers from planting. "We've contracted to bring fries in from New Zealand and from Canada, our US parent company is supplying some out of Canada for us," he says. "We've only ever just topped up small shortages. "This is quite a different year". Font: abc www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Potato blight? Take a history lesson Argenpapa. Inglaterra, 04-02-2008 Ordering your seed potatoes? Learn from the lessons of history, says Noel Kingsbury Got gardening problems? This way to Gardeners' Forum I knew my potatoes were in trouble by the smell. Nothing else smells like potato blight - one of the world's most damaging plant diseases. It's a smell of decay, but with a very distinctive high-pitched resinous core to it. Last summer was the worst for potato blight that gardeners and farmers can remember - a long period of rain and warmth provided the ideal conditions for the spread of the fungus. In July I noticed dark patches on the foliage of my potatoes; a few days later the infection had spread dramatically, leaving slimy decaying leaves in their wake. But it was the smell that clinched it. I had first come across it a few weeks previously, in a polytunnel at the headquarters of the Sárvári Research Trust in Wales, where researchers had deliberately infected potatoes to improve their understanding of how the disease spreads. The usual treatment is with fungicides, which farmers use a lot. But no one likes chemicals these days, and few are available to amateur gardeners. The answer lies with plant breeding and the creation of new disease-resistant varieties. For the last few years, British gardeners have been able to obtain a new race of potatoes that are much more resistant than other so-called resistant varieties, and which proved their worth last summer - the Sárpo potatoes, bred by the Sárvári family in Hungary. During the 1950s Dr. Istvaán Sárvári headed a team working on blight- and virus-resistant potatoes at a state research station in communist-ruled Hungary. However, the government closed down the breeding programme in a disagreement over research methods. Dr Sárvári had to leave active research but, like any breeder in such circumstances, he took as many of his potatoes with him as he could. In 1992, the potatoes were "discovered" by a team of Scottish growers and scientists who became convinced that the resistance of these new potatoes must be saved for posterity, and proposed working with the family. But, wary of having their hard work "stolen" by outsiders, it took a long time for the Hungarians to agree. Finally a deal was struck, and the potatoes have now been introduced to Britain by the Bangor-based Sárvári Research Trust, under the name of 'Sárpo'. The great pioneer of disease-resistant food crops was the colourful Russian botanist Nikolai Vavilov. After the October Revolution of 1917, Vavilov convinced Lenin to build "seed banks". To fill them, Vavilov went on expeditions all around the USSR and many other countries. By the time the expeditions were stopped by Stalin in 1933, Vavilov and his team had visited 65 countries and collected 150,000 varieties of fruit, vegetable and grain, among them many potatoes. It was with tubers from Vavilov's collection that the Hungarian team started work. Two maincrop varieties are now available to British growers, 'Sarpo Mira' and 'Axona', both with exceptional resistance to virus diseases as well as to blight and with a floury texture. 'Mira' is heavy yielding, good for chips, wedges, roasting and baking. 'Axona' has a particularly good flavour, making it one of the best for mashing. Planting these as seed tubers this spring will assure you of a blight-free crop, and link you with the one of the great stories of 20th century plant history. Reader offer Buy nine 'Sarpo Mira' tubers plus three potato grow bags for £13.99. Dispatched February to March with dispatch date advised. Call 01787 884312 quoting ref TE666, or send cheques made out to Telegraph Garden to: Telegraph Garden, Dept TE666, PO Box 99, Sudbury, Suffolk, CO10 2SN. Font: telegraph www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Jobs blow as potato firm tells of plan to shut down Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña, 06-02-2008 By Linda McKee Sixteen jobs are to go with the closure of a potato packing business in north Antrim, it was announced last night. Fane Valley Co-operative Society Ltd said it was no longer feasible to retain its Dervock plant as a potato packing centre and it will close in early April. The plant grades, washes and pre-packs 5,000 tonnes of potatoes every year, sourced from around 50 growers mainly in the north Antrim area. Fane Valley chief executive Trevor Lockhart said: "We have carried out a thorough review of our potato business and unfortunately our analysis confirms that it is no longer feasible to retain Dervock as a potato packing centre. "We are indebted to all the staff for their many years of hard work and commitment. This is a sad day for Fane Valley as it marks the end of an era for the Society. "However, nothing stays still and it is imperative that we now concentrate on our other business interests. As a company we must evolve to meet the ever growing demands of the consumer food market place." The decision will result in the loss of 16 jobs, 14 of which are full-time, and marks Fane Valley's exit from the potato sector. Mr Lockhart said: "We hope that by making today's announcement well in advance of the new planting season, our growers will have the opportunity to make alternative arrangements for the year ahead and beyond." Fane Valley is owned by 2,000 farmer shareholders. www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Kenya: Serious Potato Shortage Looms at City Restaurants Argenpapa. Kenia, 11-02-2008 Michael Njuguna Nairobi A shortage of potatoes is expected to hit restaurants in Nairobi and other towns in the next few weeks because of the violence that has crippled the Rift Valley Province. Nairobi has more than 800 restaurants and over 40 local processors of crisps whose operations are expected to be severely affected by the shortage. Potatoes, which are mainly grown by small-scale farmers now rank second to maize in terms of food security. Adversely affected The Kenya National Federation of Agricultural Producers Nakuru Chapter chairman, Mr Samuel Gitonga told the Nation yesterday that a 110kg bag of potatoes was fetching Sh3,000. During harvest time, the bag costs as little as Sh600 in towns such as Nakuru. Mr Gitonga said that most areas in Rift Valley where farmers grow potatoes had been adversely affected by the violence that flared up after the December General Election. Farmers in districts such as Bomet and Kericho produce about 10,000 metric tonnes of potatoes annually each, while neighbouring Molo and Nakuru districts exceed those figures. He said operations at the potato research sub-station at Marindas in Molo had been suspended after the establishment was raided and its property looted. "The disruption of research work at Marindas will definitely have an adverse effect on seed potato production, especially considering that there is a shortage of seed," he said. Mr Gitonga said that farmers had no potato storage facilities on their premises, which meant that ware (uncertified seed) potatoes that were not transported to market would be lost. The Agricultural Development Corporation had put up a seed potato coldstore in Molo in the mid 80s when the parastatal was the major seed potato producer in the country. But the coldstore has been in disuse for years due to lack of seed potato, a situation that has been forcing farmers to grow wares. Mr Gitonga said that transporters would not risk sending their trucks to the potato growing areas for fear that their vehicles would be burnt. "This has also affected wheat farmers because harvesting contractors do not want to go to areas they consider insecure," Mr Gitonga said. Some of the harvesting contractors who were willing to take risks were charging wheat farmers Sh2,000 per acre, reducing producers' profit margins considerably. Mr Gitonga said that a 90kg bag of wheat was fetching Sh3,000 and yet farmers had to meet the high cost of transportation and drying. Feeding population According to Mr Gitonga, a lot of farmers in the Mau Escarpment have yet to harvest their wheat. "Farmers want peace to be restored everywhere so that they can continue feeding the rest of the population," he said. Meanwhile, an official with an agricultural machinery firm is worried about the preparations for this year's planting season because of the post-election violence. Mr Zaddock Khayumbi, who works with FMD machinery services, wants the Government and the opposition to ensure that normalcy is restored in affected parts of the country. "It is upon the Government to restore law and order to allow farming activity to continue as normal," he said, pointing out that unless drastic measures are put in place to restore normalcy, the country's future food security is doomed. Font: allafrica www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día BPC urges potato growers to take action to reduce bruising in crops Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña, 15-02-2008 POTATO growers are being urged to take action to reduce bruising damage in crops, which costs growers about £26 million per year, or on average £200 per hectare, says the British Potato Council. "We know that there are a number of steps growers can take at planting that will make a bruise-susceptible crop less prone to damage but we currently still lack a clear relationship between variety, field conditions and bruising susceptibility. "We need feedback from growers and agronomists that we can combine with further research. That will help us shed more light on this costly problem,” said independent consultant Fraser Milne, following a recent industry forum on bruising. BPC is advising that the most important thing growers should do now is to plan field lay-out carefully. “With current high land rents, it is tempting to plant headlands and awkward areas. "But these areas often account for the most bruised tubers. Unless they are segregated at lifting, they can downgrade the rest of the crop, reducing returns,” said Mr Milne. Font: farmersguardian www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Chateau Herbicide Approved for Chemigation on Potatoes Argenpapa. EEUU, 15-02-2008 Corporation has received a chemigation use label for Chateau Herbicide in potatoes. Now in its third use season, Chateau has provided long-lasting and consistent preemergence residual protection against tough weeds, including yield-robbing annual nightshades, according to a company release. The new chemigation label will mean greater application flexibility for potato growers who may choose to apply Chateau via ground, air or center pivot irrigation. “Year after year, growers have seen outstanding, season-long results on nightshade and other tough weeds with Chateau,” said Trevor Dale, Valent field market development specialist. “Now Chateau will be easier to apply through chemigation, giving growers the flexibility and ease of use they need with the same proven preemergence action they expect from Chateau.” Additionally, chemigation will mean immediate activation and incorporation of Chateau into the soil for a more streamlined treatment process and fewer trips across the fields. Chateau should be applied at 1.5 ounces per acre, after planting and before crop emergence when the growing tip is at least three inches below the soil surface. Chateau is broad spectrum, farm-friendly (rotational flexibility) and can be used on all potato varieties. It requires minimal PPE. Chateau contains the active ingredient flumioxazin, a PPO inhibitor that binds to the soil and has low water solubility. Chateau is available for potato producers in California, Colorado, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington and Wyoming. For more information about Chateau, visit http://www.valent.com . www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Earlier attack from aphids on the cards in potato, veg and sugar beet crops Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña, 20-02-2008 Potato, sugar beet and vegetable crops could all be vulnerable to earlier attacks from peach-potato aphids this season, according to Richard Harrington, an aphid expert from Rothamsted Research . While official forecasts would be issued at the end of February, the mild conditions experienced so far made early aphid movement look likely, he said at a joint ADAS / Syngenta Vegetable Industry conference. The trend towards later potato planting revealed by British Potato Council figures exacerbated the threat from earlier flights of Myzus persicae aphids, he said. "Crops will be at a younger stage when Myzus populations invade, with new growth more vulnerable to virus transmission and damage." And just a 2C increase in average temperature would allow the aphid to start infestations a month earlier than normal and go through an additional four to five generations a year, he warned. "Myzus can reproduce in less than a week at optimum temperatures. There is the potential to create up to 18 generations a season, multiplying 50 times with each one." That further increased to risk of resistance developing, Syngenta's Michael Tait said. Monitoring by Rothamsted Research had shown that although knockdown resistance to pyrethroids had stabilised and in many situations pyrethroids remained effective, MACE resistance to carbamate insecticides was at a high level. The reduced use of organophosphate insecticides had resulted in a sharp reduction of aphids with high levels of esterase resistance. "The good news for growers is there are sufficient insecticide options, with effective rotation of the different chemical groups the key," Mr Tait said. Other effects of climate change would be to increase problems caused by mealy cabbage aphids and cabbage root flies, while it might be increasingly difficult to keep Colorado beetle out of the country if conditions continued to warm up, Dr Harrington noted. by Mike Abram (About this Author) www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Biotech firm mans barricades as campaigners vow to stop trials Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña, 20-02-2008 Small field near Cambridge the latest battleground in fight to prevent GM trials On the outskirts of Cambridge, a field little bigger than a football pitch is about to become the latest GM battleground. On one side is a multinational company, intent on planting a test crop of genetically modified potatoes. On the other, a group of anti-GM campaigners that has vowed to do its best to prevent the trial. The company behind the trial, BASF, will begin planting the potatoes in the next month or two. And in preparation for the activists' arrival, they are reviewing all the usual deterrents. The local constabulary has been alerted, a court injunction might be drawn up, and hundreds of metal fences are waiting to be locked together, to make a protective shield around the field. Not that the measures are expected to do much good, of course. Last year, the company attempted an identical trial, and despite a security fence, round-the-clock guards and a court injunction, the plants were ripped up in an overnight raid. A week before, the police arrested two activists for damaging the site at the National Institute for Agricultural Botany, an organisation whose business is to conduct field trials of all kinds of crops. One protester had climbed on the security fence, which collapsed under his weight. The activists have sworn to return this year to pull up any freshly-planted crops they can. So far, it could easily be a re-run of the anti-GM protests of the late 1990s. But a Guardian investigation has found that the battle over GM Britain is set to intensify. Buoyed by a surge in GM crop growing around the world, biotech companies are lobbying governments hard for help in breaking down the last bastions of resistance, here and elsewhere. Meanwhile, British anti-GM activists have grown stronger, linking up with groups in Europe, and even joining in "field liberation camps" on the continent to train and discuss their strategies. This week, a report from the GM industry claimed that GM crops worldwide have soared almost 70-fold in the past 10 years, to 114m hectares, an area predicted to double by 2015. Greenpeace said the report, from the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications, was "propaganda" and "littered with false claims and manipulated statistics". The campaign group counters that of the 1.5bn hectares of arable land on the planet, more than 92% is cultivated without GM crops, and more than 99% of farmers do not resort to GM crops. Within industry, some believe the anti-GM campaign is becoming a different beast from the one they faced at the beginning of the GM wars. Then it was the likes of the former Labour minister, Lord Melchett, who in 1999 led Greenpeace activists onto Walnut Farm in Norfolk and used lawn mowers to shred crops while farmers fought back, turning their tractors into battering rams. Now, they say, there are hints that the anti-GM movement is swelling to embrace anti-globalisation activists more familiar with the World Economic Forum in Davos, and perhaps animal rights activists, who have seen laws around anti-vivisection protests tightened in the past two years. "We're getting more activists, and the activists seem to be broadening out," said Chris Wilson of BASF. The GM crop trial at Cambridge is one of only two expected to go ahead in Britain this year. The other, a nematode-resistant potato developed by Leeds University, uses a synthetic gene for the first time. Both crops could improve farmers' yields substantially, and reduce the amount of pest repellent or insecticide they needed to spray. The BASF potato contains a gene taken from a wild relative that makes it resilient to potato blight, the fungus that devastated Ireland's potato crop in the 1840s and continues to cost British farmers £50m a year. The Leeds University potato produces an antibiotic to combat nematode worms that cause an estimated £43m damage a year in the UK. In a parting shot late last year, Sir David King, the government's former chief science adviser, put the cost of Britain's failure to embrace GM crops at £4bn. Biotech companies claim the financial benefit of GM crops is often even greater outside the UK, and is behind many countries choosing to adopt the technology. Globally, the amount of land given over to GM crops increases by an area equivalent to nearly half the size of Britain every year. To strengthen their cause, multinationals such as Monsanto, Bayer CropScience and Syngenta argue that GM technology is at least part of the solution to problems of food inflation, food security and even global warming. "There's a clear recognition around the world that GM is doing the job," said Julian Little of the agricultural biotechnology council, a GM industry group. Though biotech companies can point to successes, Europe has become a serious headache. Across the EU, more than 110,000 hectares of GM crops were grown last year, a 77% increase on the year before. But so far, only one crop has been approved in 10 years, an insect-resistant maize developed by Monsanto, and most of it is grown in Spain. Enthusiasm for the crops varies enormously, from a Slovakian zeal that saw GM crop farming rise 2,900% last year, albeit from a small base, to Britain and other countries which have so far proved impenetrable. This year, Europe will begin to feel punitive measures from the US, Canada and Argentina after falling foul of World Trade Organisation rules when some member states banned GM unilaterally. Last month, a scientific panel convened by the French government ruled there were serious doubts over Monsanto's GM maize crop, allowing President Nicolas Sarkozy to invoke a safeguard clause and join them. The move followed a hunger strike by the veteran activist and moustachioed farmers' leader José Bové, protesting against more than 21,000 hectares of GM crops planted commercially in France last year. Further fines are due in protest against hold-ups in Brussels, where more than 40 crops are stuck in a backlog of bureaucracy, awaiting to be approved. Political blocks are only part of the problem though. The picture from Europe is that the growth of GM is being matched by rising activism, and previously isolated groups have begun linking across borders and into Britain to form a united front. In France and Germany last year, GM crop planting rose 323% and 183% respectively, but both countries witnessed their largest rise in activism too. In France, the number of crop trials owned by Monsanto that were attacked last year reached 65%, up from 45% in 2004. There, clashes over GM became a running disaster last year. In August, activists ripped up crops in one field, costing Monsanto an estimated €100,000. Later the same month, gendarmes used tear gas and batons to keep pro-GM farmers away from a picnic being held by anti-GM campaigners in the town of Verdun-sur-Garonne in south-west France. The campaigners, led by Bové, claim a citizen's right to destroy GM crops, which they believe are an environmental hazard and threaten to leave farmers reliant on the whims of a few multinational companies. Tensions had reached a new high after one farmer, who had agreed to grow a small plot of GM maize, committed suicide a few days after being warned that anti-GM activists planned to occupy his fields. The situation, according to Nathalie Moll of the biotech organisation, EuropaBio, has become a "witch hunt." In Germany, attacks have also risen steadily. The country's main anti-GM group, Gendreck Weg! - Off with genetic dregs! - claims responsibility for around 30 attacks last year, up from six in 2004. Michael Grolm, a co-founder of Gendreck Weg!, says the group's aim for the past four years has been to unite GM activists across Europe. They have developed strong links to Bové's organisation in France, and to others in Britain, Poland and Hungary and elsewhere. Grolm makes a living from beekeeping and sees GM crops as a direct threat to his livelihood. "If my honey is contaminated with GM, no one will buy it. I won't be able to live from it," he said. The organisation has started a campaign that centres around one spectacular public crop trashing a year. In the days beforehand, they hold a "field liberation camp" and invite activists from all over Europe to share experiences and discuss tactics. Afterwards, anyone who wants to can join the trashing, which is tracked by the organisations own lawyers. "We show films, we cook organic food and we have special training to get on to the fields without fighting the police," said Grolm. Jürgen Binder, another co-founder, is one of around 70 Gendreck Weg! protesters that have been arrested for the organisation's activities. He is facing 90 years in prison for calling for civil disobedience. "If I go to prison, then I go to prison. Of course, we will have our demonstration in front, we have our message to get across," he said. Invites for this year's camp - tentatively planned for July and probably in southern Germany - will be going out shortly, via regional contacts in each country. In Britain, the task of herding activists along to the camp is down to Gerald Miles, a pig farmer from Mathry in Pembrokeshire, who founded GM Free Cymru and five years ago spent a week driving to London on his tractor to take part in an anti-GM protest. "There is a movement now. We've all got similar actions and campaigns going on and we can help each other out. The UK has been at the forefront of this, so Europe has been looking to the UK as experienced campaigners," he said. "More and more of us see this as a European issue and creating a GM free Europe is our main goal. We are a network now, we work together." In Britain, the strength of opposition has left multinationals exasperated at what they feel is a gift to the activists. For every crop trial they plan, they must publish a six-figure grid reference that clearly identifies the location of the field. "In the UK, transparency of locations is a real problem. Many farmers are not growing GM because they're afraid people will come and trash their fields," said Moll. Last year, BASF planned to conduct its GM potato trial at two sites, the second being a farm in Derbyshire. The trial was scrapped after the field location was made public and the farmer pulled out. The company attempted to shift the trial to Yorkshire, but cancelled again after neighbouring farmers raised concerns it might contaminate their borage crops, a plant used to produce starflower oil for the health food supplements. The obligation to give crop locations is enshrined in a European directive, which industry groups claim was introduced in the most draconian way possible by Michael Meacher, Tony Blair's anti-GM former environment minister. Elsewhere in Europe, fields are not pinpointed so clearly, with companies giving only the region in which a trial will take place, or submitting the details to a tightly-controlled public register. Here, industry groups have asked government to do more to help protect their crop trials. They favour a public register of trials, but want the information on it released only to people who can prove they have a legitimate interest, such as neighbouring organic farmers. It would not stop the attacks, but it might reduce them by effectively hiding the fields, the companies believe. "We've been very clear to government. We have to find a way of reducing the amount of damage you get when you do a field trial in the UK, that's absolutely imperative. Our view is we need greater security, or we need to reduce the visibility of the trials. Second, when people are caught causing illegal damage to crops, they need to face the full power of the law," said Little. Environment officials confirm they are considering a broad range of options to reduce the risk of crop trashing, but add that making fields harder to find is not straightforward, because of the strict guidelines laid down in the EU directive. At BASF, Chris Wilson said the company was looking forward to getting this year's trial underway. What results they got from last year's trial were encouraging, he said. "After the experience of last year, we do have to think about how to protect the site and what we can do differently, but 24 hour guards and fences cost a lot of money," he said. One activist, Martin Shaw, who was charged with causing damage to the fence surrounding BASF's trial last year said the protests would continue as long as there were trials. "Personally, I intend to pull up as many crops this year as I can," he said. Font: guardian www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Potatoes are key crop for Northern Ireland Barometer Argenpapa. Irlanda, 25-02-2008 Potatoes remain the key drivers of operations on Farmers Weekly's Barometer farm near Northern Ireland, Andrew Blake hears This season potatoes are planned to account for a quarter of the 400ha (1000 acres) of land James Wray will farm around Myroe near Limavady. As the Ulster Farmers' Union's potato farming representative for the north west, Mr Wray describes this year's prices as "OK, just OK. We are making money, but I won't be rushing out to buy my first Ferrari quite yet." The weather's recent impact on his operations in both field and store has been particularly noticeable. "Our main problem this year is that the crop in store has started budding very early after all the mild weather we've had. We have plenty of ambient storage on the farm but only 500t of cold storage." Demand is still quite sluggish, he adds. "So the grader isn't operating at full speed, and I can see an awful lot of work building up that is all going to need doing at the same time." Last summer's soaking, which Mr Wray admits was not quite as bad as in England, made for difficult lifting, especially of tubers from the drills within the sprayer tramlines. "So we have changed our sprayer from the 21m tractor-mounted unit to a 24m self-propelled Bateman , which will leave fewer tracks. The whole unit is 2-2.5t lighter so the tracks should also be shallower." Another benefit should come from the four-wheel steering, which is expected to help cut damage at the drill ends, he says. "Although I have only used the machine a couple of times, and it's 13 years old, I must admit I am very impressed with it and the back up. "You can ring Bateman direct and speak to someone - usually the person who answers the call - who knows every bolt and washer on it and can talk you through most problems with its operation. How many other agricultural machinery manufacturers can you say that about?" Another significant purchase, through New Holland, has been an EZ-Steer system from Trimble , says Mr Wray. "This piece of electronic wizardry will be mounted in one of our tractors and by using GPS technology it will steer the machine down the field. "Last year one of my tractor operators, who was responsible for creating the straight beds which the rest of the fleet uses to plant the potatoes, left us. "So my father took it upon himself to do the job." But after a year of following the theory that a curved drill of potatoes is better than a straight one because it is longer and so leads to a bigger crop, Mr Wray decided to adopt GPS to try to iron out the curves. "It should also avoid having to watch the planting team driving up and down the field with lights and flashing beacons on just in case they drive round a corner and crash into one another!" New spring sowing tactics - maybe For several years the farm's cereal sowing has been done by local contractor - Gorthill Farm Contracting - using a Lemken one-pass power-harrow combination drill. "This year they have bought a 6m Horsch drill. So provided I get a good quote (are you listening, boys?) then my spring crops will be our first using a plough/press/drill system." The spring barley varieties , in total 100ha (250 acres), will be Westminster, Static and Quench. The 20ha (50 acres) of winter-sown crop is all Retriever. Last year I had great results with Westminster, both in grain and straw yield, so I'm working on the theory 'if you do what you did, you will get what you got'." "A neighbour and good friend of mine grew Quench and I was very impressed with the crop, so I thought I'd better give it a try. "As for Static, I am quite worried - with more and more livestock farmers giving up - about where we are going to sell our straw next year. "Static has fantastic yields with short straw, and is a variety I can use to push the combine into achieving throughput with high yields. "Our winter barley area has shrunk over the years, from 200 acres, as we can achieve very good yields from the new spring varieties. But it's good to have some winter barley to get the combine running and harvest started." All the winter cereals , including 93ha (230 acres) of Einstein and Oakley wheat, are showing signs of stress after the sodden January, he notes. Grass weed control, from IPU + pendimethalin, seems to have worked well. "I used Defy in a few fields as a trial for an IPU alternative and it seems to have done the job well. "We've also been spraying off leys and dirty stubbles with glyphosate. "I use Touchdown Quattro, as it contains stickers which pay for themselves in the catchy weather we've been having." Muck burning plans 'crazy' Potato grading aside, the main tasks, weather permitting, are ploughing and spreading chicken muck. "Considering the price and availability of fertiliser this year, I think this may work out to be a worthwhile exercise. "I'm disappointed to hear that this may be my last year of my being able to apply it, as there are plans to incinerate it, which seems crazy." Font: fwi www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Potato planting under way as growing conditions improve Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña, 25-02-2008 By Joanna Baker EARLY potato planting is currently progressing well, with many growers in the South West reporting conditions are ideal for the crop. “Planting in Cornwall has continued whenever a clear weather period has developed and although soils are variable, many growers are finding conditions better than in most recent seasons,” said British Potato Council market information manager, Rob Burrow. “However, some growers are actually starting to slow down their progress in order to keep in line with planting schedules and avoid the risk of late frosts,” he said. The main varieties planted to date in the South West include Rocket, Premiere, Maris Peer, Lady Christl and Charlotte, along with some early crisping Lady Rosetta. “In other areas, planting has also got going in Devon and Kent and there has been quite a good start made on sand land in Pembrokeshire.” Planting had also begun on Anglesey and in Cheshire and Herefordshire, with Premiere being the dominant variety going in the ground so far, said Mr Burrow. “Soils are gradually drying out in other early areas, but the heavier land further north will need a bit longer yet, with water tables still too high in some fields for machinery to travel. “Frost is also the main concern at the moment and although nationally we are slightly behind last year with planting, it is still early days yet.” He estimated that around 700 hectares of potatoes were now in the ground. “Meanwhile, maincrop growers are still content to wait for drier weather, with plantings likely to start in the middle of March,” said Mr Burrow. Somerset-based senior field manager, Richard Meecham from potato company Branston's southern site near Ilminster, agreed that planting was going smoothly so far this season for those on the lighter soils. “Planting has been predominantly on the lighter soils, with any soils that have any clay content in them having been side-lined because they are still generally too wet,” said Mr Meecham, who oversees planting some 3,000 hectares of potatoes grown by a 39-head producer group in the South of England and Pembrokeshire. “On the sand land, planting conditions have been impressive, with soils covering over nicely behind the planter. “The only problem has been the low temperatures, as we normally like to see 8degC before planting commences, but with the recent dry period of weather we have had, growers understandably want to get on with planting.” Those potatoes that had just been planted should not be affected by frosts, said Mr Meecham. “But potatoes that are just emerging under plastic, and certainly those that are touching the top of the plastic, could suffer if we get a bad frost.” However, with many crops being grown near the coast, he said, the risk of frost damage was reduced significantly. Although planting in Cornwall was slightly behind last year, the producer group as a whole was at a similar stage to 2007, he said, with most of the early-programme potatoes now in the ground and growing and emerging well. “The crops that have been planted to date should cover the April/May movement requirements, with all of the early-movement Premiere now in the ground, along with some early Rocket and some Lady Christl for the mid-movement period, while Charlotte and Maris Peer are being planted at the moment.” Growers on the heavier land were eager to get planting, said Mr Meecham. “Some growers want to be planting, but those on heavier land are still waiting for soils to dry out. “It's a case of sitting tight and waiting for conditions to improve so a good seedbed can be achieved.” Font: farmersguardian www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Seed potato farmers fear future after PCN discovery Argenpapa. Canadá, 27-02-2008 Limited evidence of crop pest closes markets indefinitely to local producers David Finlayson, The Edmonton Journal EDMONTON - Alberta's seed potato farmers are waiting anxiously for news of government financial aid after the discovery of a tiny pest at two Edmonton-area farms shut down the huge U.S. and Mexico markets. The industry's losses could reach $35 million because of a "very limited" amount of the potato cyst nematode (PCN) found on the farms in October, said Vern Warkentin, executive director of the Potato Growers of Alberta. And the future of the two farms is in doubt after they were ordered to destroy their crops and not plant any more indefinitely. "Up to half of the seed potatoes produced in Alberta are typically exported to important markets in the U.S. and Mexico," Warkentin said. "Now all trade has stopped, forcing growers to weigh their options for their crops and their future." Warkentin said they are in talks with both the federal and provincial governments over a compensation package, but no decisions have been made. They are also waiting to hear when the borders will again be reopened as spring planting season looms. It's the first instance of the pest at a seed potato farm in North America, although it has appeared at commercial potato farms in B.C., Quebec, Newfoundland, Idaho and New York state, Warkentin said. Both affected farms have been ordered by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to destroy their crops, and Ernie Van Boom said it's also destroying his livelihood. Only part of one cyst, or egg sac, was found on his farm and four cysts on the other farm near Spruce Grove, said Van Boom, who farms 500 acres near Fort Saskatchewan. When the Canadian Food Inspection Agency retested his property they did not find any more cysts, and typically an infestation will involve millions of them, he said. "The frustrating part is that the tests were very inconclusive and yet we cannot grow potatoes on this land now indefinitely," said Van Boom, who has to destroy 8,000 tonnes of potatoes. "My son was planning to take over the farm, but with recent actions, he is wondering if farming will be his future." Van Boom, a third generation seed potato farmer, believes producers have been caught in the middle of a trade dispute with the U.S. Two years ago Canada overreacted when it closed its border to washed Idaho potatoes when PCN was found there, even though it can only be carried in soil, he said. Now the U.S. is retaliating for that move, he said. It's especially frustrating because in Europe the discovery of PCN would result in the farm being put under a management program, and the industry would carry on, he said. The pest poses no risk to humans and consumers can continue to enjoy potatoes sold in stores, he added. Van Boom hopes Alberta's 60 producers can get some cash to stay afloat this season even if it won't help what was a good business for his family. "I don't know what we're going to do. Our whole future has basically evaporated, and who is going to pay for that?" dfinlayson@thejournal.canwest.com Font: The Edmonton Journal www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Farmer fined for illegal spuds Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña, 05-03-2008 A farmer from Ballymena has been convicted of illegally planting potatoes. Joseph Kelly of Kilgad Road, Kells, pleaded guilty at Ballymena Magistrates Court on Tuesday. He was charged under the Plant Health Order 2006 with illegally planting potatoes which are not permitted for use as seed. Mr Kelly received a two year conditional discharge and was ordered to pay £49 costs. The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development inspects potato crops throughout Northern Ireland to make sure regulations on the planting of seed potatoes are followed. Font: BBC www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Improving nitrogen management Argenpapa. Canadá, 12-03-2008 New recommendations and a petiole test can help growers better meet the needs of the crop. Good nitrogen management has never been more important. Rising energy costs are driving up fertilizer costs, and environmental issues are receiving more publicity than ever. This makes fine-tuning fertilizer nitrogen applications an important business decision for potato growers. The challenge growers face is that the right amount of fertilizer nitrogen to apply can be quite different in different fields or in different years. That is because not all nitrogen used by the crop comes from fertilizer. The soil also provides a lot of nitrogen to the crop. However, the amount of nitrogen supplied by the soil varies depending on the crop rotation, manure management practices, soil properties and even weather conditions. To help growers meet this challenge, government and university researchers, provincial crop specialists and industry agronomists from New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and Maine reviewed the latest research findings. The result was new fertilizer nitrogen recommendations for potato production in Atlantic Canada. Also new are guidelines for petiole nitrate testing. The new recommendations reduce the guess work when choosing fertilizer N rates by using a nitrogen credit system. Credits are used to account for nitrogen supplied to the potato crop by a previous legume crop, by manure application, and from soil organic matter. The recommended nitrogen rate for a specific potato variety is adjusted using average nitrogen credit values to determine the required fertilizer application rate for a particular field. For a legume crop, the nitrogen credit depends on the legume crop grown and whether it was a pure or mixed legume stand. Credits are given for manure applied in the spring before planting and in the previous fall. The manure credit depends on the time of manure application (fall versus spring), the type of manure (solid versus liquid), the time between manure application and incorporation, and the soil conditions at the time of manure application (bare soil, crop residues, standing crop). A manure analysis is required to calculate the manure nitrogen credit. Fertilizer nitrogen rates are adjusted downward on soils with a high soil organic matter because these soils provide more nitrogen to the crop. These new recommendations will help growers apply the right amount of fertilizer to meet the nitrogen requirement of their potato crop. This will help growers meet their tuber yield and size targets while avoiding issues related to excess nitrogen application, such as low tuber specific gravity or difficulty in top killing vines. Good nitrogen management is also an effective way for growers to reduce the risk of nitrate leaching and greenhouse gas emissions from their farms. Some growers may be worried about cutting back on their fertilizer rates. One way to be sure the crop is getting enough nitrogen is to use petiole nitrate testing. This is where the new petiole nitrate testing guidelines come in. By testing your petiole nitrate level every seven to 10 days, you can track the performance of your crop against standard curves that have been developed. If your petiole nitrate test value gets too low, additional nitrogen can be added as urea mixed in to fungicide spray applications. Some care is required in interpreting petiole nitrate results. Test results will drop if the crop is short of water. Test results drop under these conditions because the nitrate cannot travel to the roots when the soil is dry. Application of foliar nitrogen to a potato crop under drought conditions will not help the crop survive the drought, and may result in an excessive nitrogen supply later in the year when more rainfall occurs. There is another way to use petiole nitrate testing. It can be used as a report card on nitrogen management in each field. A high petiole nitrate test late in the growing season just before top-kill means that the supply of nitrogen from the soil and from fertilizer was more than what the crop needed. If the petiole nitrate test is consistently high, growers can consider reducing fertilizer nitrogen inputs in future years. While these new recommendations are an improvement over previous recommendations, they are not the final answer. Research continues on ways to better predict the supply of nitrogen from the soil. A new test for soil nitrogen supply is currently being examined to see if it can do a better job of predicting fertilizer nitrogen requirement than the nitrogen credit system. This would be the first test of its kind in Canada. Fertility is an important factor in crop development and yield results. The new fertility recommendations and the petiole test help growers fine-tune their fertility programs to meet the needs of the crop and, hopefully, improve the bottom line. -end- Font: topcropmanager www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Spud planting gets under way Shortages prompt some growers to switch varieties Argenpapa. EEUU, 12-03-2008 It looks like Pacific Northwest spud growers may have enough seed to plant this year's crop after all. Growers have managed to work around shortages of some U.S.-grown seed varieties and a ban on Alberta seed potatoes by moving to alternative varieties, industry officials said. Planting began last week in the Columbia Basin in Washington state. "Guys have been able to plant spuds, but a lot of them have had to switch varieties," Chris Voigt, executive director of the Washington State Potato Commission, said in an interview this week. Early season varieties such as Shepody, Ranger Russet, Umatilla Russet and Russet Norkotah are in very short supply this year, Voigt said. "Essentially growers have found a lot of Russet Burbank seed to replace it," he said. Washington growers will continue planting into May, about the time that many Idaho growers begin. Spud acreage may be down a little in Washington this year, but it's too early to know how much, Voigt said. Normally, about 30 percent of the Washington potato crop is planted from Alberta-grown seed. But it's unlikely that any Alberta seed will be planted in the Northwest this year because of the discovery of potato cyst nematodes on two Edmonton-area seed farms last fall. The two farms were quarantined, and the U.S. border has been closed to Alberta potato seed since November. Alberta growers have pretty much given up on exporting potato seed to the U.S. or Mexico this year because of the closed border, said Vern Warkentin, executive director of the Potato Growers of Alberta. "The seed that would have gone into the export trade, whether the Pacific Northwest or Mexico, that seed will most likely end up being fed to cattle," Warkentin said in a phone interview this week. "I think (Alberta) growers are just looking at the calendar and saying, 'OK, we have to move on,'" he said. "We have to get ready for 2008, and we have to get this (2007) crop out of our storage." Seed potatoes grown outside the two quarantined farms can be used by commercial growers in Alberta or shipped to other provinces as long as soil testing indicates that the lots are clean. "But functionally, this hasn't been happening because the growers in other provinces are being cautious," Warkentin said. "I'm not aware of any seed moving out of Alberta at all." There are few alternative uses for the unsold seed potatoes, he said. The spuds would be unsuitable to move directly into the fresh or frozen processing markets. "There is a limited dehy possibility in Alberta, and the rest will have to go for cattle feed or be destroyed," Warkentin said. Alberta's seed potato growers could lose up to $35 million in revenue this year because of the fallout from the pest find and the border closure, he said. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency are still in discussions, but it appears it will be at least 2009 before the border will be reopened to Alberta seed spuds, industry officials said. Staff writer Dave Wilkins is based in Twin Falls, Idaho. E-mail: dwilkins@capitalpress.com. www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Gujarat potato is McDonald's Indian French fry Argenpapa. India, 12-03-2008 Millions of consumers in India munch McDonald's French fry, also called Mac Fry, every day. But many of them might not know that the potato they relish comes from Gujarat, thanks to an initiative by the Indian subsidiary of US multinational McCain Foods. McCain Foods India (MFI) processes and supplies frozen potato products from its swanky $14.6 million plant on the National Highway number 8 that connects Delhi and Mumbai. The plant is located 60 km away from Ahmedabad, enroute to Mehsana. The plant, which has a capacity to process 40,000 tonnes of potato a year, went on stream in June 2007. McCain's journey to success began in 1997 when it made its entry into India with a proposal to invest Rs.1 billion ($25 million) in potato fry business. "We were determined to stay put in India and make a success of the venture," Dilip Mukherjee, Country Manager of MFI. He said after a thorough study, the company concluded that Indian potato was not the ideal one for the business. Potatoes, which were larger in size and had less water content, were required, he said. For the kind of potato needed, Mukherjee said, it was necessary to develop the seed in cold climate. A team of researchers then took up the task of developing the seed at Lahul Spiti in Himachal Pradesh. After developing the seed the company started a search for the best area for growing the new breeds. That search ended at Mehasana in north Gujarat, as the region was blessed with a stretched wintry condition, which was vital for potato growth. And since the plant was also coming up in Mehsana, logistics demanded that the potato be grown in nearby areas. Mukherjee said MFI worked closely with farmers and encouraged them to share the new agronomy practices like relying on quality seed, drip and sprinkler irrigation systems, new planting techniques and adopting contemporary methods of potato storing. The joint endeavour bore fruit and Shepody, the new jumbo variety of potato, was born in India. Oblong in shape and huge in size Shepody was all weight. And now Santana, another new breed is on the anvil. Today, Deesa, Vijapur, Palanpur, Himmatnagar in north Gujarat and Anand in central Gujarat have emerged as India's hubs of new breeds of potato. Mukherjee claimed that farmers in north Gujarat were now convinced about the profitability of growing new breeds of potato without forsaking the cultivation of traditional varieties, consumed in millions of homes. The MFI initiative with farmers has resulted in Gujarat growing 2,000 tonnes of new breed of potatoes, which is almost entirely consumed by McDonald India for making French Fries. By 2010, the potato consumption of McDonald India is expected to reach 12,000 tonnes, almost entire quantity of which will be supplied by MIF, Mukherjee said. Abhijit Upadhya, Director of national supply chain of McDonald's India, said a thorough logistics supply chain arrangement has been constructed to receive McCain products in frozen form at the national distribution centres for West and South and North and East. McCain-McDonald's India's initiative with Gujarat farmers has grown into a unique technology driven enterprise, he added. Font: ndtvprofit www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día BASF Delays Gene-Modified Potato Crop, Blames EU for Inaction Argenpapa. CEE, 12-03-2008 By Stefanie Haxel BASF SE , the world's largest chemicals maker, postponed cultivation of the genetically modified Amflora potato to at least next year after the European Commission failed to rule on its approval. The European Union's executive body ``is violating the EU's own rules'' by delaying a decision, Hans Kast , head of BASF's Plant Science said today in a statement. The approval was withheld ``apparently for political reasons as no factual reason is given,'' he said. It is now too late in the year to start planting the crop, altered to enhance its starch content for industrial use, spokeswoman Mette Johansson said. BASF is considering various responses including legal action, she said. Possible locations for cultivation are Germany, Sweden and the Czech Republic. The application to grow Amflora was passed on to the Commission, the 27-nation EU's regulatory arm, in July after individual EU governments failed to reach an agreement. A second application to allow using industrial byproducts for animal feed is also still pending. To contact the reporter on this story: Stefanie Haxel in Frankfurt at shaxel@bloomberg.net www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día CRP, pasture burning beneficial Argenpapa. General, 16-04-2008 Barton County Extension Agent, agriculture I am not going to get into a big debate about carbon storage and its benefits, but I still strongly believe in some of the benefits of burning Conservation Reserve Program acres and native rangeland. Burning in April, just prior to the grazing season is the time you will want to do this. Specifically, when bluestem grass is one inch tall, it's time to burn. Not all grasses need to be burned. Buffalograss, bermuda and brome do not respond as favorably as the taller warm season grasses. You need plenty of moisture in the soil profile to keep from damaging the good grass and we have had that in our area lately. With all the moisture we have had in the past year, this should be a good year to burn. If you look at it strictly from a production standpoint on cow-calf management, I doubt you can measure a difference, but there are other benefits. As a cow-calf operator, you still need to improve grazing distribution and control weeds and brush in your pastures. You need to look at the long term benefits of burning, rather than the year to year advantage it gives on stocker and yearling operations. On CRP, the biggest benefit is to get rid of some of the mulch that builds up, because on native grass it tends to subdue the grass more than the weeds. Controlling brush, unwanted trees and weeds are probably the biggest benefits. On pastures, improving the grazing distribution and controlling the weeds will enable you as a cowman to get more out of your grass. You may be surprised that burning every other year a couple of times is all that is needed--at least for a few years--to get that pasture in good condition and not flat as a table top with no grass. You may even see an increase of some better grass species that are more productive. Even the wildlife people will tell you it's good for wildlife population and habitat as a whole even though we do burn up a few critters in the process. For wildlife purposes, they like to see March burning instead of April. When you plan your burn, which you need to do in advance, stop by the county Extension office. We have an entire series of free publications on controlled burning that will help you. Irish potatoes We have a good reminder on when to plant potatoes with St. Patrick's Day, but this year the weather was lousy on St. Patrick's Day. Not only that but we have cold, wet soils. A lot of cooler days plus adequate moisture have caused the soil temperature to be about a week behind at the start of the spring season. When this happens think Easter for potato planting. As soil temperatures start to increase, potatoes planted around Easter or just after should start to develop fairly soon. Select firm seed potatoes and cut them into seed pieces about 1 to 2 oz in size. You should get eight to 10 seed pieces per pound of seed potatoes. It is a good idea to cut the seed two to three days before you plant it and hold the cut seed in a warm place (room temperatures) to allow the freshly cut surface to 'heal over.' Actually, a protective chemical material called suberin is produced at this cut surface to prevent the seed piece from rotting. You will notice that the cut surface dries out and a slight powdery appearance starts to develop when they are properly healed. Plant seed pieces about 3/4- to 1-inch deep to encourage early growth. Then, gradually pull soil along the row forming a 'hill' to cover the lower stem with soil as a bearing area for the potatoes to develop later in the season. As the potatoes grow 3 to 4 inches, pull another 3 to 4 inches of soil to the hill. Potatoes are fairly heavy 'feeders' or require quite a bit of fertilizer to produce abundantly. However, it is a good idea not to put down all the fertilizer at once (at planting time). They respond to several 'sidedressings' of fertilizer by sprinkling fertilizer along the row as the crop is growing. Scab disease on potatoes As you are planting or preparing to plant potatoes, be aware of a disease that is prominent in our area, due to the high pH of most of our soils. Our soils tend to be alkaline (higher than 7.0 pH), especially north of the Arkansas River and anything west of the Cheyenne Bottoms. I'll talk more about this disease next week. But for now, since planting time is here. How can you prevent it? Several practices can limit the severity of scab. 1. Planting resistant varieties is the most feasible and practical control. Varieties showing some level of scab tolerance include: Norchip, Norgold Russet, Reliance, Russet Burbank, Shurchip, Norland, Hi-Plains, Pungo, Redskin, Russet Sebago, Shoshoni, and Superior. 2. Avoid planting seed exhibiting scab lesions. 3. Crop rotation in which potatoes will be planted in the same area only once every 3 or 4 years. Avoid rotating with root crops; instead plant grains, grasses, or legumes. 4. Maintain good moisture levels in the soil while tubers are developing. 5. Avoid the use of fresh manure just preceding the potato crop. The addition of barnyard manure, ashes, and lime generally increases scab severity. The scab organism can persist for many years in soils. 6. Chemically treating seed pieces before planting with the fungicide Captan or another fungicide will help reduce seed-borne scab inoculum. hpj www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Potato Seen as Solution to Soaring Food Prices ARGENPAPA. CIP. 18-04-2008 As food prices continue to skyrocket, there is growing concern about the effect it will have among the world's poor. Increasingly, experts are looking to the potato, the world's third most-important food crop after wheat and rice, as a possible low-cost solution to feed the hungry. The nutritious vegetable, native to Peru, can be grown in almost any climate or elevation, requires little water, matures in about 50 days and can produce two to four times more food per acre than rice or wheat. "The shocks to the food supply are very real and that means we could potentially be moving into a reality where there is not enough food to feed the world," Pamela Anderson told Reuters. Anderson serves as director of the International Potato Center in Lima (CIP), a non-profit scientific group researching the potato family as a means to provide food security. She says the potato, like others, is part of the solution. The potato has potential as a solution to hunger induced by higher food prices, climbing fertilizer and diesel costs, growing population and greater cropland being used to produce biofuels. To emphasize the issue, the United Nations has called the potato “a hidden treasure”, and named 2008 the International Year of the Potato. Governments, too, are focusing on the vegetable. Frustrated by a 100 percent increase in wheat prices over the past year, the government of Peru started a program encouraging bakers to make bread using potato flour. Potato bread is now being served to school children, the military and to prisoners in hopes the trend will take root. Supporters say it tastes just as good as wheat bread, although not enough mills are yet set up to make potato flour. "We have to change people's eating habits," Ismael Benavides, Peru's agriculture minister, told Reuters. "People got addicted to wheat when it was cheap." The potato first appeared near Lake Titicaca in Peru 8,000 years ago . However, Peruvians actually consume fewer potatoes than Europeans, with Belarus leading the world in potato consumption. Each inhabitant of the eastern European state consumes an average of 376 pounds of potatoes each year. India has said it wants to double the country's potato production in the next five to 10 years, whereas China has already become the world's top potato grower. And in sub-Saharan Africa, the potato is growing faster than any other crop. Consumers are also switching to potatoes. In Latvia, sharp price increases have caused bread sales to decrease by 10-15 percent in the first two months of the year as consumers bought 20 percent more potatoes. But the developing world is where most new potato crops are being planted. Fortunately, as consumption rises poor farmers have a chance to earn more money. "The countries themselves are looking at the potato as a good option for both food security and also income generation," said Anderson. Although most Americans associate potatoes with the bland Idaho type, there are actually 5,000 varieties of potatoes. With colors ranging from white to purple to bright yellow and countless shapes, sizes and textures, potatoes provide creative chefs a chance to invent new, eye-catching meals. "They taste great," said 17-year-old Peruvian potato farmer Juan Carlos Mescco, adding that he often eats potatoes sliced, boiled, or mashed throughout the day. Peru is sending thousands of seeds this year to the Doomsday Vault near the Arctic Circle, as part of a gene bank for food crops that was established in case of a global disaster. Potatoes are an excellent source of complex carbohydrates, which release their energy slowly, and have only five percent of wheat's fat content. They contain only a quarter of the calories of bread and, according to the Potato Center, when boiled, potatoes have more protein and nearly twice the calcium as corn. Additionally, they are good sources of vitamin C, iron, potassium and zinc. A significant factor behind the potato's affordability is the fact that unlike other agriculture products, the potato is not yet a global commodity, and has therefore not attracted speculative investors. Farmers around the world produce about 600 million metric tons of wheat each year, with 17 percent going into foreign trade. Currently, wheat production roughly doubles potato output. But raw potatoes are heavy and can rot during transit, so global trade has been slow to take off. Also, potatoes can be susceptible to infection with pathogens, hindering export to avoid disease. According to analysts estimates, less than 5 percent of potatoes are traded internationally, with prices driven primarily by local tastes instead of international demand. Furthermore, in some countries prices aren't attractive enough to persuade farmers to grow potatoes. And even people in Peru say the government needs to help increase demand. "Prices are low. It doesn't pay to work with potatoes," Juana Villavicencio, who spent 15 years planting potatoes and now sells them for pennies a kilo in a market in Peru's southern Andes, told Reuters. However, science is catching up, with genetically modified potatoes that resist "late blight" being developed by German chemicals group BASF. The company says the disease was responsible for Ireland's famine during the 19th century and still causes about 20 percent of potato harvest losses worldwide. Scientists say farmers who use virus-free seeds can boost production by 30 percent and gain export approval. That would generate more revenue for farmers and encourage additional production as companies could sell specialty potatoes abroad, instead of just potato chips or frozen french fries or potato chips. --- On the Net: International Potato Center United Nations International Year of the Potato 2008 "Arctic 'Doomsday' Vault Opens Doors for 100 Million Seeds" redOrbit Staff and Wire Reports www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Fatores críticos do processo produtivo da batata Argenpapa. Brasil, 28-04-2008 ABSTRAC: Critical factors in potato production process The production of Brazilian potato was 3.1 millions of tons in 2006 (FAO, 2006). An analysis since 2001 has been showing that potato price had a variation leading to a risk for producers. In this case, it is important to increase the effi ciency and effi cacy of potato production. It's supposed that application of management methods show good actions for production improvement. And, the objective of this work was to identify critical points of potato production. The results made possible to identify fi ve critical factors and showed that the potato planting is not able to attend the limits. Keywords: Solanum tuberosum L, mecanização, FMEA, qualidade. Introdução A batata (Solanum tuberosum L.) é a quarta cultura em ordem de importância no mundo, após o trigo (Triticum spp.), arroz (Oryza sativa) e milho (Zea mays) (Pereira & Daniels, 2003) com uma produção brasileira de 3,1 milhões de toneladas e um PIB (Produto Interno Bruto), estimado em torno de 1,3 bilhões de dólares (FAO, 2006; Camargo Filho, 2001). Analisando o mercado da batata desde 2001 a 2007 é possível observar que existe uma oscilação do preço, principalmente nas safras das águas (colheita de novembro a abril), afetando assim o rendimento econômico da empresa (Legnaro, 2007). Uma das formas de diminuir os riscos externos é aumentar a efi ciência e efi cácia do processo produtivo da batata. Para tanto, a aplicação de métodos gerenciais, consagrados no setor industrial, pode ser uma alternativa. Esses métodos permitem a identifi cação dos fatores críticos e a análise desses fatores contribuem para a melhoria contínua do processo. Dos métodos existentes, destacamse o FMEA (modo de análise de falhas e seus efeitos) e o controle estatístico de processo. Eles permitem a identifi cação e avaliação dos pontos críticos do processo e proporcionam o desenvolvimento de ações norteadoras para a conformação da qualidade (Campos, 1999; Helman & Andery, 1995). Matos (2004), detectou pontos críticos no processo de benefi camento da madeira pelo método FMEA, e o monitoramento desses pontos forneceu subsídio para o processo de tomada de decisão nos níveis operacionais, táticos e estratégicos (gerenciamento com base em fatos e dados). Considerando a importância do cultivo da batata no Brasil e os métodos gerenciais para identifi cação das oportunidades de melhoria, esse trabalho tem como objetivo identifi car fatores críticos na produção da batata. Materiais e métodos Esse trabalho foi desenvolvido numa empresa produtora de batata com área plantada em torno de 500 hectares por ano, localizada em Itapetininga/SP. Ele foi realizado em 4 etapas: mapeamento dos processos (etapa 1), aplicação do FMEA (etapa 2), coleta de dados (etapa 3) e análise do processo (etapa 4). As etapas 1 e 2 foram desenvolvidas através de uma entrevista com a equipe técnica da empresa, nos níveis tático e operacional. Iniciou-se pela identifi cação dos principais processos da produção de batata, tendo como critério o custo e a sua interdependência, e a partir dessa foi elaborado o mapeamento de processo identifi cando os produtos, máquinas, materiais, fornecedores e clientes. Após o mapeamento, iniciou-se a etapa 2, que consiste na seleção dos produtos considerados críticos para o desempenho da empresa, utilizando-se o método FMEA. Para cada produto atribuiu-se os índices de severidade, detecção e ocorrência baseadas em critérios descritos na tabela 1. Os produtos que receberam pontuações acima de 8 foram considerados críticos e desenvolveu-se indicadores de desempenho para efetuar sua monitoração. Na etapa 3 foi realizada a coleta dos dados no campo, seguida da aplicação das cartas de controle de média e de amplitude (etapa 4). Os dados obtidos fora dos limites superiores de controle (LSC) e inferiores de controle (LIC) são variáveis consideradas especiais, possíveis de serem detectados e corrigidos. O LM representa os valores da média de todas as amostras. Resultados e discussões A produção de batata foi dividida em cinco processos: preparo de solo, plantio, tratos culturais, colheita e comercialização. Considerando o custo e a interdependência dos processos com as etapas seguintes foram selecionados pela equipe técnica o preparo de solo e plantio para o mapeamento de processo. Desses dois processos selecionados, identifi cou-se no total seis produtos, os quais através da aplicação do FMEA obteve-se cinco críticos, descritos na tabela 2. Dos cinco produtos críticos escolheu-se, por decisão da equipe, analisar o produto semente plantada e os resultados na forma de carta de controle, que são apresentados na fi gura 1. No produto “semente plantada” a porcentagem de valores dentro do intervalo de espaçamento requerido pelo cliente (0,25m±0,02m), correspondeu a 30,9% da freqüência observada. Nas cartas de controle, pode-se verifi car que a média (fi gura 1A) dos espaçamentos está acima do requerido, e a amplitude (fi gura 1B) exibe dados acima do limite superior de controle, com oscilações freqüentes dentro dos limites. Isso mostra que existem fatores, causas especiais, possíveis de serem detectados e melhorados, e o processo não se encontra sob controle. Conclusões Com a metodologia aplicada foi possível identifi car cinco produtos críticos. A análise do produto “semente plantada” mostrou que o processo esta fora de controle estatístico e não atende aos requisitos da empresa. Agradecimentos À empresa Irmãos Hoshino pela oportunidade e apoio fi nanceiro para o desenvolvimento desse projeto. Referências Bibliográficas CAMARGO FILHO WP. 2001. Produto interno produto da cadeira produtiva da batata. Batata Show. Disponível em http://www.abbabatatabrasileira. com.br/revista02_017.htm. Acessado em 15 de setembro de 2007. CAMPOS VF. 1999. TQC controle da qualidade total (no estilo japonês). Editora DG. 229p. FAO - Organização das Nações Unidas para Agricultura e Alimentação, 2006. Disponível em: http://faostat.fao.org/site/339/default.aspx. Acesso em 15 de setembro de 2007. HELMAN H; ANDERY PRP. 1995. Análise de falhas: aplicação dos métodos de FMEA. Fundação Christino Ottoni. 156p. LEGNARO A. 2007 Análise de preços da batata in natura nos últimos sete anos. Batata Show. 18 : 48-50. MATOS RB. Indicadores de desempenho para o benefi ciamento de madeira serrada em empresas de pequeno porte: um estudo de caso. Piracicaba: USP-ESALQ. 100p. PEREIRA AS; DANIELS J. 2003. O cultivo da batata na região sul do Brasil. Embrapa. 567p. Segundo trabalho premiado Henry Sako1; Fernando PrettI Rimério2; Roselane Biangaman Matos3; Marcos Milan4 1ESALQ/USP-Departamento de Engenharia Rural (henrysk@uol.com.br), 2(fp_r@yahoo.com.br) 3 (rbmatos@gmail.com), 4 (macmilan@esalq.usp.br) www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Rain puts a damper on potato forecasts Argenpapa. Inglaterra, 07-05-2008 IN A complete turnaround from 12 months ago, when they scarcely missed a day's work in April, potato growers have spent much of the past month looking out over waterlogged fields. Currently, only about half of the 2008 crop is in the ground and one leading grower reckons that even with a vast improvement in the weather, there will be spuds to be planted in June. Robert Doig, of Kinross, said he was only 40 per cent planted so far as a result of the ground conditions preventing the de-stoners and planter working and he knew of a number of producers who had not yet started. Further north in Perthshire, Peter Grewar, from Meigle, has only a third of his 550 hectares in the ground and he reckons that this later planting will cost around two tonnes per acre less yield at harvest time. Early predictions put the final acreage in the UK at 5-6 per cent lower than last year and if the projected tonnage and acreage figures are accurate, then the total tonnage from the 2008 crop in this country could be 10 per cent less than last year's total. This shorter crop in itself is not a concern as most potato producers reckon that a short crop with higher prices often leaves better margins than one edging on surplus production with accompanying depressed prices. However, a later crop is often of lower quality than one in the earlier, lengthening daylight part of the year. Disease levels are also higher. Rapidly rising prices in fuel and fertilisers in recent weeks have seen growers busy revising their growing cost estimates. Compared with only 12 months ago, Doig said he was paying double the price for diesel. With today's highly-mechanised planting that could mean fuel costs of around £500 per hour for a single planting outfit. Many potato growers bought their fertiliser early. Grewer said that the bulk of his had been purchased at £176 per tonne, but he was looking at having to pay £440 per tonne for any new order if he was short. Such is the level of investment required in potato machinery nowadays, that there are now only a few hundred specialised growers in Scotland. To spread costs, many rent land from neighbours. This transaction has also been affected, as recent price surges in the grain market have pushed rental costs upwards. Doig, who is a member of the recently set up UK-wide Potato Council, urged all growers to take part in a consultation with the council in order to identify research and marketing priorities for the industry. The Scotsman www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Preserving the Potato in Its Birthplace Argenpapa. Perú, 09-05-2008 Thousands of varieties of potato (Solanum tuberosum), one of the most widely-eaten and well-known foods in the world, have been developed in the heart of South America's Andes mountains, where the crop was domesticated more than 8,000 years ago. Peru is home to the world's biggest germplasm bank of potatoes, containing seeds, tissue culture and plants from 5,000 varieties. The biologists, geneticists and agronomic engineers working with the non-profit International Potato Centre (CIP), which began to collect samples in Lima in 1971, carry out lab and field research with the help of rural communities. Of the 4,500 native and 500 improved or modern varieties preserved by the CIP, more than 2,500 are native to Peru. U.S. taxonomist David Spooner at the University of Wisconsin-Madison determined that all modern varieties of potato can be traced back to a single species that originated in what is now southern Peru, between the south Andean region of Cuzco and the altiplano (highlands) shared with Bolivia, CIP biologist Ana Panta explained to IPS. POTATO PARK "We are raising these organic potatoes for our children, our families. We don't use fertilisers, only manure," Mario Paco Gallegos, president of the Paru Paru community and vice president of the Association of Potato Park Communities in Cuzco, the ancient Inca capital, told IPS. Gallegos represents one of the six communities that agreed in late 2004 to work with the CIP to help preserve the crop and guarantee its sustainable use, based on the application of scientific research and the recovery of traditional indigenous knowledge. The agreement gave rise to the Potato Park, where some 10,000 hectares are covered with "layme" or "muyuy", fields worked communally by indigenous "campesino" (peasant) communities, interspersed with ponds and streams, in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. When IPS visited the Potato Park, campesino men and women from the community of Paru Paru carrying picks and hoes awaited the team of researchers accompanying us: CIP agronomist René Gómez and members of the non-governmental Asociación Andes. The task that brought them together was the construction of a community greenhouse for the preservation of seeds. The Potato Park is home to 1,200 families, some 6,700 people, according to the Asociación Andes. IPS and the other visitors were shown a kind of open air germplasm bank under a bluish roof. Between 620 and 640 varieties of potato are planted at altitudes of 3,950 to 4,400 metres above sea level, Gómez explained. Around 410 of these were "repatriated" from the CIP gene bank after being cleaned of viruses and pests. Gómez, the curator of the CIP's potato germplasm collection, pointed out the difference in productivity: the seeds cleaned of viruses can produce up to 18 tons per hectare, compared to just six tons for traditional campesino crops, and a national average of 12 tons per hectare. The Potato Park uses a crop rotation system, allowing fields to periodically lie fallow to recover soil fertility. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), potatoes are grown on 600,000 small farms covering a total of 260,000 hectares in Peru. MUCH MORE THAN A LIVING MUSEUM "We have the responsibility to protect the world's largest collection of potatoes," said CIP director Pamela Anderson in Lima. "This task is ongoing and will not end, and also involves the dynamic conservation of the crop, through our work with rural communities. "The idea is to return their potatoes, their treasure, to them so that they can preserve the crop's biodiversity," she told IPS, stressing the support received from the Italian government in particular. In the last five years, the CIP has "repatriated", virus-free, 25 percent of the native varieties of potato from more than 30 highlands communities, said Anderson. The CIP is like a museum that conserves varieties of the seven original species that began to be domesticated 8,000 years ago, as well as 150 kinds of wild potatoes, their ancestors, in test tubes, cold chambers and even the fields, said Panta. Centuries of food history are displayed in trays on a table, with potatoes of all colours and shapes, blue, purple, yellow, red, gold, russet, speckled, round, clustered, long, oval, pear-shaped, identified by their traditional names in the Quechua and Aymara languages, alongside their scientific names. The native names are as colourful as the potatoes themselves. One bumpy, cluster-like potato is known as "pusi qachun waqachi" or "makes the daughter-in-law cry". Panta explained that the name derives from an indigenous tradition: "When a future mother-in-law wants to test the woman who is going to marry her son, she gives her this potato to peel. If she can peel it without damaging the pulp, it means she is a good cook and will be able to take good care of her son." COLOURS AND FLAVOURS Native potatoes in Peru come in at least nine different colours. But the differences go beyond skin-deep, and also lie in their flavour, the way they are used, their nutritional value and their resistance to different kinds of weather conditions. Some have drawn the attention of the world of haute cuisine, as exotic ingredients, and have been used in international exhibitions because of their flavours, such as last year's MadridFusión07: V International Gastronomy Summit in Spain, which showcased the Peruvian potato as one of the world's seven most important ingredients. The nutritional value of the potato is also celebrated. FAO has invited chefs and cooks from around Latin America to share original recipes in which the potato is the basic ingredient, as part of its Chefs Against Hunger programme. The recipes will be published in the programme's first International Cookbook, one of the activities planned for 2008, declared the International Year of the Potato by the United Nations. PROTEIN, VITAMINS AND ENERGY Boiled, stewed, roasted, fried, dried, mashed, grated, stuffed or converted into flour, potatoes have been adapted to culinary traditions all over the planet. They are the fourth-largest staple food crop in the world, after maize, wheat and rice, with annual global output amounting to more than 323 million tons. The potato is rich in several micronutrients, especially vitamin C and vitamins B1, B3 and B6, and in minerals like potassium, magnesium and phosphorus. Its protein content is also very high in comparison with other roots and tubers, according to the FAO, making it an important food source for the poor in Peru. But while the potato still forms the base of the diet of impoverished highland Indians, consumption of potatoes in Peru has dropped over the last 30 years to 120 kilos per person a year to just 65. The government, which has set itself a goal of bringing that total back up to 100 kilos per person, is promoting the baking of bread with potato flour. Private companies and supermarkets are also offering more and more potato products in attractive packages, like flakes and specially selected and packed fresh potatoes of a wide range of native varieties. CLIMATE CHANGE Farmers say potato crops are feeling the effects of climate change. This year, unusual drought and snowfall patterns hurt production in many areas. In addition, "diseases and pests are spreading as the climate warms up. Our potatoes used to be healthy," said Paco Gallegos, who pointed out that farmers are planting their crops at higher and higher altitudes, to avoid the heat. Diversity is important in that respect, because some varieties are more resistant to certain climate conditions than others. "In this harvest, our production is insufficient," Justino Zuta, "varayoc" (traditional leader) of the community of Pampallacta, told IPS worriedly as he harvested "Compish" potatoes with the help of his four-year-old son Rosinaldo. He pulled several worm-infested and tiny potatoes from the huge heap that he had dug up over the course of a 12-hour workday. The living conditions of these small potato farmers must be improved, because "the big beneficiaries are the more than 820 million people suffering from hunger in the world," FAO representative in Peru, Jean-François Ghyoot, told IPS. "In Latin America alone, there are more than 52 million malnourished people." Potatoes can contribute much more than they already do "to food security on the planet," he added. Source: ipsnews.net www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Chacasina: True potato seed in the Andes Argenpapa. Perú, 23-05-2008 In Peru's mountainous Callejón de Conchucos, 300 kilometers north of Lima, potato farmers are growing crops that produce an average of 45 tons per hectare, roughly three times the national average, and on a par with commercial yields in the United States and Europe. What's more, they have done it despite an extended drought and a late blight epidemic. The farmers' success is largely due to a true potato seed (TPS) hybrid known locally as Chacasina. Selected in 1993 by CIP scientist Rolando Cabello, Chacasina incorporates the highly prized culinary qualities of its traditional-type female parent, Yungay, with the high productivity, early maturity, and late blight resistance of its CIP breeding line parent. Yungay was originally developed in the 1950s by Carlos Ochoa, a CIP taxonomist and plant explorer. Adapted to highland conditions, Yungay grows well in poor soils and is tolerant of drought and mild frost. Consumers appreciate its creamy color and melt-in-your-mouth texture. Its major drawback is its susceptibility to late blight. Moreover, as with most Andean potatoes, the quality of its seed deteriorates quickly-a major problem for cash-poor farmers who tend to put off buying new planting materials until yields are unacceptably low. CIP economist Hugo Fano says that the Callejón de Conchucos is typical of many high-altitude Andean environments. Infrastructure is basic at best. Drought is the rule rather than the exception, and plant diseases are a constant threat. Farmers have little money to invest in agricultural inputs, and much of what they grow they consume themselves. Yet farm families are extremely quality-conscious. "Throughout the Andes, the most important consideration is flavor," Fano says. "Chacasina doesn't just produce higher yields-people also like it." In search of seed CIP's involvement in the region began in 1992, when an Italian priest, Hugo De Censi, came to Lima from the drought-plagued town of Chacas in search of potato seed to bring back to his hungry parish. As in many potato-growing communities, Chacas farmers lacked seeds to plant after four years of severe drought. In response, Cabello provided De Censi with a bag of TPS from a white-fleshed variety called Gringa, then quickly set to breeding what would come to be known as Chacasina. When the new variety was ready, Cabello and other CIP scientists helped the parish begin producing sexual seed for itself. The new cultivar differs from other TPS because its parents can be cross-pollinated naturally as they grow side by side in the field to produce uniform true seed. This is possible because its mother, Yungay, is male-sterile and its CIP father is a prolific pollen producer. In 1995, with financial help from the government of Peru and the United States Agency for International Development, CIP decided to deepen its commitment. This enabled the parish to build seedbeds, nurseries, and warehouses-not just in Chacas, but also in five nearby provinces. By the end of 1996, Chacasina was being grown in 11 test plots and more than 100 farmers' fields. "The farmers adapt much more quickly than the scientists do," says Fano. "They see what needs to be done and they go out and do it." Results have been more than encouraging. "Local farmers are accustomed to harvesting between 3 and 10 kg of potatoes for every kilogram of seed potatoes they plant," Fano says. "With Chacasina-which is planted in the form of small minitubers-yields have been between 20 and 42 kg per kg of seed." Instead of reserving two tons from every hectare of harvested potatoes for use in the next planting, farmers can plant just 300 kg-and get much higher yields. That's on top of the fact that Chacasina seed is about half the price per kg of the other high-quality seeds available on the market. After just two years, the project is virtually paying for itself. "This year, we're not getting any seed from outside," reports Edmundo Egúsquiza, a Chacas schoolteacher who is helping coordinate the project. Egúsquiza says the community hopes to produce at least 200 kg of TPS in 1997, enough for more than 4,000 hectares-far more than what is needed. Questions remain For CIP scientists, several questions still need to be answered. Noël Pallais, who heads the project, says that it remains to be seen how many generations of seed potatoes Chacasina will produce before the quality deteriorates beyond usable levels. And while few people in the Callejón de Conchucos turn up their noses at the quality of Chacasina, consumer preferences in other Andean regions differ. The evidence indicates that similarly robust hybrids-matching local tastes and needs-can be produced for these areas. Farmers trained in traditional farming methods also need to learn how best to take advantage of the new technology. Recognizing this, in September 1996, scientists from CIP, Peru's Ministry of Agriculture (INIA), and the National Agricultural University at La Molina presented a series of workshops in Chacas and other towns covering TPS production to fertilizer and water management. "In the town of Llamellín, two farmers were so happy with the course that they cried at the end," says Rolando Cabello. "One of the priests who helped organize the workshop told us that what we had done came from heaven, that it was something supernatural." Edmundo Egúsquiza is a religious man, but his assessment is more down to earth. "Now we have a stock of seed," he says. "It's good to know that we are protected if anything should happen." Editor's Note: Regrettably, in March 1997 something did happen. A priest assigned to the project was killed by an unknown gunman. Reliable sources believe that the tragedy was not the act of terrorists. Ironically, the 1997 harvest of TPS-some 300 kg of seed-may have equaled the annual record set by commercial TPS producers in other parts of Latin America and in Asia. Reliable sources indicate that the Chacasina project will continue in the future without outside assistance. CIP www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Control biológico de plagas de papas en Norte América Argenpapa. EEUU, 09-06-2008 Una extensa variedad de plagas de insectos y ácaros son encontrados en la papa. Los que ofrecen las mayores oportunidades para el control biológico usando el manejo integrado de plagas son el escarabajo de la papa de Colorado, Leptinotarsa decemlineata , y el áfido o pulgón verde duraznero, Myzus persicae. Enfocaremos nuestra presentación en estas dos especies, pero también daremos ejemplos de algunas otras plagas de insectos cuando sea apropiado. Algo de historia sobre los principios generales del control biológico usando el manejo integrado de plagas será útil para entender los beneficios y el costo del control biológico en la producción de papa. Introducción a los principios de control biológico Control biológico es el método de mejorar a propósito las actividades de las especies benéficas para reducir las actividades dañinas de ciertas plagas. Esto representa la base o el punto inicial para el manejo integrado de plagas (IPM, MIP) (Stern et al., 1959). El control biológico toma tres formas en la práctica: clásica, conservadora, y aumentativa. En el control biológico clásico los enemigos naturales son hallados en su lugar nativo, importados y establecidos en un área en donde ellos no ocurren naturalmente. Típicamente ésta es un área geográfica donde la plaga ya se ha colonizado y es substancialmente libre de mortalidad causada por enemigos naturales de su lugar nativo. El control biológico provisto por la introducción del enemigo natural resulta en una reducción a largo plazo de la población de la plaga en los habitats elegidos. Típicamente, el control biológico clásico a sido el más exitoso en el sistema agro-económico perenne como en los cultivos de árboles, viñedos, plantas ornamentales, y bosques. Aunque los éxitos de la introducción del control biológico son dramáticos, el futuro es muy difícil de predecir. Casi solo el 30% de las introducciones han permanecido estables, y la exitosa supresión de plagas a ocurrido menos frecuente (Hall y Ehler 1979). La clave para el éxito en casi todos los proyectos de control biológico es el descubrimiento y la importación de enemigos naturales que produzcan altos niveles de parasitismo o depredación en los lugares nativos de la plaga (Hawkins y Cornell, 1994). Otros factores, tales como la adaptación de los enemigos naturales al clima del nuevo lugar, búsquedas adecuadas y habilidades de utilización que les permita descubrir y controlar la plaga cuando todavía la abundancia es poca, aún se piensa que son críticos. Control biológico conservador es la base real del manejo integrado de plagas (Stern et al., 1959). Su meta es promover la abundancia de enemigos naturales reduciendo influencias dañinas y resaltando las positivas. Esto implica el cambiar un insecticida con amplio espectro por la táctica específica de las especies o por insecticidas con espectro reducido, cambiar el tiempo de aplicación del insecticida para evitar etapas cuando los enemigos naturales son mas expuestos, proveyendo habitats alternativos para que los enemigos naturales tengan alimentación, un lugar para reproducir o invernar, provision de néctar- ya sea por plantas que cubren el suelo o por seleccionar una variedad de plantas que tienen nectarios- como alimento para los enemigos naturales. Control biológico aumentativo consiste de dos tipos de tácticas: control inoculativo y control inundativo. Cuando las prácticas temporales de agricultura interfieren directamente con los enemigos naturales o con la habilidad de los huéspedes o la población de las presas, la población de los enemigos naturales podrían ser reducidas a tal grado que no podrían alcanzar el incremento requerido por el crecimiento rápido de plagas y prevenir daños por las plagas a los productos antes de la cosecha. El control inoculativo puede ser usado para dirigir estos problemas temporales que son típicos de un sistema anual de cultivos tales como las papas. Los enemigos naturales pueden ser introducidos mas temprano en la temporada de como normalmente ocurre, dándoles tiempo para reproducir y disminuir las plagas antes del ciclo de la cosecha. El control biológico inoculativo es la base para el control de plagas en muchos sistemas de invernaderos (Van Lenteren y Woets, 1988) y ha sido intentado para las papas, como se describe mas abajo. Los enfoques inundativos son diferentes de las estratégicas clásicas e inoculativas, por lo que la actividad de la liberación de enemigos naturales--y no de sus descendientes--son los agentes activos de control. Típicamente, liberaciones a gran escala de enemigos naturales son hechas y repetidas muchas veces durante el ciclo de la cosecha. ¿Entonces, dónde queda el usar insectos para control biológico en el manejamiento de la papa? Un resumen de las especies de insectos benéficos mas notable y patógenos que atacan al escarabajo de la papa de Colorado y el áfido verde duraznero se provee a continuación para dar una idea clara sobre este tema. Depredadores y parásitos del escarabajo de la papa de Colorado Un número de especies de artrópodos atacan los huevecillos, las larvas, o los adultos de los escarabajos de la papa de Colorado, y se infiere que los enemigos naturales proveen algún nivel de control biológico para el escarabajo (Hough-Goldstein et al., 1993; Hilbeck y Kennedy, 1996). En esta sección, analizaremos esta especie, resumiremos el consenso actual de su importancia, y proveeremos algunas ideas en donde investigaciones futuras puedan ser dirigidas para mejorar su eficacia. Heteróptero - insectos depredadores Dos especies de Pentatomidae son conocidos como depredadores efectivos del escarabajo de la papa de Colorado: la chinche soldado, Podisus maculiventris ; y la chinche apestosa de dos manchas, Perillus bioculatus . Una tercera especie, Opolomus dichrous , a sido estudiada también, pero parece que no se ha adaptado a las regiones más templadas de cultivo de la papa (Ferro 1994). De las tres especies, P. bioculatus se tienen mas estudios. Este depredador se alimenta en todas las etapas del escarabajo, aunque el alimentarse de adultos parece no ser muy común y probablemente esta restringido por el depredador adulto. Un sólo insecto puede consumir hasta 300 huevecillos del escarabajo durante su desarrollo (Tamaki y Butt, 1978). La ninfa del depredador en segundo instar consume aproximadamente 5 escarabajos recién nacidos por día, o casi 30 larvas por ninfa durante ese instar. La densidad natural actual de este depredador aparenta ser muy baja para mantener el nivel del escarabajo debajo del nivel de daño económico, aunque considerable atención ha sido puesta en usar una liberación inundativa. El depredador ha sido criado en un criadero de insectos en grandes cantidades, y se han llevado acabo estudios usando insectos de criaderos para determinar el impacto en el escarabajo de la papa de Colorado bajo condiciones a campo. Liberaciones de P. bioculatus en una proporción de 1 por planta causaron reducciones en la densidad de los escarabajos por casi el 30% mientras liberaciones de 3 por planta redujeron los números del escarabajo a casi el 60% (Biever y Chauvin, 1992). Combinando las liberaciones de P. bioculatus con un patógeno microbiano se puede proveer mejor control del escarabajo que ningún otro organismo por si solo (Poprawski et al., 1997; Cloutier y Jean, 1998). Los intentos por establecer a Perillus como un agente de control biológico clásico en Europa han resultado no ser exitosos (Jermy, 1980). No es probable que estos depredadores puedan ser criados económicamente para ser usados en liberaciones inundativas bajo condiciones comerciales, (Ferro, 1994). No obstante, a pesar de considerables investigaciones, aún no queda claro cual es el tiempo para las liberaciones o proporción que es mas eficaz para el control del escarabajo. Investigaciones más basicas sobre la biología de esta especie fuera de los campos de papa son justificadas para que nosotros tengamos oportunidades para modificar habitats cerca de los campos de papa para enriquecer la abundancia de Perillus. Finalmente, más investigaciones son necesarias acerca de la compatibilidad de estos depredadores con otros productos de control, ambos biológicos y químicos. Coleópteros Las catarinas (Coccinellidae) pueden ser comunes en los campos de papa, particularmente si hay áfidos presentes. Algunas especies pueden alimentarse extensamente de huevecillos de escarabajo de la papa de Colorado, una de las más notables es la Coleomegilla maculata, un depredador común en los campos de papa en el este de Estados Unidos. Esta especie llega a altas densidades en la parte tardía de la temporada del maíz. Se mueve hacia sitios invernantes sobre maíz y a la siguiente primavera se puede pasar a campos vecinos de papa (Ferro, 1994). Experimentos llevados acabo en laboratorios indican que un solo adulto de C. maculata consume más de 10 huevecillos de escarabajo de la papa de Colorado por día, pero la proporción de consumo, disminuye cuando los áfidos están presente en el cultivo. Estudios hechos por Hazzard et al., (1991) indican que la depredación de huevecillos en los cultivos de papa en Massachusetts varía entre 40 y 58%, en el cual la mayoría fue atribuida a la actividad de C. maculata . No hay experimentos significantes sobre la liberación inundativa de C. maculata para la supresión del escarabajo de la papa de Colorado que hayan sido publicados. Escarabajos de suelo o gallinas ciegas (Carabidae) son depredadores muy comunes en los campos de papa no fumigados, pero su impacto sobre el escarabajo de la papa de Colorado, no es mayormente conocido. Esto es en parte porque en casi todos los campos de papa que han sido examinados, un complejo de especies de carábidos es encontrado y su actividad alimenticia es oculta o nocturna. Estudios en laboratorios han demostrado que el número de diferentes especies de escarabajo de suelo se alimentan del escarabajo de la papa de Colorado, en ambos experimentos escogidos y no escogidos (Ferro, 1994). Una especie, Lebia grandis , ha probado que se alimenta de huevecillos de escarabajo de la papa de Colorado, consumiendo hasta 45 huevecillos por día por depredador. La larva de este depredador son ectoparásitos del estado precrisalidar del escarabajo de la papa (Groden, citado en Ferro, 1994). Sorokin (1981), Boiteau (1983) y otros han provisto más información referente a la actividad depredadora de los carábidos en el escarabajo de la papa de Colorado. Los carábidos se reproducen muy despacio y son difíciles de criar para que puedan ser considerados en formas aumentativas de control biológico. Aún así, recientes experimentos de conservación -que usan paja para cubrir el suelo en parcelas de papa- han demostrado que el número de instar intermedios en la primera generación de escarabajo de la papa de Colorado (mediados de Mayo a mediados de Junio) pueden ser significantemente reducidos por la depredación de los carábidos (Burst, 1994). En el mismo estudio, la depredación de huevecillos y de larva joven de la segunda generación del escarabajo (fines de Junio hasta Julio) aumentó con la paja cuando Coleomagilla , crisopas, y Perillus fueron los depredadores que fueron encontrados más abundantes en las plantas de papa. Juntos, la actividad de estos depredadores, redujo el daño a la papa y aumentó el rendimiento en 30% o más. La paja provee un abrigo seguro para los depredadores, aumenta la biodiversidad en la capa de paja, y es mas probable que puedan proveer efectos benéficos para los patógenos del insecto en el suelo, microbios que promueven el crecimiento de las plantas, y mejora la humedad del suelo. Parasitoides Myopharus doryphorae es un parasitoide de la larva del escarabajo de la papa de Colorado. La mosca adulta inyecta orugas dentro del cuerpo de las larvas del escarabajo. El parasitismo de la mosca típicamente no se forma hasta más tarde en la temporada y la segunda generación de los escarabajos usualmente sufren más altos niveles de parasitismo que la primera generación (Tamaki et al., 1983). Aunque la efectividad de este parásito en controlar al escarabajo bajo situaciones comerciales sea baja, aun así, el nivel de parasitismo se ha notado cerca del 70% en ambos la papa y en otras plantas silvestres adjuntas ( Solanum saccharoides ) en la primavera en Colorado (Horton y Capinera, 1987). No se han hecho esfuerzos significantes para modificar el hábitat alrededor de la papa para proteger huéspedes alternativos del escarabajo, y de este modo M. doryphorae se ha intentado. Edovum puttleri es un parásito Eulofído de los huevecillos del escarabajo de la papa de Colorado. Fue primeramente encontrado en Colombia atacando a un pariente cercano del escarabajo de la papa de Colorado y subsecuentemente fue encontrado atacando al escarabajo de la papa de Colorado en México (Logan et al., 1987). Los intentos para establecer esta especie como un agente de control biológico del escarabajo fallaron porque la avispa no tiene diapausa que le permita pasar el invierno en las áreas de producción del noroeste. Las liberaciones aumentativas de Edovum fueron experimentadas abundantemente en la última década. En un estudio, la liberación, al principio de la temporada, de E. puttleri causó el 50% de parasitismo de huevecillos del escarabajo. Su eficacia es subestimada por el nivel de parasitismo sólo, porque matando los huevecillos por penetración sin parasitismo, puede a veces exceder el nivel de parasitismo (Lashbomb et al., 1987). Finalmente, Edovum es conocido porque depende de la secreción dulce del áfido como fuente de energía, pero los áfidos típicamente no son muy abundantes en la papa hasta Julio. Estudios adicionales de Edovum , particularmente en las áreas de producción de papa en el oeste están justificados. Especies de depredadores varios Las especies de Neurópteros (crisopas), Himenópteros (avispa véspide), Nabidae (chinche damisela), Lygaediae (chinche ojona), Reduviidae (chinche asesina), y Araneae (arañas) han sido reportadas que se alimentan de los huevecillos, las larvas o los adultos de escarabajo de la papa de Colorado. En general, su impacto sobre el escarabajo bajo las condiciones comerciales no es conocida pero en estudios recientes usando jaulas de exclusión para depredadores se demuestra que la sobrevivencia de los huevecillos aumentó 3 veces más si los depredadores son excluidos (Hilbeck et al., 1997). Lo importante en ese estudio fue demostrar que la actividad depredadora fue independiente de la densidad del escarabajo. De esta manera el uso de tácticas no disruptivas que disminuyen la población del escarabajo son completamente compatibles con la actividad de la comunidad general de depredadores. Estudios para fomentar depredadores como un complejo más grande de diferentes especies, tales como através del uso de paja ya mencionada antes, son justificados en las áreas de producción del oeste. Áfido verde duraznero Van Emden et al. (1969) resumieron de la literatura sobre el áfido verde duraznero y reportaron que hay 150 especies diferentes de insectos conocidos que se alimentan de esta plaga, de las cuales una tercera parte (51 de 150) son miembros de los Coccinellidae. La otra taxa dominante incluye la de las moscas ensimosas (Syrphidae; 49 de 150) y crisopas (Neurópteros; 25 de 150). La lista de van Emden es anticuada, y ciertamente registros más recientes están ahora disponibles. Numerosos estudios en diferentes cultivos que han demostrado que los enemigos naturales de la clase de artrópodos suprimen al áfido verde del durazno, y no es posible resumir esos estudios aquí en su totalidad. Estudios de laboratorio han comparado los niveles de alimentación de diferentes especies de depredadores, para proveer información sobre cual taxa pudiera ser la más eficiente en el campo. Por ejemplo, Tamaki y Olsen (1997) demostraron una diferencia de 10 veces más en el nivel de consumo diario de cierta catarina (53 áfidos consumidos por día) comparado a ciertos insectos depredadores (chinche pirata; 5 áfidos consumidos por día). Tamaki (1984) considera que la catarina podría ser de particular importancia al reducir el áfido verde duraznero en papas. Tomar el tiempo de infestación del áfido, el tiempo de infestación del depredador, y las densidades de las plagas inmigrantes y depredadores son factores críticos en determinar si los enemigos naturales reducen exitosamente las plagas de la papa. Una extensa diversidad de los Himenópteros parasíticos, más notablemente en las familias Braconidae (Aphidiinae) y Aphelinidae, parasitan áfidos. Pike et al. (2000) reportan algunas especies de parásitos del áfido verde duraznero en el noroeste de los Estados Unidos del genero aphidiine Aphidius , Diaeretiella , Ephedrus , Lysiphlebus y Praon . Dos avispas del Viejo Mundo, Aphidius colemani y A. matricariae , que atacan el áfido verde duraznero están ahora establecidas en las áreas de producción de papa del estado de Washington. A. matricariae aparenta tener una alta preferencia por el áfido verde duraznero, y rápidamente se esta haciendo común en los campos de colección de áfidos verdes del durazno. La mayoría de los principales insecticidas usados en la papa en el pasado, han tenido un impacto adverso sobre los insectos benéficos, incluyendo los Himenópteros parasíticos. En el futuro, cuando más material selectivo tales como Success, y Fulfill, lleguen a ser un producto de uso primario, la sobrevivencia del parásito y depredador y su presencia en las papas, incrementarán. Un parásito adicional del Viejo Mundo, Praon gallicum , descubierto atacando el áfido verde duraznero en el año pasado en el oeste de Washington, se encuentra en los cultivos en WSU-Prosser, y será producido en grandes cantidades a principios de este año y subsecuentemente liberados contra del áfido verde duraznero en el este de Washington. Estas nuevas liberaciones de esta especie están mejorando y continuarán para mejorar el grupo ya existente de insectos benéficos, e impactarán las poblaciones del áfido verde duraznero no sólo en papas, sino también en malezas herbáceas. Estos parásitos no eliminarán al áfido, pero se esperan puedan jugar un rol más importante en el futuro mientras que químicos más suaves entren en más amplio uso. Los parasitoides del áfido son rápidamente producidos en grandes cantidades, pero su potencial para liberaciones aumentativas a principios de la temporada antes que los áfidos sean muy numerosos, aún no se ha estudiado adecuadamente. El cultivo de plantas silvestres que alojan a los áfidos de principio de temporada que servirían como huéspedes alternativos o "especie de puente" para mejorar los parasitoides de temporada temprana, tampoco han sido estudiados sistemáticamente. El mayor problema en confiar en el control biológico para manejar el áfido verde duraznero en la papa es que el mayor daño causado por el áfido es su capacidad de transmitir virus. Hay muy poca evidencia que los áfidos sean lo suficientemente abundantes para causar reducción en la producción o daños directos a la papa ya cultivada. Por esto, solo densidades extremadamente bajas son toleradas en campos comerciales de papa, particularmente en Julio cuando los áfidos vuelan de una planta huésped a la papa. De esta manera, aunque los enemigos naturales fueran altamente eficientes para mantener el áfido en densidades bajas, los números podrían ser altos y causar daños económicos por la transmisión de patógenos virales. Estudios serios de depredadores y parasitoides para el control biológico del áfido verde del durazno en campos comerciales no ocurrirán hasta que el problema del virus sea resuelto. Trabajo actual para mejorar o diseñar papas resistentes al virus es muy prometedor. Patógenos de las plagas de la papa Numerosos organismos patógenos han sido descubiertos con capacidad de control biológico contra las plagas de insectos, incluyendo esos que atacan la papa (Burges, 1981; Tanada y Kaya, 1993; Proprawski y Wraight, 2000). Nosotros nos enfocaremos en los que tienen mayor capacidad para control microbiano. Algunos patógenos de insectos tienen numerosas ventajas sobre los pesticidas químicos convencionales (Tanada y Kaya, 1993; Kaya y Lacey, 2000). Estos incluyen: Specifidad para los organismos objetivo o a un número limitado de especies huésped, poco o ningún impacto directo sobre parásitos y depredadores invertebrados, no dañino a vegetales y plantas, no residuos tóxicos, poca o ninguna contaminación de medio ambiental, poco o no desarrollo de resistencia por el organismo clave, no hay brote secundario de la plaga, compatibilidad con otros agentes de control biológico, posibilidad de control a largo término, aplicación fácil, adaptable a la modificación genética de la biotecnología. A pesar de las ventajas de los pesticidas que son muchas, algunos también tienes sus desventajas. En adición a esto, los pesticidas microbianos tienen otras desventajas comparadas a los pesticidas químicos. Estas incluyen: específico para sólo el organismo objeto, tiempo estricto de aplicación para máximo efecto, período largo para infección letal (Ej., poco o no efecto total), inactivación por factores ambientales (Ej., luz ultravioleta, desecación, temperaturas extremas, etc.) y por esto, poca persistencia en el campo, costosos de producir, especialmente para patógenos obligatorios, y difíciles de formular, corta vida, posibilidad de desarrollar resistencia por el organismo objeto, especialmente de las toxinas bacterianas, no económicos excepto para mercados únicos y, riesgos asociados con organismos genéticamente modificados. Bacteria para el control del escarabajo de papa El descubrimiento y desarrollo de Bacillus thuringiensis var tenebrionis en Alemania (Langenbruch et al., 1985) con actividad contra ciertos escarabajos en la familia Chrysomelidae ha resultado en un control selectivo y efectivo para el control del escarabajo de la papa. Otras razas con actividad en contra del escarabajo han sido descubiertas y desarrollado por Baum et al. (1996) y otros. La actividad larvicida de la bacteria es debida al cristal parasporal que es producido por la bacteria al momento de esporulación. Toxinas proteínicas en el cristal parasporal, conocidas como delta endotoxinas, deben ser ingeridas para ser activadas. Después de ser comidas, el cristal es disuelto en el medio alcalino del intestino medio y enzimaticamente activado. La parte molecular de la toxina que es responsable por la actividad larvicida, se adhiere a sitios específicos en la membrana del intestino medio y rompen el equilibrio osmótico del epitelio medio intestinal. Las células se hinchan y por ultimo se rompen permitiendo que los contenidos del intestino medio entre a la cavidad del cuerpo. Los insectos mueren poco después. Dosis subletales resultan en menos consumo de follaje y reducida sobrevivencia, en desarrollo tardío y emergencia tardía (Nault et al., 2000), en longevidad reducida y fecundidad en adultos que fueron expuestos como larvas (Costa et al., 2000). Un número de factores influyeron en la actividad larvicida de Bt , tales como la edad de la larva objetivo, temperatura, la dosis del Bt y la cobertura de las plantas, el horario, el número de aplicaciones y la inactivación por la luz del sol. Larvas más jóvenes son mas susceptibles (Zehnder y Gelernter, 1989). Aunque los adultos no son susceptibles, tal vez sean repelidos por plantas tratadas con Bt (Ghidiu et al., 1996). Formulaciones de Bt activas para escarabajos, han sido producidas y vendidas por algunas compañías para el control del escarabajo de la papa. Los resultados de los experimentos de campo en Norte América han sido reportados por Ferro y Gelernter (1989), Zehnder y Gelernter, (1989), Ferro y Lyon (1991), Zehnder et al. (1992), Ghidiu y Zehnder (1993) y Lacey et al(1999) y otros investigadores. El control de insectos comparable a aquellos de ciertos pesticidas químicos es posible usando la proporción indicada en la etiqueta especialmente cuando la aplicación es hecha cuando la mayoría de la primera generación está entre el primero o segundo instar. Investigaciones conducidas en el estado de Washington sobre el producto Raven que contiene una fase diseñada ha revelado que la excelente protección del follaje de la papa fue obtenida con las dosis recomendada de la etiqueta (1.2 a 7.0 litros / ha) aplicado cinco veces por temporada en intervalos de semanas, resultando en un buen rendimiento de papa(33-40 toneladas/ha) (Lacey et al. 1999). Las diferentes ventajas de las formulaciones de Bt sobre los pesticidas químicos convencionales son la seguridad para los aplicadores y trabajadores de campo y falta de actividad en los organismos benéficos incluyendo enemigos naturales. En el desierto irrigado del estado de Washington, la biodiversidad de los insectos no fue afectado en las parcelas tratadas. Sin embargo en las plantaciones fumigadas con Temik, ciertos depredadores hemípteros casi fueron eliminados (Lacey et al., 1999). Hongos para el control del escarabajo de la papa y el áfido verde duraznero Los hongos patógenos son importantes enemigos naturales para una gran mayoría de plagas como insectos y ácaros en virtualmente cada agro ecosistema (Goettel et al., 2000). Las plagas de la papa que han sido estudiadas para conocer el potencial de los hongos como enemigos naturales y agentes de control microbiano son el áfido verde duraznero y el escarabajo de la papa de Colorado. También se han reportado hongos de doradillo, saltahojas, y otras plagas de la papa, pero su potencial como agente de control microbiano ha recibido una atención limitada. El hongo, Beauveria bassiana ha sido producido por varias compañías y comercializado para el control del escarabajo de la papa y algunos otros insectos (Feng et al. 1994). Los resultados de los experimentos en el campo han sido altamente variables, desde niveles de control no aceptables (Farges et al., 1980; Hajek et al. 1987) hasta control efectivo (Hajek et al., 1987; Poprowski et al., 1997). Los factores que afectan su actividad larvicida incluyen: temperatura, humedad, edad y fase de los insectos, el tiempo y el número de aplicaciones, dosis, prácticas agrícolas, y la desactivación por la luz del sol (Fargues, 1972; Fargues et al., 1996). El hongo invade el cuerpo del insecto, usualmente por la cutícula. Después de invadir al huésped, el hongo crece por todo el cuerpo y bajo condiciones adecuadas las esporas saldrán a la superficie del cadáver del huésped. Esto puede tomar lugar en la planta huésped o en el suelo antes de o durante la etapa de crisalidar. Otro beneficio al usar B. bassiana es que los adultos que invernan en el suelo pueden ser infectados. La producción de un inóculo secundario en el insecto huésped puede contribuir al crecimiento de mortalidad del escarabajo en ambos la planta huésped y en el suelo. En adición de matar a la larva, el hongo ha sido reportado en retrasar el apetito de los escarabajos que han recibido una infección subletal (Fargues et al., 1994). Patógenos de hongos para áfidos Los hongos son los únicos patógenos de insectos usados actualmente para el control de áfidos (Hall, 1981; Latgé y Papierok, 1988). Puesto que los áfidos, para obtener su comida usan las partes de la boca para penetrar las plantas y chupar, los patógenos que deben ser injeridos, tales como bacterias y virus, no son efectivos. Algunos hongos en la clase de Entomoftorales son importantes patógenos para los áfidos, incluyendo especies económicamente importantes para la papa (Latgé y Papierok, 1988). Estos hongos tienen un ciclo de vida más complicado que esos en la clase de Hyphomycetes y, bajo condiciones de alta humedad, a veces son responsables por epizootias y la reducción total de la población de áfidos. Aunque estos causen una caída dramática en la población de áfidos, la confianza en las epizootias naturales en casi todos los agro-ecosistemas es riesgosa. Poca densidad del áfido verde duraznero puede ser perjudicial para la papa por la transmisión del virus del enrrollamiento de la hoja de la papa y otros patógenos de plantas. En la ausencia de la transmisión de la enfermedad, epizootias pueden proveer beneficios reduciendo severamente el número de áfidos bajo el umbral económico (Steinkraus, 2000). Es importante notar que algunas prácticas agrícolas pueden interferir con el hongo y otros enemigos naturales de las plagas de papa. Langnaoui y Radcliffe (1998) reportaron que ciertos fungicidas usados para el control de enfermedades de planta en papa podrían interferir con la infección del áfido verde duraznero. Una especie de hongo de buena a excelente actividad hacia el áfido verde duraznero en un ambiente húmedo es Verticillium lecanii (Hall, 1981; Burges, 2000). Sin embargo, el uso de V. lecanii y otros Hyphomycetes para el control del áfido en papa aún no ha sido investigado en detalle. En el desierto irrigado del noroeste la humedad tal vez no es suficientemente alta para facilitar la germinación rápida e infección. Virus La mayoría de los patógenos virales usados en control microbiano son los báculovirus aplicados contra los Lepidópteros. Algunas especies de Lepidópteros han sido reportados como deshojadores de papa, pero su importancia es variable y eclipsada por el escarabajo de la papa de Colorado. La plaga Lepidoptera más seria en la papa en las Américas es la polilla de la papa, Phthorimaea operculella (Gelechiidae). Las larvas pueden minar el follaje y atacar el tubérculo en el suelo o almacen donde puede hacer un túnel através de la pulpa de la papa. En adición de causar daño directo, ellos facilitan la entrada y los daños de plagas y enfermedades secundarias. Sólo un virus es actualmente usado en contra de las plagas de insectos de papa en las Américas. Programas pilotos que aplican el granulovirus de la polilla de la papa, han tenido notable éxito en Sud América y son, económicamente más seguero y más sostenible que otras alternativas químicas. Casi toda la producción de virus de polilla de la papa es en escala pequeña. Integración del Control Biológico al Manejo Integrado de Plagas La agricultura sustentable en el siglo 21 dependerá en intervenciones alternativas a los pesticidas químicos para el manejo de plagas que son ambientalmente amigables y reducen la cantidad de contacto humano con los pesticidas. La estrategia del manejo integrado de plagas (IPM, MIP), en la cuál los enemigos naturales (parásitos, depredadores y patógenos) de artrópodos plaga y otras medidas alternativas juegan roles significativos en la protección de cultivos (Hoy y Herzog, 1985), puede contribuir a un verdadero planteo integrado para el manejo de plagas en la producción de papas (Boiteau et al., 1995; Cloutier et al., 1995). Aún así, un verdadero planteo integrado en todas las prácticas agrícolas serán requeridas para obtener una máxima efectividad en una intervención o práctica sin interferir con la eficacia de otras prácticas (Edwards 1990). BACK TO MAY 2001 AGRICHEMICAL & ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS Bibliografía Baum, J. A., M. 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Zehnder, M. L. Powelson, R. K. Jansson and K. V. Raman (eds), Advances in Potato Pest Biology and Management. APS Press, St. Paul, pp. 357-375. Ferro, D. N. and W. D. Gelernter. 1989. Toxicity of a new strain of Bacillus thuringiensis to Colorado potato beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). J. Econ. Entomol. 82: 750-755. Ferro, D. N. and S. M. Lyon. 1991. Colorado potato beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) larval mortality: operative effects of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. san diego . J. Econ. Entomol. 84: 806-809. Ferro, D. N., Q. C. Yuan, A. Slocombe and A. F. Tuttle. 1993. Residual activity of insecticides under field conditions for controlling the Colorado potato beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). J. Econ. Entomol. 90: 574-582. Ghidiu, G. M. and G. W. Zehnder. 1993. Timing of the initial spray application of Bacillus thuringiensis for control of the Colorado potato beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in potatoes. Biol. Contr. 3: 348-352. Ghidiu, G. M., D. E. Collins, and G. W. Kirfman. 1996. Laboratory and field studies of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp tenebrionis as a feeding deterrent to Colorado potato beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelide). J. Agri. Entomol. 13: 349-357. Goettel, M. S. and G. D. Inglis. 1997. Fungi: Hyphomycetes. In: L. A. Lacey (ed), Manual of Techniques in Insect Pathology Academic Press, London, UK, pp. 213-249. Goettel, M. S., G. D. Inglis, and S. P. Wraight. 2000. Fungi. In: L. A. Lacey and H. K. Kaya (eds.). "Field Manual of Techniques in Invertebrate Pathology: Application and evaluation of pathogens for control of insects and other invertebrate pests." Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht. pp. 255-282. Hajek, A. E., R. S. Soper, D. W. Roberts, T. E. Anderson, K. D. Biever, D. N. Ferro, R. A. LeBrun and R. H. Storch. 1987. Foliar applications of Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin for control of the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae): An overview of pilot test results from the northern United States. Can. Entomol. 119: 959-974. Hall, R. A. 1981. The fungus Verticillium lecanii as a microbial insecticide against aphids and scales. In : Microbial Control of Pests and Plant Diseases 1970-1980 (H. D. Burges, Ed.), pp. 483-498. Academic Press, London Hawkins, B. A. and Cornell, H. V. 1994. Maximum parasitism rates and successful biological control. Science 266: 1886. Hazzard, R. V., D. N. Ferro, R. G. Van Driesche and A. F. Tuttle. 1991. Mortality of eggs of Colorado potato beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) predation by Coleomegilla maculata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). Environ. Entomol. 20: 841-848. Hilbeck, A. and G. G. Kennedy. 1996. Predators feeding on the Colorado potato beetle in insecticide-free plots and insecticide-treated commercial potato fields in Eastern North Carolina. Biol. Contr. 6: 273-282. Hilbeck, A. Eckel, C. and G. G. Kennedy. 1997. Predation on Colorado potato beetle eggs in research and commercial potato plantings. Biol. Contr. 8: 191-196. Horton, D. and J. L. Capinera. 1987. Seasonal and host plant effects on parasitism of the Colorado potato beetle by Myiopharus doryphorae (Riley) (Diptera: Tachinidae). Can. Entomol. 119:729-734. Hough-Goldstein, J., G. E. Heimpel, H. E. Bechmann and C. E. Mason. 1993. Arthropod natural enemies of the Colorado potato beetle. Crop Protec. 12: 324-334. Hough-Goldstein, J. and C. B. Keil. 1991. Prospects for integrated control of the Colorado potato beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) using Perillus bioculatus (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) and various pesticides. J. Econ. Entomol. 84: 1645-1651. Hoy, M. A. and D. C. Herzog. 1985. Biological Control in Agricultural IPM Systems. Academic Press. New York. 589 pp. Jermy, T. 1980. The introduction of Perillus bioculatus into Europe to control the Colorado potato beetle. Bull. Org. Eur. Med. Protec. Plant. 10: 475-479. Kaya, H. K. and L. A. Lacey. 2000. Introduction to microbial control. In "Field Manual of Techniques in Invertebrate Pathology: Application and evaluation of pathogens for control of insects and other invertebrate pests" (L.A. Lacey and H. K. Kaya, eds.), pp. 1-4. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht. Lacey, L. A., D. R. Horton, R. L. Chauvin and J. M. Stocker. 1999. Comparative efficacy of Beauveria bassiana , Bacillus thuringiensis , and aldicarb for control of Colorado potato beetle in an irrigated desert agroecosystem and their effects on biodiversity. Entomol. Exp. Applic. 93: 189-200. Langenbruch, G. A., A., Krieg, A. M., Huger and W. Schnetter. 1985. Erst Feldversuche zur Bekämpfung der Larven des Kartoffelkäfers ( Leptinotarsa decemlineata ) mit Bacillus thuringiensis var. tenebrionis . Mededelingen Faculteit Landbouwkunde, Rijksuniversiteit Gent 50: 441-449. Langnaoui, A. and E. B. Radcliffe. 1998. Potato fungicides interfere with entomopathogenic fungi impacting population dynamics of green peach aphid. Amer. J. Potato Res. 75: 19-25. Latgé, J. P. and B. Papierok. 1988. Aphid pathogens. In "Aphids Their Biology, Natural Enemies and Control, Vol. B." (A. K. Minks and P. Harrewijn, eds.), pp. 323-335. Elsevier Science Publishers B. V., Amsterdam. Nault, B. A., S. D. Costa, and G. G. Kennedy. 2000. Colorado potato beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) feeding, development, and survival to adulthood after continuous exposure to Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. tenebrionis -treated potato foliage from the field. J. Econ. Entomol. 93: 149-156. Pike, K. S., P. Stary, T. Miller, G. Graf, D. Allison, L. Boydston and R. Miller. 2000. Aphid parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Aphidiinae) of Northwest USA. Proc. Entomol. Soc. Wash. 102: 688-740. Poprawski, T. J., R. I. Carruthers, J. Speese III, D. C. Vacek and L. E. Wendel. 1997. Early-season applications of the fungus Beauveria bassiana and introduction of the Hemipteran predator Perillus bioculatus for control of Colorado potato beetle. Biol. Contr. 10: 48-57. Poprawski, T. J. and S. P. Wraight. 2000. Application and evaluation of entomopathogens in vegetable row crops: potatoes. In: L. A. Lacey and H. K. Kaya (eds.). "Field Manual of Techniques in Invertebrate Pathology: Application and evaluation of pathogens for control of insects and other invertebrate pests." Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht. pp.371-388. Sorokin, N.S. 1981. Ground beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) as natural enemies of the Colorado beetle Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say. Entomol. Rev. 60: 44-52. Steinkraus, D. C. 2000. Documentation of naturally-occurring pathogens and their impact in agroecosystems. In : L. A. Lacey and H. K. Kaya (eds.). "Field Manual of Techniques in Invertebrate Pathology: Application and evaluation of pathogens for control of insects and other invertebrate pests." Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht. pp. 303-320. Stern, V. M., Smith, R. F., van den Bosch, R., and Hagen, K. S. 1959. The integration of chemical and biological control of the spotted alfalfa aphid. Hilgardia 29: 81-101. Tamaki, G. and B. A. Butt. 1978. Impact of Perillus bioculatus on the Colorado potato beetle and plant damage. USDA Tech. Bull. 1581. 11pp. Tamaki, G. and D. Olsen. 1977. Feeding potential of predators of Myzus persicae . J. Entomol. Soc. Brit. Columbia 74: 23-26. Tamaki, G. 1981. Biological control of potato pests. In : J. H. Lashomb and R. Casagrande (eds.), Advances in Potato Pest Management. Pp. 178-192. Hutchinson Ross Publ., Strasburg, PA. Tamaki, G., R. L. Chauvin and A. K. Burditt, Jr. 1983. Field evaluation of Doryphorophaga doryphorae (Diptera: Tachinidae), a parasite, and its host the Colorado potato beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Environ. Entomol. 12: 386-389. Tanada, Y. and H. K Kaya. 1993. Insect Pathology. Academic Press, New York. 666 pp. Van Emden, H. F., V. F. Eastop, R. D. Hughes, and M. J. Way. 1969. The ecology of Myzus persicae . Annu. Rev. Entomol. 14: 197-270 van Lenteren, J. C. and J. Woets. 1988. Biological and integrated pest control in greenhouses. Annu. Rev. Entomol. 33: 239-269. Zehnder, G. W. and W. D. Gelernter. 1989. Activity of the M-One formulation of a new strain of Bacillus thuringiensis against the Colorado potato beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae): relationship between susceptibility and insect life stage. J. Econ. Entomol. 82: 756-761. Zehnder, G. W., G. M. Ghidiu and J. Speese III. 1992. Use of the occurrence of peak Colorado potato beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) egg hatch for timing of Bacillus thuringiensis spray applications in potatoes. J. Econ. Entomol. 85: 281-288. L. A. Lacey*, D. R. Horton*, T. R. Unruh*, K. Pike**, and M. Márquez* *USDA-ARS, Yakima Agricultural Research Laboratory 5230 Konnowac Pass Road Wapato, WA 98951 **Washington State University 24106 North Bunn Road Prosser, WA 99350-8694 AGRICHEMICAL & ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Potato farmers are still waiting for help: MPP Argenpapa. Canadá, 11-06-2008 The PC Critic for Agriculture and Food has pointed out that after nine months potato farmers are still waiting for government help to deal with losses from the disastrous 2007 drought. "Last summer, Ontario potato growers experienced the longest drought since records have been kept," said Oxford MPP Ernie Hardeman. "Ontario's potato farmers need help. Existing programs aren't enough to help them cover these huge losses." During the summer of 2007, potato crop yields were dramatically reduced by the lack of rain as well as high nighttime temperatures which reduced dew. The drought affected approximately 30,000 acres of potatoes. According to Ontario Potato Board statistics the marketable average yield dropped from 190 cwt/acre to 86 cwt/acre in the drought affected areas with some farmers reporting yields as low as 32 cwt/acre. The average loss per acre is estimated at over $2,000. "I want to commend Jim Wilson, MPP for Simcoe-Grey, for raising awareness of the huge losses suffered by the potato farmers many of whom farm in his riding and for holding the government to account," said Hardeman. Since August 2007, the Ontario Potato Board has met with representatives from OMAFRA, Agricorp and repeatedly asked the government, including the Minister of Agriculture and the Premier, for assistance to help potato farmers recover from the drought. However, to date the government has not committed to any new support to address the disastrous drought. "It is spring - planting time - and unless Ontario's Potato Farmers get help, they will become the latest people that the McGuinty government has forced out of farming," said Hardeman. www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día BPI-Baguio addresses potato pest problem ARGENPAPA . Filipinas. 18-06-2008 The Baguio National Crop and Research and Development Center (BNCRDC) of the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) is waging a war against the two principal enemies of potato farmers - bacterial wilt and potato cyst nematode. Jesus Aspuria, BPI-BNCRDC chief, says that both pests have become a nightmare for potato farmers in the Cordillera, a region noted as the vegetable capital of the country. "The bacterial wilt is a soil and seed borne-disease that attacks potato plants. Wilting of plants was observed one month after planting," he explains. He said potato cyst nematode, on the other hand, is a soil-pest that also affects potato plants. The BPI-BNCRDC has the procedure to detect if the soil is infected with this particular pest. To address the problem, the screening of different potato varieties is being carried out to select for resistance or tolerant varieties. For the potato cyst nematode, he said that Trichoderma was found most effective in preventing this pest. He said that the Trichoderma is a microorganism used against soil-borne pathogens including bacteria and fungus. "Farmers can buy [the microorganisms] per kilo. This commonly used by farmers in Benguet. It is being used as 'basal application' before planting potato tuber," Aspuria added. The first time Trichoderma was introduced was three years ago and mass production of this beneficial microorganism is being done at BPI- BNCRDC and are distributed to farmer clients in the region. For the bacterial wilt disease, they encourage the farmers to use the crop rotation method. He said that they tell farmers to plant non-solanaceous crops to avoid the spread of the disease. In the Philippines, potatoes are concentrated in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and Davao. Aspuria said CAR is the oldest potato-growing region, which annually covers 10,900 hectares of land. He said Benguet supplies 62 percent of the annual potato production in the country followed by Davao (14 percent), Mountain Province (12 percent) and Bukidnon (10 percent). gmanews.tv www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Benguet farmers find ways to control potato pests Argenpapa. Filipinas, 20-06-2008 Farmers in the country's largest potato-producing province are fussing over pests that are ravaging their potatoes. Benguet's potato farmers fear two soil and seed tuber diseases: the bacterial wilt disease and the Potato Cyst Nematode. The bacterial wilt disease is a soil and seed borne-disease that attacks potato plants. Wilting of plants is observed a month after planting. Meanwhile, potato cyst nematode is a soil-pest disease that causes stunted growth of potato tubers. When severe, it may decrease potato production by up to 50 to 70 percent. Dr. Jesus Aspuria, chief of the Bureau of Plant Industry's Baguio National Crop and Research Development Center, explained that potatoes are concentrated in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and Davao. The spread of such diseases is a problem that needs to be addressed. For the control of bacterial wilt disease, farmers were encouraged to use the Crop Rotation Method. For the potato cyst nematode, trichoderma was found most effective for its control. Trichoderma is a microorganism used against soil-borne pathogens including bacteria and fungus. "It should not create panic to consumers since such diseases only affect tubers, not the potatoes we eat," Aspuria cleared however. CAR is the oldest potato-growing region. Potato production annually covers 10,900 hectares of land. Benguet supplies 62 percent of the annual potato production in the country. It is followed by Davao (14 percent), Mt. Province (12 percent) and Bukidnon (10 percent). Source: abs-cbnnews.com www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Potato farmers urged to stop chemical use ARGENPAPA. Filipinas. 25-06-2008 The Bureau of Plant Industry is pushing the intensive use of alternative pest control among Cordillera potato farmers to cushion the impact of soaring prices of chemicals and other commercial farm inputs. Jesus Aspuria, chief of the BPI's National Crop Research and Development Center in the Cordillera, said bacterial wilt and the cyst nematode, the most common problems of potato farmers, could be eliminated through crop rotation and the use of biological agents. Bacterial wilt is a disease that causes brownish rings in potato tubers while the cyst nematode is a pest that stunts the growth of potato plants. “We do not have a potato disease outbreak or alarming incidence of pest infestation now. But crop rotation and the use of biological agents could bail out farmers from their dependence on high cost inputs needed to kill the wilt and cyst nematode,” Aspuria said on Tuesday. The province has 10,964 hectares of land devoted to potatoes that produce an average of 97,834 metric tons a year. There are more than 7,000 potato farmers in the province. Bacterial wilt and cyst nematode could decrease production from 50 to 70 percent if their mutation rate becomes severe, Aspuria said. But he said crop rotation could prevent the wilt from becoming prevalent. Crop rotation meant planting other vegetables, like cabbages and carrots, on land previously planted with potatoes. The other vegetables would suppress wilt mutation since they are incapable of becoming hosts, he said. Aspuria said he believed that in one crop year, potatoes must be planted only once to prevent the growth of the disease. He said the cyst nematode could be solved through the use of trichoderma, a biological agent that the BPI has been giving to farmers since three years ago. “The agent is a microorganism that is effective against soil borne pathogens like the cyst nematode,” he said. He said trichoderma, when mixed with the soil before planting, could kill the cyst. The province's farmers plant three common potato varieties – Granula, Igorota and Raniag. But the Benguet State University recently developed four varieties that were considered as the country's first organic potato varieties – Solibao, Gloria Kamaptengan, Watwat and Tawid. Department of Agriculture records showed that Benguet is the country's major supplier of potatoes, producing 62 percent of harvests yearly. It is followed by Davao (14 percent), Mt. Province (12 percent) and Bukidnon (10 percent). newsinfo.inquirer.net www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Potato growers plant most expensive crop on record Argenpapa. Canadá, 27-06-2008 P.E.I. potato growers are planting the most expensive crop in history and have little idea of the earnings forthcoming at the end of the 2008 season, says board chairman Kevin MacIsaac. And with input costs climbing, and prices stagnant, it's no wonder that in some areas of the world farmers are walking away from sales. "The cost of production is astronomical", said the Souris area farmer in the latest edition of the growers' newsletter. "Meanwhile, we are still receiving 19th-century prices for our potatoes." MacIsaac said while costs like fertilizer have almost doubled since he began farming over 20 years ago, prices have barely budged. As well, the price of gas is creating havoc when it comes to finalizing a contract deal with buyers. The chairman says while a litre of tractor fuel is $1.60 today, it could well top $2 by harvest. "The financial health of our potato farms on P.E.I. is not strong", he insists. In Scotland, a large potato packer has walked away from supplying one of the U.K.'s largest grocery chains since the company has refused to recognize the rising costs of production. Meanwhile, Island growers are attempting to finalize a processing contract with Cavendish Farms and eventually McCains that buys up half the Island output every year of about 90,000 acres. theguardian.pe.ca www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día UI scientists evaluate spud varieties for organic systems ARGENPAPA . EEUU. 30-06-2008 To help Idaho potato growers meet the market demand for organic spuds, two University of Idaho agricultural scientists are evaluating seven varieties of potatoes under organic production methods in a one-acre field at Kimberly. "There's a lot of interest and a lot of curiosity by growers", said Nora Olsen, University of Idaho Extension potato specialist. "A lot of people are wondering, "OK, if I were to jump into this, how would it work?" Olsen and Extension soil specialist Amber Moore are digging up answers in order to make science-based information available to Idaho producers. This year, they planted two varieties of processing potatoes-Alturas and the late blight-resistant Defender, alongside four fresh-market potatoes, Yukon Gold, Dark Red Norland, Norkotah and Norkotah-8-and Idaho's mainstay Russet Burbank. They will monitor the potatoes closely for pest problems and treat damaging levels of Colorado potato beetles with the organically approved pesticide Spinosad. Before planting, they fertilized some of their experimental plots with dairy manure and others with dairy compost and will add fish emulsion-and possibly humic acid - during the growing season. "Two of the biggest challenges that organic farmers face are controlling weed pressure and effectively managing plant nutrients", Moore said. The scientists expect to cultivate at least four times for weeds, including one early-season pass that proved necessary for volunteer alfalfa. The field, undergoing transition to full organic status, had been in alfalfa the past two years. "It's a new challenge for us and we're learning", said Olsen of the Idaho Potato Commission-supported project. "There are a lot of potatoes grown in this area and consequently there will be plenty of potato pests. We could have all of the same problems that neighboring conventional growers do, and we'll need to deal with those problems in a modified way." Olsen and Moore say that making sure their potatoes get the nitrogen they need during the vine-ripening and tuber-bulking stages could be the biggest challenge the scientists face. Conventional growers typically apply pre-determined levels of nitrogen fertilizer at planting, then follow up with precisely measured supplementary applications through their sprinkler systems during the growing season. But much of the nitrogen in manure and compost must be converted by soil microbes into a form plants can use-a slower and less predictable process. Moore will take numerous samples of soils and plant tissue this summer to determine when nitrogen is becoming available to the plants and whether it's available at sufficient rates. She and Olsen will also compare the potato varieties to see which perform best under organic production methods: some may produce larger canopies and shade weeds more effectively, while others stand up better to insects or diseases, tolerate more competition from weeds or use fertilizers more efficiently. They will also track costs, yields and crop quality and compare their crops with conventionally grown potatoes to help Idaho's increasingly interested growers assess the pros and cons of organic production. According to Margaret Misner, organic program manager for the Idaho State Department of Agriculture, Idaho growers are producing 1,176 acres of organic potatoes in 2008, compared with 495 acres in 2007 and 157 acres in 2006. agweekly www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Rotary cultivator and potato planter in combination ARGENPAPA . Alemania. 30-06-2008 The KG 3000 Special rotary cultivator is suspended in a specific parallelogram underneath the extended draw bar of the potato planter Hasbergen - Less fuel consumption and less working hours, less wheel tracks and less soil compaction - these are the advantages when potato planting and the preparing soil tillage are combined in one operational pass. For this method of combination now the first experiences in practical operation are available for the Amazone KG 3000 rotary cultivator and the GL 34 potato planter offered by Grimme. As in many other operational procedures also in this machine combination the rotary cultivator with its large, blockage free passage and its insensitiveness to stones is of important advantage. The rotary cultivator is suspended in a specific parallelogram underneath the extended draw bar of the potato planter, its working depth allows for infinitely variable adjustment via an individual lifting ram. Drive via the tractor PTO shaft. Practical operations in usual dry to slightly wet soil conditions showed good to very good results. In optimum conditions, i. e. on well dried soils the operational result was even very good. In very wet soil conditions, however, it became obvious that the potatoes should not be covered with too much soil as otherwise they would not sprout optimally. In these conditions the combination should be possibly separated to carry out the operational passes soil tillage and potato planting individually. Also this is possible without any problem as mounting and dismounting the rotary cultivator on to or off the potato planter is done with just a few hand clamps. Lifepr www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Idaho Scientist Check Potatoes for Organic Use Argenpapa. EEUU, 04-07-2008 Two University of Idaho agricultural scientists are evaluating seven potato varieties under organic production methods. "There's a lot of interest and a lot of curiosity by growers," reports Nora Olsen, a UI Extension potato specialist. "A lot of people are wondering 'OK, if I were to jump into this, how would it work?'" The study is sponsored by the Idaho Potato Commission. Olsen and Extension soil specialist Amber Moore are digging up answers in order to make science-based information available to Idaho producers. This year, they planted two varieties of processing potatoes: Alturas and the late-blight resistant Defender; four fresh market spuds: Yukon Gold, Red Norland, Norkotah and Norkotah-8. Idaho's mainstay potato variety, Russet Burbank, is also under observation in the organic test plot. The planting will be watched for pest problems. Only organic type materials such as Spinosad will be used to control potato beetles. Before planting, the experimental plots were fertilized with dairy manure or dairy compost and fish emulsion. Two monumental problems faced in organic production are weed control and fertilizer. "It's a new challenge for us and we're learning," says Olsen. "There are a lot of potatoes grown in this area and consequently there will be plenty of potato pests. We could have all the same problems than neighboring conventional growers do, and we'll need to deal with those problems in a modified way." The team says a big challenge is making sure the potatoes get the nitrogen needed during the critical vine-ripening and tuber-bulking stages. Conventional producers typically apply pre-determined levels of nitrogen fertilizer at planting, followed by measured supplementary applications through sprinklers during the growing season. Much of the nitrogen in the manure and compost applied to the organic plots must be converted by soil microbes into forms plans can use, a slower and less precise practice, notes Olsen. The study reflects an increase in organic potato production in Idaho, which produced such crops on nearly 1,200 acres this year, up from about 500 acres a year earlier, mirroring a steady annual increase. westernfarmerstockman www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Potato contract rejected Argenpapa. Canadá, 07-07-2008 For the third time, P.E.I. potato farmers growing on contract with Cavendish Farms have rejected an offer from the company. The farmers, growing potatoes specially suited for french fries, would normally have a contract to sell their crop to the company before planting. This year, with the potatoes already growing in the hot summer soil, there is still no contract. Close to 120 of 150 farmers eligible participated in the vote Wednesday night in Charlottetown. The Potato Board did not release exact numbers, but said a clear majority voted against it. The contract would have paid farmers up to $9.25 per hundredweight (cwt), depending on the quality of their crop. Growers in New Brunswick are receiving $8.81/cwt from McCain, and some U.S. growers are getting as little as $6.22/cwt. The fresh market price for potatoes in North America is currently $22/cwt, but it is unlikely prices will be that high come harvest time on P.E.I. Potato growers are facing increasingly high costs, with prices for fuel and fertilizer up dramatically this year. The growers and Cavendish Farms have until Aug. 15 to come up with a contract, otherwise the company can choose to deal with the process growers one on one or buy on the open market. cbc.ca www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Growers urged to quantify costs ARGENPAPA . Gran Bretaña. 21-07-2008 As crop production costs spiral, serious savings can be made across a range of potato inputs if you manage and monitor them carefully. This was the message for than 240 growers attending Potato Council's East Midlands Potato Day near Spalding, Lincs, on Tuesday (July 8). They also heard how taking a positive message to the consumer is paying dividends for the industry. Tim Pratt from farm energy experts FEC Services outlined initial results from a Potato Council-funded project monitoring electricity use in a number of commercial potato stores. "Monitoring your electricity costs is relatively easy, but the results can be startling or even disturbing," he pointed out. For one business involved in the study, the figures revealed one of its stores was using twice the energy to chill a pre-pack crop than the other, prompting the grower to close the store down early. Host farmer of the event Duncan Worth echoed Mr Pratt's advice. His farm is taking part in the Potato Council-funded Grower Collaborations project, run by Cambridge University Farm (CUF). Five farms across Britain are pitching agronomy of commercial crops based on CUF research against the farm's conventional practice. "To really discover where the benefits are we are doing a lot more monitoring, such as measuring crop cover closely, and have to provide very detailed information on our agronomy practice. But there is robust research on trial here, implementing fairly radical changes. If just one element bears fruit, it will have a significant advantage for us," said Mr Worth. Examples include specific circumstances where nitrogen fertiliser rate is dropped by 22%, and another where seed planting distance is increased to 38cm from 28cm. These adjustments can be made without compromising overall yield, claims CUF, and should actually increase marketable yield – the proportion of the crop within the optimum tuber size range. Ed Garner, from TNS Worldpanel, said a concerted effort by the industry to promote to the consumer the healthy, natural side of processed potatoes was paying dividends. Chips and potato products have performed "remarkably well" recently, with expenditure higher in oven chips by 10.7%, for example. "McCain and Walkers in particular have succeeded in taking a positive message to consumers, and that has resulted in strong sales of its products," he reported. "The lesson for food producers is clear: don't get hung up on negative issues. Present the positives to the consumer – it works." Other speakers at the East Midlands event, in association with McCain and QV Foods, outlined the latest advice on chlorpropham (CIPC) and the Potato Council-led industry initiative to minimise residues. Dr Pat Haydock from Harper Adams University College updated growers on Potato Cyst Nematode control. Other field sessions focussed on efficient fertiliser use and herbicide trials. The series of events and initiatives is part of a Summer of Knowledge campaign launched by Potato Council to deliver the latest technical and regulatory information direct to growers, who are facing rising costs and regulation, but a shrinking armoury of crop protection products. farminguk www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Growers aim to benefit from potato researcher advice on farm ARGENPAPA. Gran Bretaña. 21-07-2008 Five large potato businesses are involved in a project that aims to compare seed and fertiliser recommendations made by Cambridge University Farm researchers based on their research experience against the farm's usual practise. The Potato Council grower collaboration project was started in response to concerns within the levy board about how much the research was used by growers, Rob Clayton of the Potato Council explains. "There were also questions about whether the investment in CUF research was giving growers value for money." CUF research, while well-managed and statistically robust, often requires a good depth of understanding from growers before it can be used to make managerial or logistical changes to benefit the farm, he notes. "For that type of research we thought we needed to do something different [to help farmers use it more effectively]." David Firman explained to growers at the East Midlands Potato day the differences Cambridge University Farm advice had made to Duncan Worth's growing programme The something different has been to bring the researcher into direct contact with a small number of growers covering all sectors of the potato market in a project where comparisons are made between the standard farm practise with what CUF would advise based on their research in three areas: Nitrogen rates, seed rates, and, to a lesser extent, irrigation. At the start of the project growers provide detailed information of their intended crops, such as yield and grading, and how they plan to achieve it, CUF's David Firman explains. This standard management is then compared with CUF's advice and where significant differences are identified field comparisons have been set up. "We've picked fields where the standard practise differs by more than 10%." For example, instead of a 1.5t/ha seed rate planted at 28cm spacings for a Maris Piper seed stock with a 35-45mm tuber count of 1270, CUF recommended planting at 38cm spacing, giving a seed rate of 1.1t/ha at Duncan Worth's Lincolnshire farm this season - a cut of nearly 30%. "Our calculations suggest that should have only a small effect on total yield, but that should be offset by a better size distribution and an increase in the premium baker fraction." For Mr Worth that would be a successful outcome. "We're looking to improve marketable yield. If we have a gross yield of 24t/acre, we want a marketable yield of 22t/acre not 20t/acre." A second comparison on the farm is comparing fertiliser rates. The farm's recommendation for the crop, which follows vining peas, is for 180kg/ha of N, CUF says 140kg/ha of N. "I would not expect anyone to see a difference at the moment," says Dr Firman. Duncan Worth's (right) 4500-acre potato farm is one of five farm's selected to trial a new way of rolling out research messages to potato growers, says Rob Clayton (left) That is not too surprising, he admits. "Early on in the season you are unlikely to see a difference it is more about how long the crop persists. There is no point in growing a crop that persists until December if you want to defoliate in September." He expects the lower N crop to senesce a little earlier. "But the expectation is that it should persist long enough to not make any difference to yields." The results from all five farms will be published by the Potato Council, Dr Clayton says. "One of the prerequisites of being part of the project is that the information will be published." That should mean it is easier for the Potato Council to provide case study proof to other growers that the CUF research does have a practical application on farm, and to do cost-benefit analyses, he stresses. "Each of the growers also has a satellite producer or supply chain groups attached to it, which will also help to trickle the research out to other growers." CUF seed rate research New seed rate guidelines that take account of the effect of seed age - measured as the period from emergence of the seed crop to the planting of the ware crop - on the marketable yield are at the heart of the recommendations CUF are using on the five farms. "The previous recommendations were pretty crude, and made little account of the yield of different tuber size fractions produced," Dr Firman says. But different aged seed stocks can have a big effect on the numbers of stems a ware crop produces, and hence the numbers of tubers and their size. Taking seed size, age and factoring in target yields and optimum tuber size allowed CUF to make more accurate seed rate recommendations, he explains. New seed rate guidelines for Estima were published earlier this year, with Maris Piper, Maris Peer, Hermes, Saturna and Lady Rosetta recommendations due to be released in time for planting next season. FWi www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día ARS studies curly top prevention ARGENPAPA. EEUU. 23-07-2008 Potato methods also being researched at Kimberly laboratory KIMBERLY, Idaho - Curly top may be a cute description for someone's wavy locks, but there's nothing cute about the viral disease of the same name when it's found in sugar beets. Imad Eujahl, geneticist at the Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research Laboratory operated by the USDA-Agricultural Research Service, said curly top can cut sugar production by 30 percent. Imad Eujayl, USDA-ARS geneticist at the Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research Laboratory, Kimberly, Idaho, shows a wild sugarbeet plant. It is one of many wild beets used in crossbreeding to develop a domestic plant resistant to curly top, one of the most serious sugarbeet diseases. The infection is spread by leafhoppers, a tiny insect readily found almost everywhere. Plant breeders are working hard to find a resistant variety. Some 142 proposed varieties were on display here during a July 10 field tour, in a field which Eujahl and coworkers deliberately infested with virus-infested leafhoppers. Developing new varieties takes a long time, he said. Very often plant breeders begin with a wild sugarbeet plant, which shows natural resistance to the target disease, in this case curly top. The wild beet, and the first generation offspring of the cross with a domestic sugarbeet plant will not produce the root needed for sugar production. It takes about eight crosses to end up with a yielding plant, he said. Infected leafhoppers were released in Eujahl's test plots June 25. As long as food is present, they are content to remain on whichever plant they landed on. As a consequence, workers have had to walk through the field at dusk several times, brushing the sugarbeets with a canvas sheet to evenly distribute the pests. The day after the field tour, the test plots were sprayed with a powerful insecticide to kill the leafhoppers. A final evaluation of how resistant each variety is to curly top will follow. In another field at the research station, David Tarkalson showed trials evaluating bedding methods for planting sugarbeets. He is looking particularly at strip tillage, which incorporates virtually no residue compared to conventional tillage, which incorporates it all. It is being compared to moldboard and chisel tillage. "Strip tillage and planting can be accomplished in only one pass over the field, if you pull the planter behind the tiller, saving a lot of tractor fuel," Tarkalson said. "However, that means leaving a lot of residue from previous crops on the ground so you don't get the residual nitrogen benefits. We're comparing different nitrogen rates with each type of tillage, to see what might work best." Another research project featured on the tour is comparing different types of sprinklers, to see which results in the most runoff and soil erosion, versus which results in the best water penetration in the soil. Dave Bjorneberg, an agricultural engineer, said different types of heads are mounted on a traveling boom and passed over boxes filled with various types of soil, from sands and silts to heavy clays. This study is also ongoing. Visitors also toured potato bedding trials, where researcher Brad King is comparing different ways of bedding and row spacing for potatoes. "As potato cultivation moved from South America to Europe, it was raised in areas with high humidity and heavy rainfall. Potatoes don't like to be either too wet or too dry, so the technique of planting them in hills developed. That worked well even in more arid production regions under furrow irrigation," King said. "Today we have sprinklers, pivots and other modern irrigation technologies that make planting potatoes in hills impractical, but the idea of planting them in beds has never really caught on. "Growing potatoes in beds has some advantages," he said. "It improves nitrogen and water efficiency." King's potato bed trials involve planting four, five or six rows of potatoes in 12-foot wide beds, a width readily harvested by the conventional four-row harvesters commonly used. The trials are also comparing how well russet-Burbank, russet-norkotas and ranger russets produce when planted in different row spacings in the beds. "We won't have results for a while, but it looks like production levels will be different for each variety, depending on row spacing," he said. Capital Press www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Wheat up, potatoes down in latest forecast ARGENPAPA. EEUU. 25-07-2008 Washington winter wheat production is expected to reach 109.7 million bushels this season, up 1 percent from the 2007 crop based on July 1 conditions, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service. The Washington office of NASS also said Washington growers planted fewer potatoes and more dry peas and will have lighter peach and apricot crops. An increase in anticipated harvested area of wheat from 1.69 million acres in 2007 to 1.77 million acres in 2008 is enough to offset an expected two bushel reduction in average yield per acre, NASS said. Yield will be down because of a cool spring and later harvest. Harvest has begun in a few southern fields and is expected to be late in Douglas County where it typically starts in mid- to late-July. Potato acreage is estimated at 155,000, down 10,000 acres from 2007 and 1,000 acres from 2006, according to NASS. Growers have been reducing acreage in recent years to increase fresh potato prices. Growers planted 86 percent of the crop in russet varieties, 7 percent in white varieties and remainder in yellow, red and blue types. Idaho planted 300,000 acres this year, down 50,000 acres from a year ago. Oregon planted 35,500 acres, down 1,000 acres. Total U.S. potato acreage is 1.06 million, down 8 percent from last year but 7 percent above 2006, according to NASS. Washington growers planted 70,000 acres of dry edible peas, up 4 percent from 2007, while national planting of peas is down slightly. As of July 6, Washington had harvested 5 percent of its dry edible peas, slightly ahead of last year, NASS said. Washington peach production is expected to be down 8 percent from a year ago due to the cold spring while Oregon producers expect a 27 percent drop in peach production, NASS said. Total U.S. peach production is forecast at 1.1 million tons, down 3 percent from 2007 but 9 percent above the 2006 crop. The final forecast for the 2008 apricot crop is 86,840 tons, down 2 percent from 2007 but up 95 percent from 2006. At 82,000 tons, California accounts for 94 percent of that production. Washington's crop is forecast at 4,500 tons, down 38 percent from 2007 and 13 percent below 2006 due to spring frosts and poor pollination. wenatcheeworld.com www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Mystery bacteria linked to US potato disease ARGENPAPA. Nueva Zelanda. 30-07-2008 A plant disease scare in tomatoes, which triggered biosecurity bans on New Zealand potatoes, tomatoes and capsicums, has now been linked to a disease in American potato crops. And the potato disease, known as "zebra chip", has now been discovered in an Auckland spud crop, NZPA has been told. The disease-causing Candidatus liberibacter bacteria species disrupted New Zealand exports last month when agriculture authorities revealed its discovery in three Auckland commercial hothouses in January. The announcement by NZ scientists that it was a previously unrecorded form of C. liberibacter spooked some key export customers, as it is related to huanglongbing disease – also known as citrus greening. The warnings also unfortunately coincided with overseas headlines about an unrelated bacteria – salmonella – on tomatoes in America making people sick. Australia blocked imports of tomatoes, capsicum and potatoes, and tamarillos, Fiji blocked tomatoes, capsicum and potatoes – and is now running short of spuds – and Japan also stopped key imports. Overall tomato exports are worth $7.3 million annually and capsicum exports are worth $34 million. Growers are keen for constraints on exports to be lifted by October, when they are due to ramp up harvests from new crops they are now planting. But now the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) has told growers that DNA tests developed in New Zealand show that the bacterium is in Texan potato crops, and is probably the cause of "zebra chip" disease which has been hitting American crops for years. "The liberibacter detected in the USA is the same species as that detected in NZ," a MAF spokeswoman said. Zebra chip converts part of the starch in a potato to soluble sugar, and when the potato is cooked, causes zebra-like stripes and breaks up the chip. Spread by potato psillid insects – scientifically known as Bactericera cockerelli – the disease is thought to have been introduced to the US 15 years ago from Central America. This insect also mysteriously turned up in New Zealand – found in an Auckland greenhouse in 2006 – and has since dispersed as far south as Nelson. Zebra chip is a serious problem in regions such as Texas, particularly on species used for manufacture of french fries, and New Zealand technology companies have supplied American growers with NIR (or near-infrared) scanners to screen out affected potatoes. MAF said it had provided American researchers with genetic markers for the bacteria and two laboratories detected it in Texas, in russet norkota potatoes showing zebra chip symptoms. The US has not reported the bacteria causing problems in tomatoes. The identification means that trade officials re-negotiating access for NZ fruit and vegetables to overseas markets are no longer dealing with an unknown disease – they have been able to tell customer countries that the bacteria is probably the cause of zebra chip. MAF said that after the announcement that the mystery bacteria was likely being spread by potato psyllids, it was first told of zebra chip symptoms in domestic potato crops. Symptoms resembling zebra chip showed up in potatoes harvested from a breeding trial in South Auckland in May. "These potato tubers tested positive for Liberibacter and was our first report of such in potatoes in NZ," the MAF spokeswoman said. Potato psyllids feeding on spuds weakly infected with zebra chip spread the bacteria to other potato plants. American experts said that controlling the potato psyllids and planting seed potatoes certified free of zebra chip can reduce the spread. stuff www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día This weekend we celebrate the Year of the Tater in Olathe ARGENPAPA. EEUU. 30-07-2008 A potato named Désirée? Sounds like a lipstick tint. Next time you order french fries, raise one and toast the United Nations International Year of the Potato. This spud's for you! To honor the lowly pomme de terre, the Johnson County K-State Research and Extension this weekend will showcase 50 varieties it grew in its test gardens in Olathe. Once a year the extension invites the public to meet its experts and see the flowers, fruits and vegetables, and turfgrasses researchers are growing to determine which fare best in these parts. The extension doesn't typically grow potatoes but decided to in this, the Year of the Potato. Researchers planted about 2,000 plants of 50 varieties this season. Those of you following carb-free diets might find bushels full of potatoes kind of, well, disturbing. But don't worry. The extension decided to skip the taste-testing. (Think of how much butter and sour cream that would have been.) Just appreciate the fact that you've probably never seen some of these potatoes. A potato that resembles a candy cane? A potato called “banana?” Some of the names sound more like lipsticks than potatoes. Colorado Rose. Kerr's Pink. Snow White. Romance. Désirée. Who knew? Most of the crop has been harvested. Two holidays typically bookend the spud's growing season: St. Patrick's Day at planting and Fourth of July at harvest. “They grow pretty good here,” says extension horticulturist Dennis Patton. New varieties that have debuted in recent years emphasize this growing food for thought: Eat a rainbow of colors. Thus we now have potatoes with blue, purple and rose-colored jackets. Because of a rainy spring that made the soil too wet for a potato's liking, “our yields were not spectacularly high,” says Ted Carey, extension vegetable specialist. He's not fazed, though. The veggie man's favorite way to enjoy a spud? Mashed? Baked? French fried? “I eat them as potato chips every day,” he says. kansascity www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Chinese scientists used Kennebec seedlings to develop new potato variety Argenpapa. China, 27-08-2008 According to researchers at the Institute of Potato, Gansu Academy of Agricultural Sciences in Gansy Province China, a new potato variety was bred 'through tissue culture seedlings of processing potato cultivar Kennebec introduced from America'. In the latest issue of the journal 'China Vegetables' (2008, No. 6, pp. 35-36), the researchers report that the new variety is named 'LK99'. It reportedly has mid-early maturity. The variety needs about 85 days from planting to be ready for harvest. The tubers are long-oval with white skin, white flesh, small and shallow eyes, and a smooth surface. A marketable yield of 84% can be expected. The average content of dry matter, starch, vitamin C, crude protein and reducing sugar is 22.81%, 16.32%, 163.7 mg/kg, 2.83% and 0.171% respectively. It yields approx equal to 27 t/h, with a high yield of up to 45 t/h. According to the researchers the variety can be cultivated in cold, wet areas with a high latitude and half-shaded land, as well as in the outskirts of cities under plastic film mulching on the river plains and warmer humid areas of Gansu province in winter. Potato News www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Research could put potato rows to bed Argenpapa. EEUU, 03-09-2008 KIMBERLY, Idaho - For hundreds of years, potatoes have been planted in raised rows. Why? It's tradition based on growing conditions found in Europe. Potatoes are native to the Andes, but when Spanish explorers took the plant back to Europe, the continent's annual 30 to 45 inches of precipitation gave the tuber wet feet. Potatoes only need 18 to 24 inches of water to make a crop. Planting in raised rows allows the water to drain away from the plant and then leave the field via the furrows created between the rows. It's an ingenious solution for a high rainfall region. But how practical is it for southern Idaho where water comes from irrigation systems - not clouds? John Taberna is hoping a grant from the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service will help convince farmers to try a different method of planting potatoes. His company, Western Ag Research, has modified potato planters to plant in a grid - a bed - rather than rows. The only furrows in the field are found where the wheel tracks are. Planting in rows creates steep side hills that are subject to erosion. Using the bed technology eliminates those steep hills and creates a “flatter” field. The flatter the field, the less water that both drains from the field or evaporates from the field. If more water is available in the soil to grow the crop, farmers should be able to reduce the amount of irrigation water applied to the field. “Our ultimate goal is to get equal or better yields with 10 to 15 percent less water,” the Blackfoot area consultant said. Since 2003, he has planted about 8,000 acres using the bed technology. He has collaborated with Brad King, an agricultural engineer with the USDA-Agricultural Research Service in Kimberly, to evaluate the technology. They have four years of data from farm fields and two years of replicated data from the ARS research farm at Kimberly. That research indicates that applying 85 percent of the normal irrigation rate in bed-planted fields out yields fields planted to traditional rows and also irrigated at the 85 percent rate. But farmers have to change their irrigation management and scheduling to get the full benefits of the potato bed technology. “The learning curve is steep,” Taberna said. He has found that about 70 percent of fields meet the goal of equal or better yields with less water, but 30 percent have equal or poorer yields. King has a research plot evaluating three different potato varieties planted in three different row spacings and at three different plant populations at the Kimberly location this year. The beds are 12 feet wide to match four standard rows so that the trials can be harvested with regular equipment. A significant increase in nitrogen efficiency has been observed, King said during a field day held at the USDA-ARS laboratory in Kimberly in July. That makes sense if bed planting increases water-use efficiency. “You put nitrogen on with water. If the water runs off, there goes the nitrogen with it,” he said. Bed planting may also allow growers to reduce plant populations without sacrificing yield. “It's not a huge difference, it's subtle,” King said. “But the trend is going in the right direction.” Taberna received a federal Conservation Innovation Grant in 2007 to help farmers both evaluate bed technology on their own farms and learn how to put that technology to work. He asks farmers to use the bed technology on 40 to 120 acres on their farms. That's a large enough on-farm trial to showcase the technology without jeopardizing the farm. The grant also allows him to continue working with the ARS to gather the scientific data needed to bring the technology to more wide-scale use. King points out that bed technology has been around for generations and has been talked about quite a bit over the last 20 years. “But it's never really caught on,” he added. AG Weekly www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día LG trains 250 farmers on cassava, potato farming Argenpapa. Nigeria, 08-09-2008 In its effort to ensure the availability of food and create employment for its people, Musawa local government in Katsina state, has trained 250 farmers on cassava and potato farming. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the council has also distributed cassava and potato cuttings to the farmers. Alhaji Usman Murnai, the Council's Director of Agriculture, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Musawa that N240,000 had been expended by the council on a pilot programme to boost the cultivation of potato and cassava. He called on other local government administrations in the country to emulate the example taken by Musawa to boost the production of the crops. He expressed the hope that the programme would not only help to alleviate poverty in the area, but would also contribute in increasing the availability of food. Murnai said that the programme would be expanded next year as it had been accepted by farmers and other people in the area. He said that the programme was being executed in all the 11 wards in Musawa local government and urged beneficiaries to ensure compliance with the planting procedures for the crops. In his remarks, the Supervisory Councillor for Agriculture in Musawa local government, Alhaji Muhammad Musawa told NAN that the initiative was conceived to enhance food security. He said that the council would invest on agriculture to curb food shortage. A cross-section of farmers who commented on the programme, expressed appreciation to the chairman of the local government. Dr. Lawal Aliyu urged him to invest in the other sectors to enhance the economy of the area. triumphnewspapers.com www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Spud growers hope for late-season surge Argenpapa. EEUU, 10-09-2008 Association conducts its own acreage count, yield prediction SUN VALLEY, Idaho - Idaho potato acres are down, and the next few weeks could determine whether yields are down, too. Development of the crop was about two weeks behind during the early part of the growing season because of a long, cold spring. The crop has caught up in some, but not all, areas of the state, with harvest just around the corner, said Jerry Wright, president and chief executive officer of United Potato Growers of Idaho. "The real question is whether this (crop) will size up," Wright told producers attending the annual Idaho Grower Shippers Association meeting Wednesday, Aug. 27. Idaho growers planted about 300,000 acres of potatoes this year, according to a United Potato Growers survey and estimates released by USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. That's a 14 percent decline from 2007, according to NASS estimates. United officials said they believe NASS overestimated 2007 crop plantings, so they have pegged the decline at closer to 12 percent. With harvest fast approaching, growers are waiting to see how much tubers can bulk up before digging begins. "We're lining up right now to have a bit of a smaller crop. The real question is 'How is it going to end up?" Wright said. United conducted an extensive acreage survey this year for the first time using USDA's Farm Service Agency satellite maps. "We drove every road in the state and counted every potato acre," Wright said. The co-op is confident its survey is 99 percent accurate. The NASS releases potato acreage estimates every July, but Idaho growers have often disputed those figures as being too high. By conducting its own count of potato acres, United no longer must depend solely on statistical estimates from NASS, co-op officials said. The co-op's data indicate that Idaho growers planted about 300,266 acres of potatoes this year. The co-op predicts yields of 355 to 360 hundredweight per acre, depending on how the crop finishes. By conducting its own field digs and acreage surveys, the co-op hopes to give growers the most accurate acreage and yield forecasts possible, Wright said. "Real data, real facts allow us to make rational decisions," he said. "This gives us tremendous leverage." United officials don't expect any surplus potatoes during the 2008-09 marketing year, but don't expect any shortages either. Customers may have to pay a little more for Idaho potatoes this year because of the smaller crop, but there should still be enough to go around, Wright said. "You will have ample supply to service all your quality customers," he told grower-shippers. Growers can learn more about national crop acreage and yield forecasts during a free meeting organized by United Potato Growers of America on Wednesday, Sept. 10, in Pocatello. Capital Press www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día U.S. Summer Potato Harvest Rises Argenpapa. EEUU, 17-09-2008 WASHINGTON - SNS -- This year's summer potato harvest in the United States is forecast at 14.9 million cwt (100 pound units), up 2% from the July 1 forecast but down 12% from 2007, according to the latest USDA crop production estimates. Harvested acres are estimated at 46,200 acres, 2% above the July forecast but 10% below last year. If realized, this will be the lowest harvested acreage on record. Average yield is forecast at 324 cwt per acre, up 3 cwt from July but down 8 cwt from 2007. California's yield of 390 cwt per acre is a record high for summer potatoes. The crop progressed normally and most growers reported good quality potatoes. Harvest was expected to continue through September. In Missouri, farmers reported excessive wet conditions negatively impacted yields and potato quality. Colorado's growing conditions were reported as good with harvest starting later than normal due to delayed planting and early hail damage. In Alabama, some grower's reported drought-like conditions, while others commented on having a good year. Many growers started harvest in June, and in some cases, were done by late July. Growing conditions in New Jersey were rated fair and harvest was expected to be completed by the end of October. In Virginia, timely rains during spring followed by hot temperatures benefitted growth. Ag Report www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Cultivation practices at the root of poor crop development Argenpapa. General, 17-09-2008 Many potato growers are guilty of recreational tillage and could significantly reduce cultivation costs if they looked more closely at their soil structure and delve below the surface to identify potential problems, advises Mark Stalham of Cambridge University Farms. Furthermore, he highlights that it is poor cultivation practices that is limiting the root development and the potential yield of many crops. Stalham presented at the East Anglian Potato Event, held on 5 September 2008 in Norfolk in the UK. "Given the opportunity potatoes will root to a depth of 100cm (39"') or more and make better use of available moisture and nutrient resources. Roots can grow at a rate of 2 cm per day in loose soil, but unlike cereal crops they are very susceptible to small increases in soil resistance." Where a soil penetrometer shows a moderate resistance of just 1 MPa (megapascal) potato root growth will be slowed by 50 %; at 2 MPa growth is reduced by 75 % and a soil resistance of 3 MPa will effectively stop root penetration. Dr Stalham advocates that where a soil resistance above 2 MPa is encountered growers will need to cultivate but often the compacted zone is below a standard 40 cm subsoiler leg. In such a situation subsoiling will be simply loosening soil that will be moved during bed-forming and destoning - adding cost with no real benefit to the crop. By the same token, he believes that many growers who have traditionally ploughed next year's potato ground in the autumn would be better to wait until spring and possibly do away with the plough altogether. "The plough will remain an essential tool on some soils and for certain situations. But for fine loamy and sandy soils, where there is little inherent structure, growers could consider adopting a less intensive cultivation schedule, possibly with a simple cultivator pass on a cereal stubble in autumn, and then just the bed-forming and destoning pass before planting." Dr Stallham adds that in wet spring conditions there is often a necessity to perform shallow surface cultivations, at around 15-25 cm, to help soils to dry out, before preparing the seedbed. "In many instances, waiting just 24 to 48 hours will enable soils to dry sufficiently to avoid smearing a pan that will limit root growth," he added. To gauge this growers will need to know the plastic limit of the soil type, but is something that tractor operators can identify with experience. "With the escalating cost of diesel and cultivations, potato growers need to reassess all their seedbed activities, with the opportunity to make significant savings and improve the growing conditions for the crop," he advises. Potato News www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Yield of potatoes reached 350 c/ha in the Western-Kazakhstan oblast Argenpapa. Kazakhstan, 22-09-2008 In the farms of the Western-Kazakhstan oblast, using the innovation technologies, the yield of potatoes reached 350c/ha, Baktykozha Izmuhambetov reported on September 17, the head of Western-Kazakhstan oblast, informed “Kazakhstan Today” . “This is a new line that realizes 5 operations simultaneously: planting, processing, hilling, harvesting and separating. With using drip irrigation this technology has led to a fantastic result – 350 c/ha. While the average yield through the oblast does not exceed the level of 123 c/ha”, B. Izmyhambetov said. Also, he mentioned that e xpanding of the sowing areas under potatoes and introduction of new technologies will be the priority directions in agriculture. By the way, Izmyhambetov reported about the necessity of construction of potato storehouses capable to receive the whole harvest. “This year, we have put into operation a potato storehouse with 2.300 tonnes capacity, constructed using German technology, another storehouse with 4.000 tonnes capacity is under construction. This will give us possibilities not only to harvest the crop, but also to store it to provide the population of the city and oblast with potatoes”, the head of the oblast noted. lol.org.ua www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Potato harvest: Lifting well behind normal Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña, 22-09-2008 The UK potato harvest is well behind normal. And with the Potato Council describing conditions in parts of the country as "atrocious" and "diabolical", growers were keeping their fingers crossed earlier this week that the return to drier weather in many areas would persist to help them catch up By last weekend only about 20% of the crop had been cleared. By the same time last year the figure was over 30%. Despite delayed planting yields so far are about average with less tuber cracking than last season, according to growers contacted by Farmers Weekly. Foliar blight remains surprisingly light - various theories being put forward, including lighter canopies and cooler more windy conditions. But there is concern that the disease in tubers may be worse than usual. Lifting conditions remain highly variable. In Essex former Barometer farmer Allan Stevenson was making better headway, with about a third of his 120ha (300 acres) harvested "It's improved enormously since it started to dry up last Thursday. Conditions aren't ideal but we're soldiering on." In Gloucestershire, where wet land had earlier left Graham Nicholls' struggling with his 100ha (240 acres), conditions have also improved. "It started to dry out last Saturday, and we're now up to 10-12 acres/day, and putting in two hours extra every day to catch up. The quality's very good too." For others the picture is more akin to the PC's description. "We're two to three weeks behind," said Hereford contractor Russell Price who runs five harvesters lifting about 485ha (1200 acres). "The ground's still saturated and there are only a few pockets where we can lift." Some growers had already lost crops to flooding from the rivers Severn and Wye, he believed. In Scotland David Lawson said crops around Duns were generally yielding well and of good quality. The problem was getting at them - only about 8% of the 650ha (1600 acres) that he is involved with were up earlier this week. However with three self-propelled tracked harvesters working round the clock he remained hopeful. "It's still very wet, but we can lift 2000t in 24 hours quite easily on light land." by Andrew Blake fwi.co.uk www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Spud growers see stable supply, prices Higher quality crop expected for this year's Idaho potato harvest Argenpapa. EEUU, 22-09-2008 POCATELLO, Idaho - Potato growers across the country have reason to be optimistic as they dig the new fall crop. Supply and demand appear to be in balance, quality looks good and prices should remain strong throughout the marketing year, industry representatives reported during a Wednesday, Sept. 10, meeting sponsored by United Potato Growers of America. Most potato-growing regions reported a reduction in potato plantings this year, largely because of strong competition for acres from wheat, corn and other commodities. Idaho farmers planted an estimated 300,000 acres of potatoes this year, down 42,000-49,000 acres from 2007, said United Potato Growers of Idaho President Jerry Wright. The Idaho cooperative estimates that growers in the state will produce 110 million hundredweight of spuds this year compared with 122 million last year. "We have enough to meet demand, but there are no excess potatoes now in Idaho," Wright said. The Idaho crop appears to be well balanced in terms of supply and demand, he said. "We expect a stable supply and especially stable prices at an elevated level," Wright said. "We're excited about the prospects for this coming year." Test digs by United members in August indicated that the crop was still about two weeks behind, but that quality was likely to be good - better than last year, Wright said. Idaho growers are expected to produce a crop with yields somewhere between 360 and 370 hundredweight per acre, according to United projections. The Columbia Basin crop has progressed well after a very slow start, said Tony Amstad, a member of the United Potato Growers of Washington and Oregon co-op and a grower from Hermiston, Ore. The early crop was about two weeks behind, but ended up being "as good as it's been in a long time," Amstad said. The quality of the basin's storage potatoes also appears to be much better than last year, with no serious pest or disease-related problems, he said. "We had one of the best growing seasons we've had in a long time," Amstad said. "We look forward to marketing a pretty good crop." Elsewhere, Colorado is down about 4 percent in acreage this year and growers in the Red River Valley of North Dakota and Minnesota are down about 14 percent, representatives reported. The Wisconsin crop got off to a late start because of heavy rains, grower Dick Okray said. "It's looking like a very average crop," he said. "Yields will probably be down." Potato production in Canada is expected to be down by about 10 million hundredweight, United Potato Growers of Canada reported. The national co-op sponsored the meeting to help its affiliated regional co-ops and other growers across North America get a handle on the supply situation as the industry makes the transition to the new fall crop. "If we know what we have, we know what to do with it," said Cary Hoffman, chairman of the UPGA marketing committee. "It's appropriate as we begin the 2008 crop that we plan and do the best job we can," Hoffman said. "Together we can do a better job of serving our customers." capitalpress.com. www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Western Victoria potato growers reject McCain offer Argenpapa. Australia, 01-10-2008 According to an ABC News report, potato growers in western Victoria have rejected an offer from their major buyer for this season's prices. McCain Foods in Ballarat buys almost all of the potatoes grown in the region. Planting starts in November, but the company is yet to reach a price agreement with growers. The chairman of the McCain growers' group, David Myers, will not reveal the current offer, but says farmers voted against it at a meeting this week. "The growers think it's certainly ... not enough to satisfy the unprecedented input production costs that we're facing and also McCain's competitors in the market are paying more for this coming year and the growers really can't see why their company can't match their competitors," he said. ABC News www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día BALLARAT district potato growers have rejected a price offer from McCain Foods to buy this season's crop Argenpapa. Australia, 01-10-2008 The McCain Growers Group met with the food processor this week and voted against its offer. Growers believed it did not compensate for their rising farm costs. With the dry season, Ballarat growers have been facing severe production costs in double-pumping water in the area, and they say it has become much harder for them this season compared to growers in other regions. While McCain buys most of the region's potatoes, escalating fertiliser and fuel costs mean growers want to see an increase per tonne in price to reflect those factors. Tasmanian food processor JR Simplot, also known as Birds Eye and Edgell, is among McCain's competitors offering growers much higher prices per tonne. McCain Growers Group chairman David Myers said Simplot was signing contracts at $85 per tonne. With planting to begin in November, a Tourello farmer said Ballarat growers believed McCain wanted to buy this season's potatoes at a discounted price. He said growers would continue to negotiate with the food processor, but believed it would take "some time" to resolve the issue. "The seasonal conditions look as though they're going to be difficult; with the current lack of rain this spring, it's not helping us and other farmers in the region." Last year, McCain faced a production shortfall of 40 per cent, with a lack of potato supply from the Ballarat district. Negotiations will continue this week. McCain Foods has a policy of not speaking to the media. thecourier www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Climate change - can potato stand the heat? Argenpapa. General, 03-10-2008 Potato production is already migrating to higher, cooler altitudes credit: WRENmedia In Nepal's Kathmandu Valley, summer hailstorms in 2007 destroyed potato crops for the second consecutive season. Farmers are also struggling in the Sikasson region of Mali, where international agencies have spent years promoting and supporting potato production, but lower rainfall means farmers are moving away from potato. While this is not good news for the world's third-most important food crop, growers in other regions might be able to take advantage of cooler winters by planting potato out-of-season. When it comes to the effects of climate change on potato, one thing is clear: production is changing and will continue to change around the world. Already it is migrating to higher, cooler altitudes in the tropics as some predictions put yield declines at up to 30 per cent in the latter half of the 21 s t century. But the effects will not be uniform across all regions - and besides, the scientists have a few tricks up their sleeves. Mixed messages Potato is particularly vulnerable to global warming due to its narrow production "window": it needs mean daily temperatures of 18-20°C and night-time temperatures less than 15°C. Fluctuation outside the range of 10-30°C significantly inhibits tuber growth: this is what devastated potato crops in the Andean highlands of Peru in 2007, when a freak frost arrived in mid-February. Meanwhile, other non-biological factors point to some advantages of climate change. Higher concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), for example, may actually benefit potatoes as increased CO 2 stimulates the development of underground biomass in potato plants, with tuber weight and number both increasing significantly. Higher levels of atmospheric ozone (O 3 ) also seem to benefit the crop, resulting in more of the antioxidant ascorbic acid in tubers. Climate change may affect the distribution of potato viruses like late blight credit: CIP Higher temperatures also mean longer growing seasons in more temperate areas. A greater number of frost-free days per year will lead to yield increases at high latitudes, including parts of Canada, Russia and Scandinavia. Winter cropping is expected to increase annual yields in parts of Algeria, Morocco, China and South Africa. But where rainfall and humidity increases, so too will the threat of potato diseases, such as late blight ( Phytophthora infestans ), especially when combined with longer growing seasons. Bacterial wilt may also increase as the climate becomes warmer and wetter; and potato pests, including disease-carrying aphids, will survive at higher altitudes. Beating stress Another significant threat posed by rising temperatures is water stress as transpiration rates in potato plants increase, leading to greater demand from the soil. Without adequate rainfall or irrigation systems, crop failure is a real danger. Despite this, potato is likely to become more important for food security as temperatures rise, since it has higher water productivity, yielding more "crop per drop" - than rice wheat and maize. Seasonal changes are also a problem. In Bolivia, rains that used to arrive in October now come in December, but the rainy season still only lasts until March, meaning a shorter growing season. Potato farmers have traditionally hedged their bets by growing a number of different varieties in the hope of a better chance of a good harvest. Now, heat-tolerant potato varieties will become an essential weapon in their armoury. Potato growers in Bolivia are experiencing a shorter rainy season credit: CIP Potato hybrids are one promising response to the threat of climate change, with hopes pinned on the development of early-maturing varieties with shorter growth cycles. CIP plant breeder Merideth Bonierbale is optimistic about these new potatoes: "Early-maturing varieties allow the crop to 'escape' stresses such as limited rainfall. They also ensure a harvest in the tropical highlands, for example, where the high incidence of frosts causes big losses," she says. "One of the challenges now is to combine work on heat tolerance with current research into disease-resistance," continues Bonierbale. "This will enable the potato to produce in new environments under new conditions." If these traits can be combined, could a "super-potato" be on the horizon? She is confident: "Yes, and hopefully more than one of them." Other desirable traits being targeted by breeders include higher water-use efficiency, increased root length and disease resistance. Since climate change presents challenges on many fronts it will require robust responses from potato growers and research organisations alike. As well as stress tolerance, disease resistance, early-maturation, improving irrigation and early-warning systems for severe weather will become important in adaptation strategies worldwide. When it comes to being prepared - as growers in Nepal, Mali and Peru will testify - there is certainly no time to lose. .new-agri.co.uk www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Conditions imposed on potato firm Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña, 03-10-2008 Some potato farmers are not members of the export company A potato export firm in Jersey will have to supply its rivals if it wants to buy a farm machine supply company. Jersey Competition Regulatory Authority (JCRA) has imposed the conditions for the sale of EC Le Feuvre to Jersey Royal Potato Marketing (JRPM). The machine company is the only local supplier of several brands of tractor and a potato planting machine. The JCRA was looking at whether the sale would discriminate against potato farmers who were not members of JRPM. Chuck Webb, from the regulator, told BBC News the agreement should make the situation fairer. He said JRPM would be required to treat any non member like a commercial dealer would. "You treat the first in through the door first," he said. "You do not discriminate." news.bbc.co.uk www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Popular revolution in potato production in North Korea Argenpapa. Korea del Norte, 03-10-2008 DPRK has great potential to improve potato production credit: FAO Potato has been grown in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK/North Korea) since the late 19 th century but outdated production methods, extreme weather and disease outbreaks have left the country with miserable yields far below the world average. Although a gloomy record, it does mean that the country has the potential to make substantial gains by restructuring its potato industry and introducing new technologies. As a result, a four-year FAO, CFC (Common Fund for Commodities) and CIP (International Potato Center) project due to conclude this year, has placed potato at the heart of efforts to achieve widespread food security. It brings national and international research institutions and potato farmers together to improve all aspects of the industry from seed to storage. At a cost of US$3.5 million it is hoped that fundamental reform will provide long term benefits. Industry-wide reform Earlier initiatives to jump-start the potato industry had achieved little: in the late 1990s, some 6000 tonnes of seed potato were brought into the county to help tackle the series of late blight outbreaks, but instead introduced new diseases. And, while DPRK had been making some progress towards propagating its own clean seed, equipment shortages slowed progress. Collaboration between FAO, CFC and CIP aimed to revive the fortunes of potato growers by making improvements at various stages of the production process. It identified low-yielding varieties, poor quality seed and formidable storage losses as some of the key areas for action. Improved varieties suited to the country's different climatic regions form the cornerstone of the project. Three early-maturing varieties that performed well in trials, Favorita and Zhongshu No 3 for the southern region and Zihuabai for the southern and northern highland regions, promise up to 50 per cent higher yields. CIP expects the gradual introduction of these varieties to produce an additional 165,000 tonnes of potato each year on existing acreage and further gains will be made by using additional land to grow the improved varieties. Trials of improved potato varieties have been successful credit: FAO Reducing post-harvest losses by developing efficient potato stores has been another major focus. A jaw-dropping half-a-million tonnes of tubers have been lost in storage every year in the country, often due to poor quality warehousing. Under the project, new low-cost stores were constructed, making the most of the country's ample supply of cement. It is hoped these upgraded stores will be replicated around the country. A sophisticated storage facility has also been built in the northern highland region to help breeders preserve the nation's core seed material from year-to-year. Other notable achievements of the project include assisting the government in the preparation of seed certification standards, and giving breeders access to CIP's gene bank to encourage innovation. The use of True Potato Seed (TPS) from botanical seed is also on the rise and will help limit "carryover" diseases that plague seed tubers. So far around 1500 ha have been planted with TPS in the country, and more is expected. The project has also sponsored the training of over 650 farmers through Farmer Field Schools, and distributed teaching brochures to help farmers respond to challenges in the field. According to FAO, these have had an immediate impact, and the organisation expects that soon every potato farmer in the country will have access to improved planting material. Lasting impact While the project has identified several ways to increase potato production, difficulties remain. One major constraint is the availability of fertiliser, which is in particularly short supply in North Korea. And while progress in crop trials has been promising, extreme weather is making work very difficult: extensive flooding has restricted yields again this year, destroying many crops, including potato. Meanwhile, high fuel prices are making it difficult for seed producers to transport clean seed from the highlands to growing areas at lower altitudes. While the project was not intended to achieve food security through potato alone, it gives due importance to the role of potato in the wider drive to alleviate hunger. And, in spite of weather shocks and the ever-present threat of famine, FAO expects that potato will now play a significant role in the overall solution to food shortages in North Korea in the long term. new-agri 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 Spud harvest one of the best, farmers say Argenpapa. EEUU, 04-10-2008 Operation costs may be up and the economy may be down, but the annual Spud Harvest in East Idaho is on pace to be one of the best in years. "The potato market in East Idaho is as strong as it's ever been," said Jerry Wright, President and CEO of the United Potato Growers of Idaho. Spud Harvest has been an annual tradition for generations, and has more often than not, been a profitable venture for farmers in East Idaho. However, more recently, farmers have been planting slightly fewer potatoes, and investing their money in other cash crops such as hay, wheat, and barley. Delving into these other crops has helped local farmers off-set the rising cost of harvesting potatoes. "Costs are up, but farmers planting fewer potatoes and getting into other crops is helping keep supply and demand going in the favor of the farmers," said Wright. The local farmers agree. "It's really been a win/win situation for everybody," said Merrill Hanny, a third-generation potato farmer from the Shelley area. The data surrounding this year's Spud Harvest doesn't lie either. According to the most recent report from the United Potato Growers of Idaho, the amount of money a grower makes on every 100 lbs sold (Grower Returns Index) reached an all-time highs in September. The weather has also played a major role in allowing for more potatoes to be harvested. Since 2004, the United Potato Growers of Idaho have been helping growers become more savvy when it comes to their prized crop. In fact, since 2005, potato growers have seen increased profits thanks to organization's close watch on market conditions. "We're really happy with this year's crop," said Hanny, "consumers can expect good quality potatoes this year which will be both pleasing to look at and very tasty." Source: localnews8.com www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Canadian potato company to trial specialized European 'green' technology Argenpapa. Canadá, 08-10-2008 Two weeks from now, on October 15, a European scientist from the Institute of Phytopathology will arrive in Outlook, Saskatchewan to conduct a trial with new “green” technology. The equipment and method to be utilized in the experiment are patented in Europe, and was developed and tested at the Institute of Phytopathology in Moscow since the early nineties. Dubbed “low-frequency pulse induced electric field (EF) technology”, the outcomes of treatments with the technology were tested and verified on a range of agricultural crops, including potatoes. In all experiments conducted over the years in Europe, it was found that treatment results in an overall improvement in not only total crop yields, but also in crop quality during storage, as well as the vigour of seed at planting stage. According to Jacob Vanderschaaf, president of Tuberosum Technologies Inc in the Saskatchewan province of Canada, the technology holds great promise for organic farming. “From the data that was supplied to us since we started talking to the Europeans about this technology, it became clear to me that the technology has been tested thoroughly in Europe, and it is not based on pseudo science of any kind. There seems to be no doubt that the technology can potentially assist farmers who wish to cut down on chemical use. It is environmentally friendly, and the rationale behind the technology just makes a lot of sense to me,” Vanderschaaf said. Tuberosum Technologies has been in communication since early this year with the Institute of Phytopathology; with Intelpro, the commercial arm of the Institute; as well as the USDA/ARS Center for International Science and Technology in Moscow, that backs the technology in several ways. Tuberosum Technologies recently signed an agreement with the parties involved to acquire a licence for distribution of the technology in North America if the trial turns out as positive as expected. “We will analyze the effectiveness of this technology from all possible angles and compare the results with the outcomes that the Europeans had in their trials over the years,” Vanderschaaf mentioned. It is expected that a representative will come to Saskatchewan again towards the end of the year to assist with the analysis of the trial results. “My company is looking closely at a number of new technologies that can be applied in practice to further organic crop production,” Vanderschaaf said. “We are excited to put the Russian technology in place here, since it holds the promise to be of great importance for the organic farming industry.” Vanderschaaf and his partner planted 200 acres of organic potatoes in the Outlook area this year. On Friday October 17 a gathering of growers and scientists will meet in Outlook to discuss the technology in further detail with the visiting scientist and see the technology in action first hand. Anyone with an interest to attend the meeting is welcome to get in touch with Jacob Vanderschaaf at jakob@sasktel.net . There is a limit on the number of people that can be accommodated, and interested parties should get in touch as soon as possible. PotatoNews www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Potato producer pulls up 'Red River reds' Argenpapa. EEUU, 22-09-2008 It is hard to imagine how many potatoes the Folson family has put on American dinner tables over the years, but that number would be hard to beat. After all, Nels Folson was the first commercial potato producer in North Dakota, way back in 1906, and four generations of the family have been pulling potatoes out of Red River Valley soils ever since. "My great-grandpa started growing potatoes in 1906," says Bryan, great-grandson of Nels. He and his brother, Barry, now run the business in East Grand Forks. "I guess I'm more on the sales side of it, and Barry's more on the production side of it," he says. Nels Folson started out about 65 miles northwest of East Grand Forks. "That was up in Hoople, N.D. My grandpa was born on a dirt floor in 1884, five miles south of Hoople," Bryan says. "That's where that all started." Today, Folson Farms sell Red River reds, as the Folsons call them, to nearly all of the Lower 48 states. The Folsons plant 1,400 to 1,600 acres each year, the majority of which will be sold as table stock. "We ship straight south - we ship some to Idaho - that's the farthest west we go," Bryan says. "We ship all down the East Coast and Southeast. Really, the only places we don't ship to are Oregon, Washington, California and Arizona." Folson Farms maintains climate-controlled storage facilities along with automated sorting, cleaning and packaging equipment. All of this is quite different from when Nels was farming, but staying competitive requires that the business keeps up with current technology and market trends. It was Bryan's father, Robert "Bud" Folson, who began farming operations in the East Grand Forks area around 1950. It was well established by the time 12-year-old Bryan began helping in the mid-1970s. By then, Folson Farms was growing the tastier, more attractive reds, but it hadn't always been so. "Back when my grandpa and dad were farming, growing big potatoes was the thing to do," Bryan says. "If they were big, it didn't matter if they had a lot of eyes in them. The marketing was a lot bigger. There used to be Pontiac varieties that had a lot of eyes, but what they're looking for now is something that looks real pretty, and it's smooth-skinned and has a nice, dark red color." There's still a place for big potatoes, Bryan says, though there are fewer people that eat the big ones, like the Russet Burbanks. "It's more the small sized ones and the regular size," Bryan says. "But it used to be ... the bigger the better." People today are much more particular about potato quality than they were 20 or 30 years ago. "They weren't as fussy about quality," Bryan says. The quality issue has "always been there, but it's even more so today. I think the public just demands that." There are enough areas in the country now that grow the quality potatoes, raising the bar for anyone wanting to get into the market. "If you don't get in that game and meet that, you won't be growing potatoes too long," he says. "Quality is really the thing. It's just like bruises and all those things, and people aren't going to buy that." With potato production as part of the family heritage, it comes as no surprise that the Folsons are involved in several industry associations. Bryan is a member of the Northern Plains Potato Growers Association and the U.S. Potato Board, which meets in Denver once a year to work at promoting the potato's benefits as a food source. "It's a good food," he says. "It's high in vitamin C and vitamin A. It's a very reasonable price for your dollar, for food value. He also has gotten involved with the National Potato Council, which advises members on planting acreage based on market demand. The theory is that meeting demand at just the right level will keep supplies tight and market values up. The Folsons planted according to their own sense of the markets this year. "I just got involved in it in the last month," Bryan says. "We're in a trial period." Out in the fields, the jury still is out on what kind of harvest Folson Farms is going to have. The 2008 growing season - which has, in general, seen a lot of the cooler evenings that potatoes like - has been good, but not great for Folson Farms. "We're a little more on the dry side in the Grand Forks area," he says. "We had a longer dry spell. But up by the Grafton, Hoople and Crystal area (of North Dakota), they had more moisture up there. Their yields were better up there." It's hard to say for certain what kind of yields they are going to get, because they had just begun their harvest. "They're off a little bit from last year, right now," Folson says. "But the quality is nice. It looks very good." His concern at the moment is getting his crop off the field. As of the second week of September, he had got only 2 percent in, and things weren't moving as quickly as he'd like, thanks to some late, heavy rains. "We've had 3 inches of rain the last week, but there hasn't been very much drying weather because it's been so cool," he says. "We're digging this morning now, but we're just crawling along. As the day goes on and if the sun keeps shining, we'll be able to move a little faster. But we're going real slow right now." With a century of potato growing knowledge to draw on, the Folson brothers no doubt will be fine and their potatoes again will be shipped all over the country as a staple of the American diet. "I think potatoes (are) always a very good source of food, and (are) very reasonably priced, compared to a lot of products," the potato grower said. "It's a good source of food, especially in the Red River Valley." A-P www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Sichlete in honor of the potato Argenpapa. Suiza, 24-09-2008 On the Bernese Bundesplatz was at the Sichlete, on Monday, 15 September 2008 to tenth place, a planting machine and a Vollernter and potato plants demonstrated. The visitors were potatoes directly from the Vollernter buy and Country Fries taste. The proceeds from the sale of potato goes according to the Berne peasant organization Lobag to a potato project of the Agency Swissaid in Ecuador. According to the opening speech by Peter Pfister, president of the industry organization Swisspatat, the potato could - in addition to rice, wheat and maize the main staple food - a contribution to the hunger around the world to alleviate. The Switzerland had in the past few decades abroad very good potato projects can. Lobag President Walter Balmer said in his speech to the consumers, the Swiss food to buy. That is a guarantee of healthy and tasty products and Swiss would be hundreds of jobs in agriculture and in the upstream and downstream operations support. Sichlete also belonged to this year Cattle through the city on the federal court, a Treichlergruppe the occasion loudly opened, a review milking and the choice of four-legged Miss Sichlete. As Miss Sichlete the cow went "Wild" show. Lid www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Potato parasite found in Gippsland Argenpapa. Australia, 31-10-2008 Australia. ( abc.net.au ).- A potato parasite has been found on a farm at Thorpdale in Victoria's Gippsland region. Potato cyst nematode is about the size of a pinhead, and feeds on the plant, reducing its yield. Thorpdale grower Des Jennings says that, because of new restrictions to control the parasite, growers can only sell produce in Victoria. Because of this, he says, growers won't make money this year. "The costs are something like $7000 a hectare to plant potatoes," he says. "Most people will be planting 50 to 100 hectares. "So there is a far bit of money tied up in it, and at the present time, it looks as though the income is going to be severely restricted, because some of them mightn't be able to sell potatoes under the current situation." www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Cold snap, snow doesn't chill potato outlook Argenpapa. EEUU, 31-10-2008 BUHL, Idaho. (Agweekly)M and M Heath Farms is one of the few outfits with potatoes left in the ground, but not for long said owner Mike Heath. "Most of our acres are done. We're down to 10 or 12 acres. We do our own packing, so it takes us a big longer anyway," Heath said. Heath will harvest 50 acres of organic potatoes and said the mid-October freeze and continuing cold front has slowed operations down but he isn't worried about losing much, if any of his crop. "We can't get into the field until the afternoon, until the ground warms up enough," Heath said. Once Heath gets his potatoes out of the field, they'll be sorted sooner than later just in case some of the tubers were taken out in a frozen state. "If the spuds freeze and break down, that can cause problems; and that's what we're a little concerned, with so we'll sort them out to make sure none of the other potatoes are compromised," he said. Industry officials said most of the harvest was completed before the freeze, and they still expect crop quality to be top-notch. The 20 inches that fell in the Burley area only made conditions look worse than they really were, and while the white stuff slowed the harvest down, damage was marginal. "All of the reports I've had indicate minimal to no damage. Really, the only concern is with the tubers poking out of the ground," said Frank Muir, president and CEO of the Idaho Potato Commission. When the fall weather hit, roughly 20 percent of Idaho's potatoes remained in the ground, but tempera-tures didn't stay low enough for long enough to cause the ground to get dangerously cold. Potato farmers are expecting top dollar for their harvest, said United Potato Growers of Idaho President and CEO Jerry Wright, because of crop quality and control in planting acreage. "This is the best quality crop Idaho has had in 15 years," Wright said. "Idaho growers had great foresight and practiced constraint in acreage planted,” he added. “They all worked very hard and in tandem to not over supply the market. They planted 49,000 acres less than last year, so it was just the right amount, and it ended up being an excellent crop." The industry plans on marketing its quality accomplishment within the next few weeks. Farmers cer-tainly have plenty to be thankful for, and Wright said they hope the nation shares in their success this holiday season. "We hope everyone will be including Idaho potatoes in their Thanksgiving meal," Wright said. "They really are the best potatoes we've seen in a lot of years." www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Snow Puts Potato Harvest on Hold Argenpapa. EEUU, 17-10-2008 The first snow storm of the year hit during Idaho's spud harvest. Now growers have to stop digging the state's famous crop. One grower who explains about the snow and cold and what happens now with the harvest. This year, Idaho potato growers are expected to harvest 11 billion pounds of potatoes. The tubers in this field are ready to be dug up, but the weekend snow has stopped the work. Potato grower James Hoff beat the winter storm and finished harvesting his potatoes south of Idaho Falls last Friday. James Hoff: "A deadline for myself we've always used October 15th as kind of the drop dead date, which we're rapidly approaching now but." Many are not as lucky as Hoff. A wet spring delayed some growers from planting on time, pushing back their harvest schedule. Others were right on time with their planned harvest, but still caught by the storm, and are now forced to put the digging on hold until the ground dries enough to get the equipment back out in the fields. Right now it's just too muddy in this field in Shelley. Here in American falls there's still snow on the ground. James Hoff: "It's not uncommon to see weather like this. We're just hopeful it doesn't stay cold like this for a long period to time. We can stand a few nights of these cooler temperatures and still be ok." The real concern is the underground temperature. You cannot dig for a potato unless the soil is at least 40 degrees. If the soil happens to freeze that will also freeze the potato and damage the crop. Fortunately, when the snow covers the field, it acts as an insulator. Yet another worry comes from the melting snow. James Hoff: "Of course the melting snow put precipitation into the soil and cause wet conditions and it can also cause the ground to freeze I guess maybe a little soon on top after the snow is gone." Hoff says the weather forecast looks decent enough that some growers, depending on where they are in the state, and how much snow fell, could get back to harvesting within a few days; others, because of the heavy amounts of snow, aren't planning to start up again until next week. James Hoff: "Hopefully we'll get our warmer temperatures and we can get back into the fields." The Idaho Potato Commission is calling the 2008 harvest a quality crop, and with the good potato prices, growers are expected to do well although James Hoff says the cost of raising potatoes has dramatically risen in the past two years. Here's more information from the Idaho Potato Commission. After the harvest, 62% of the Idaho spuds will be processed into frozen or dehydrated potato products. 29% will be shipped fresh to supermarkets and restaurants nationwide. 9% will be used for certified seed to grow more potatoes for next year. kpvi www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Potato yield decreased in the Eastern regions Argenpapa. Ucrania, 24-10-2008 According to Fruit-Inform project, yield of potatoes in the Eastern regions of Ukraine decreased by 30 - 40% compared to the previous year. The main reason is cold and rainy weather during the planting period and droughts during the period of ripening. At the moment, market operators reported about increasing demand for qualitative produce, selling prices for that are declared within a range of 0.23- 0.31 euro/kg that is up almost 2 times as compared to the indices of the same date of 2007. You can get the detailed forecast of production and prices for potatoes and other groups of fruit and vegetable produce in Ukraine and Russia during the largest conferences in the CIS: the Third International Conference "Fruit & Vegetable Business of Russia - 2008" and the Fifth International Conference "Fruits and Vegetables of Ukraine 2008". lol.org.ua www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Egypt may already have the magic ingredient to ease the pressures of a growing population and rising food prices Argenpapa. Egipto, 24-10-2008 The focus has always been on rice, wheat, and maize — the world's most important food crops. This focus has turned into a spotlight lately, with the dramatic heights the prices of these crops have hit, some almost doubling in 2008. Behind these three superstars, however, lurks a humble, knobbly vegetable. Though potatoes have been languishing in the shadows of the cereal crops, it would seem that this won't last for long: The world is starting to take notice of the many-eyed tuber and, according to some, the potato just might save the world. A lofty claim, so first some background: The much-discussed food crisis that sparked riots in Egypt this spring is still being felt across the country. People are going hungry, with no way to keep up with the rising price of their breakfast. This painful situation is the impetus behind a United Nations-backed movement to bring potatoes to the top of the list of potential solutions to the worldwide food crisis, going so far as to declare 2008 the International Year of the Potato. In Egypt, those who know potatoes say that the lowly, oft-mocked crop could feed the hungry and pump cash into the economy. Big aspirations for one little vegetable, but the government hopes to increase potato production in the country by 60% over the next 10 years, planning to increase both consumption and export sales, which, they say, will feed the country's hungry citizens and voracious economy. Even before the recent UN attention, the vegetable had been moving into a spot of importance in Egypt over the last 20 years and especially the last five. Today, potatoes are the country's number one vegetable export. Egypt ranks among the top potato exporters globally and is number one in Africa. When one considers that potatoes are being lauded as a savior for countries much less suited for potato growing, it is unsurprising that Egypt is focusing so much on Chipsy's raw form. While it's possible to grow potatoes almost anywhere, there are about 100 countries planting potatoes for commercial use, according to Dr. Ramzi El-Bedewy, president of the African Potato Association and member of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). In 2007, 350 million tons of potatoes were produced worldwide. Of the 100 producing countries, more than 20 are in Africa. Egypt is tops in the continent because the climate, coupled with the loamy soils — the potato's favorite — make for the ultimate incubator. “Egypt is considered a greenhouse,” says Dr. Mohamed Abu-Zaid, director of field crop research at the Agricultural Research Institute of Egypt. This is due to the fact that the country can produce three crops of potato each year — the summer, winter, and ‘nili' (planting mid-August to the end of October) seasons. Another bonus in Egypt is the high productivity — the fields here produce a high crop yield, says Dr. Abu-Zaid, ranging between 20 tons and 50 tons per hectare (8.4–21 tons per feddan). This can be compared to an average of 40 tons in developed countries and about 20 tons in developing countries, according to the Peru-based International Potato Center (CIP). The CIP is a privately-funded research organization working to reduce poverty through promoting potatoes as a way to increase food security. Last year, 300,000 feddans in Egypt were cultivated with the crop, producing about 2.6 million tons of potatoes. The amount of potato-cultivated land in the country has grown in recent years, moving from 292,000 feddans in 1995 to 300,000 feddans in 2005 — an increase of 2.6%. Not a major jump, but potatoes are rising up as other crops decline. Potato-cultivated land area as a percentage of total cultivated land rose by 19.9% in that period. Potato Prices Potato crop yields have increased by 90% in the last five years, due to the introduction of high-yield varieties and improvements in disease control and fertilization. This is the one thing that has saved farmers as they battle the growing cost of growing. Production costs rose from LE 3,000 per feddan in 2000 to LE 3,700 in 2005 — an increase of 25%, due to the all-encompassing inflation in the country, according to Dr. Samir Farag, deputy director of the Horticulture Research Institute in Doqqi. It's becoming more difficult all around for farmers, says El-Bedewy, who works as a potato consultant with small to corporate-scale farms. Fertilizer and pesticide prices have increased. Land rent has increased by 300% in the last three years, he says. However, despite these increases, the crop has remained profitable — though it costs more to produce the potato, the costs are recovered because the yield is so high. The other reason farming potatoes is a good financial move is the flipside of global inflation — selling prices are rising too. Export prices have increased between 70% and 100% over the last five years, according to El-Bedewy. Though prices have been rising for exported potatoes, those produced for local consumption have remained cheap. In the off-season, one can buy a kilo of potatoes in the market for about LE 2, says El-Bedewy, and about 50 piastres when they are in season. This is because local potatoes and export potatoes are of a different quality and so local potatoes are not tied to global market prices. “The difference [between local and export potato pricing] is like the difference between the moon and the Earth,” says Salah Hegazy, chairman of Agrofood, a vegetable exporting company headquartered in Cairo. The average price for a ton of export-quality potatoes sold to the UK — the most lucrative market — was about LE 4,500 at press time, including taxes and custom duties. The same volume of potatoes would sell locally for about LE 1,300, he says. Local potatoes are a natural by-product of export production. Agrofood, for example, exports 60-70% of its potatoes. These are the first class specimens that meet European Union (EU) regulations. Their imperfect siblings, the potatoes that are too big, too small or weirdly shaped then make their way to the market stalls of Egypt and eventually into the nation's supper pots. This is the magic of potato pricing in Egypt: The country can sell them for lots and eat them for little. Conversely, it is also good for farmers: They can sell the top grade product at global prices and yet a market still exists for the unwanted misshapen leftovers. Global Potatoes Egypt is one of the top 10 potato exporting countries in the world. It began exporting the vegetable about 20 years ago, according to El-Bedewy, shifting 150,000 tons annually. This number remained virtually unchanged until recently. In 2000, the total exports were just 156,000 tons. By 2005 this figure had jumped to 390,000 tons — an increase of 150%. This can be attributed to higher crop yields and trade liberalization between Egypt and the EU. The total value of potato exports increased from LE 92.5 million in 2000 to LE 446.3 million in 2005, according to Farag. Lebanon and Italy are the top markets for the exports, followed by Kuwait, the UAE, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Egypt's main potato-exporting season is from October to March. This is where the country has the climatic advantage. While other parts of the world are frosty and cold, potatoes are still growing tucked in Egypt's warm soil. However, the shipments must make it overseas before the middle of May, says El-Bedewy. Then, the exports from Egypt are taxed heavily to make space for the potatoes harvested in southern Europe. Egypt's trade agreements with Europe have made it easy to export, Hegazy says. Increased quotas and reduced tariffs for agricultural goods, resulting from the 2004 EU-Egypt Association Agreement, “opened the gate.” Since the signing of the agreement, Egypt had a quota of 250,000 tons of potatoes that can be exported duty-free. Everything beyond that had a 60% duty reduction. However, potato trade recently opened up even more — in July Egypt signed an agreement in principle with the EU to remove tariffs on certain agricultural products, including potatoes. A January 2009 implementation is expected. The agreement also removes the cap on the amount of potatoes Egypt can export to the EU, although it is uncertain whether the new regulations will apply year round. The trade liberalization, the staggered seasons, and Egypt's high production all make for a favorable trade climate, and this is why so much effort is being made to increase potato production — to take advantage of the cash benefits and to put some of that cash back into agricultural development. Reclaiming the Dirt The newly reclaimed areas (NRAs) of Egypt have contributed in a major way to the rise in commercial potato production for exporting. The EU banned Egyptian potato exports for periods in the 1990s due to recurring problems with a disease called brown rot, sending exporters into a panic and balance books into the red. The country had to find virgin soil untouched by the scourge to be able to regain its trade access. This, combined with the general need for more agricultural land, has led to the reclamation of 112,500 acres of disease-free desert land for potatoes, according to Farag. The NRAs are scattered throughout the country and the land has proved vital to the continued increase in export volumes, as only potatoes from this ‘clean' land will be accepted overseas. The soil is rigorously tested for disease, and most exporting farmers have had to move their operations to this land. “All our land is in the virgin land region in the desert [...] to secure that there is no kind of contamination,” says Hegazy, of Agrofood. More land reclamation is needed still, as visions for the future include more potatoes springing from Egyptian soil. “We do have a plan to increase the production in the next 10 years by at least 60%,” says El-Bedewy. But at present, there is not enough usable land. Most of the increase is projected to become processed potato products such as chips and french fries, he says, which means that the potatoes must be grown in the NRAs. However, as unappetizing as diseased potatoes might sound, they do no harm to humans. The issue is the effect that brown rot has on the crop: It creates, unsurprisingly, an early rot in the potato, turning it into an oozing brown mess, the reason that the EU has thrown up strict regulations to keep it out. However, this doesn't mean that the old land cannot be used to grow potatoes for local consumption. Don't toss out that Chipsy sandwich though, Egyptians aren't eating diseased potatoes. Brown rot has been nearly 100% eradicated, it is just that European regulations are so stringent that the EU will not accept even 0.1% incidence of the disease in a shipment. The Little Guys Though it might seem to be all roses on the potato front, a lot of small farmers are still struggling to keep up. Farming is never an easy business and some fellaheen in Egypt have had difficulty keeping pace with the changing nature of the game. Understanding EU regulations, grasping the necessity of the newly-reclaimed land, and staying on top of new varieties of potato available can be a lot for a farmer who has spent his entire life toiling on his two-feddan farm. And there are a lot of these: Eighty-five percent of farmers own less than three feddans, according to Hegazy. “The only way to do it is to gather them in a self-help organization to have a bigger volume and economic size [...] if we succeed to do that it will affect very much their social and economic situation.” This farm-based problem is not unique to potatoes, but it is an ever-present issue as Egypt pushes the vegetable to the forefront. Out on his land at the Abou Gazia farm, 15 kilometers from Tanta in the Nile Delta, a glance at Aly Abou Gazia's leathery skin betrays his lifetime of farming. It is in his blood — the farm has been in his family for more than 400 years. The 74-year-old plants 100 of his 400 acres with potatoes. He has always grown them, he says, because potatoes are always a profitable crop, even if the profits sometimes vary wildly. In 2006 he sold his potatoes for LE 1,800 per ton. In 2007 the price dropped to LE 1,500. “The farmers who grow potatoes, they are gamblers,” he says. He sells half his potatoes to a local factory and the other half go to the local market. His potatoes are barred from export to the EU because his land is not in an NRA. He worries that he and other Delta farmers may be left behind as farmers on reclaimed land reap all the benefits of exporting. “When I look to the future, it doesn't look very good,” he says. “We are afraid for the marketing in the future of [potatoes]. Mainly, will [buyers] concentrate on the newly reclaimed land? What about the Delta? Many are small and middle-class farmers here.” Taking risks might be part of the fun for the high rollers, he says, but “small and middle-class farmers don't want to gamble.” They do anyway, evidenced by Abou Gazia's middle-sized farm — 25% planted with potatoes — but it can be stressful. But despite the risk, at the end of the day, “potatoes are profitable,” he says. Mmm Batatis “If you are going to eat only potato you are not going to have any health problems,” claims El-Bedewy. He reels off a list of the vegetable's nutritional attributes: protein, carbohydrates, oil, vitamin C, vitamins B3, 6 and 12, vitamin C and iron. Potatoes have had a bad reputation for making you fat but the vegetable is not the problem, he says. If you took a block of tofu and covered it in butter and sour cream the end result would be the same. Potatoes alone are a good starch, people just need to be smarter when choosing how to consume them. The big question, when it comes to the eating issue, is: Will bread-addicted Egypt be able to let go of its favorite carbohydrate and embrace potatoes? “Sure. If you go to a large number of Asian countries they are not using bread like us. They are using rice. If we are going to produce potatoes in large quantities we are going to shift to potato. People learn by doing,” says El-Bedewy. Others have a harder time believing that Egyptians will give up their beloved bread — used in everything from fuul and tammeya sandwiches to Omm Ali. “We believe the potato is very important,” says Farag, “a very important vegetable crop that we can depend upon in addition to wheat. But as a substitute? No.” Still, just having a substitute in a country that has seen bloodshed due to rising bread prices in recent months can make a difference. El-Bedewy feels that people can adapt to anything, it just takes time. He figures that if the price of rice and wheat are skyrocketing and there is a surplus of cheap potatoes rolling down the streets of Egypt, hungry people will figure it out. “I'm sure that if we are going to give more attention to potato and sweet potato we can face a large problem of the food gap in Egypt.” Despite growing all kinds of other vegetables, Hegazy agrees, “I think potatoes will be the backbone for this country, for feeding these big numbers of population.” Omnia Helmy, lead economist at the Egyptian Center for Economic Studies (ECES), says that from a consumer standpoint, it is certainly possible. “It's a matter of habit. People here depend on bread more. Of course, if potatoes are available and at reasonable prices and the quantity is increasing [] The pattern of consumption takes some time to change.” She pauses. “But as people are suffering nowadays from price hikes maybe they are more ready for a change.” If people can be convinced to eat potatoes instead of bread, it could make a difference economically, particularly with Egypt's vulnerability as a net importer of food, Helmy says. “I think it might work out to mitigate the implications of the low percentage of self-sufficiency in wheat, high increase in import prices and so on.” The fact that Egypt is a net food importer leaves it at the mercy of world prices and supply. For a more stable economy, the country needs to improve its self-sufficiency, she says. Reversing the country's dependency on expensive imported wheat could also cut back on the subsidy cash flowing out from the government budget. The government will spend an estimated LE 87.3 billion on goods and services subsidies in 2008: 28% of its total expenditure and 9.6% of the GDP, she says, citing ECES projected numbers. These numbers have jumped with inflation. In 2007, the government subsidy bill was LE 53 billion, 24% of total expenditure, and 8% of GDP. The economist says this money could be going elsewhere into the country's developing economy. Another argument, according to Helmy, for increasing potato exports is the fact that some of Egypt's other farm exports are decreasing, including beans and the perennial Egyptian classic, cotton, lessening the country's importance as an exporter. This leaves potatoes as the best bet to keep sales of agricultural products high, and hopefully, to increase them. In 2007, Helmy states, agriculture exports from Egypt were “only $900 million [LE 4.9 billion], and of course we are aiming at increasing it much more.” Worldwide Potato Power Behind the scenes in Egypt, and elsewhere, people are working to improve awareness of the potato potential. In December 2007, a conference was held in Alexandria called Potato, Sweet Potato, and Root Crops Improvement for Facing Poverty and Hunger in Africa hosted by the African Potato Association. The theme was chosen for the same reason that the UN declared this the International Year of the Potato: “because we realized the food gap problem and we realized that the potato crop can substitute a large quantity of the wheat importation. We found that the potato is not [being put] in the right place in the developing countries. They didn't realize the potato can replace the other crops, can be used as high cash money crop, and also to [...] fight hunger in developing countries. Therefore we would like people to give more attention to potatoes [...] to decrease the food gap,” says El-Bedewy. Some countries have paid attention. Developing countries with poorer conditions than Egypt — and hungrier people — provide case studies on the impact of increased potato production. Potato yields in Nepal increased from six to 12 tons per hectare (14 to 28 tons per feddan) between 1986 and 2004, leading to a 600% increase in output between 1970 and now, according to the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. The organization estimates this has positively affected more than one million small-scale farmers — both their nutrition and their profits. North Korea increased its potato farm area from 50,000 to 200,000 hectares in the same period, increasing its consumption of the tuber from 16 to 60 kilograms per capita. Potato output in Bhutan has doubled since 1970, improving the livelihood of farmers for whom potatoes were the sole source of income. The increase led the country to move from subsistence to exporting — it now exports potatoes and seed potatoes to neighboring countries. India is another example, according to El-Bedewy. The country has increased its potato production by at least 40% in the last four years. “They don't have the food gap like many countries,” he says. The potato's hype is big right now, but as 2008 nears its end, so will its moment in the UN-sanctioned sun. But judging by the passion with which the potato people in Egypt and the world are working, it won't mean the tuber will retreat back into the proverbial underground. Beyond the passion and the words, there are numbers and case studies to back it up: The potato has potential. It remains to be seen if it will save the world, but if things go according to the UN's plan, people may soon rethink their potato prejudices and see instead a big, lumpy, nugget of edible gold lying in the dirt. businesstodayegypt.com www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Reverse trade mission builds spud loyalty Argenpapa. EEUU, 29-10-2008 Growers educate foreign reps on potato quality, safety The U.S. Potato Board recently wrapped a week-long course called "Processed Potatoes 101" for business representatives from more than 14 countries. The gathering, which took place in Pasco, Wash., was the largest the board ever put together. Seattle Culinary Academy instructor Gregg Shiosaki shows members of the recent reverse trade mission new uses and ways to increase their U.S. frozen potato sales via a chef demonstration. - courtesy of Susan Weller/ U.S. Potato Board The session offered distributors and importers of U.S. processed potato products information about production, the types of processed products available, cold chain handling, potato nutrition and processed potato food trends. "I just decided to have a reverse trade mission to ensure they understand we have high-quality potatoes, as well as understand everything they need to do to maintain that quality," said Susan Weller, the board's international marketing manager for frozen potatoes. The group observed the fall potato harvest and visited three processing facilities to see how french fries are cut and handled for delivery. The event was held in Washington, one of the largest exporters of frozen potatoes, and in conjunction with the Washington State Potato Commission, but the emphasis was on United States potatoes, Weller said. According to the commission, the U.S. frozen potato industry in 2007 exported more than 2.1 million tons of finished product, valued at nearly $1.8 billion. Free trade agreements have added to the "robust" frozen processed potato trade, Matt Harris, director of trade for the commission, said in a written statement. "Unfortunately not everyone at the table is completely satisfied with these types of agreements," Harris said. "But they can be an effective means to allow our government to negotiate with our trading partners to lower or eliminate tariffs on our exported agricultural goods." The reverse trade mission helped create continued loyalty among customers of U.S. potatoes and continued and increased sales, Weller said. "A lot of times they come and they don't really understand there are actually frozen mashed potatoes they can buy, or even how they might be able to sell them to their customers," she said. The board's representatives in each market will go back in support of all the mission participants. Seminars have been set up to instruct Indonesian customers on proper storage and preparation. Warden, Wash.-based potato farmer Nelson Cox, a former board member, participated in the program. "Our goal was to show them the integrity of the U.S. potato business," he said. "People are scared of pesticides and what have you and (we wanted) to show them how safe the American farmer really is." Weller was struck by the efforts of growers participating in the program. Several spoke about the decisions that go into planting. "(The participants) were all just astounded by the warmth and the hospitality shown by the growers," she said. "That definitely builds further loyalty." Capital Press www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Asian chip makers tour tuber territory Argenpapa. EEUU, 29-10-2008 Potato Board hopes trade mission will increase exports BAKERSFIELD - A group of Asian snack manufacturers toured chip potato growing operations to see the main ingredient of their product on the vine. The U.S. Potato Board hopes the tour will ultimately lead to increased potato exports to Asia, a growing market. Jason Davenport, with Allied Potato, shows a variety of chip potato to a group of snack food manufacturing representatives from Japan, China, Thailand, the Philipines and Malaysia who were touring chip potato growing operations in California and Oregon Oct. 12-16. Brian Kirschenmann, center, and Jason Davenport, left, dig up a variety of Kirschenmann's summer chip potato crop to show how it is progressing. Normally chip potatoes are harvested in the spring in Kern County. This variety will be harvested in December-January. Rather then bringing their products to the customers, the board invited the Asian snack manufacturing representatives to Oregon and California chip potato farms to see first-hand how potatoes are produced. Sarah Mahler, international marketing manager for the potato board, said the tour participants came from Japan, China, Thailand, the Philippines and Malaysia. "There's a marketing window we're shooting for," Mahler said. "They grow potatoes in those countries, in fact China is one of the leading potato producers in the world, but they have to have a year-round supply and that's what we're looking at." Mahler said while other countries do produce potatoes, they might not have the varieties that U.S. producers grow. They need potatoes that are low in sugar, easy to process and have disease resistance. They also need to buy potatoes when local supplies have dried up, she said. One of the more unique chip potato growers in Kern County is Brian Kirschenmann, the only chip potato exporter from the area. His main crop of chip potatoes is harvested in the spring, when 65-70 loads of potatoes will leave his shed every day. Kirschenmann also grows and sells certified seed potatoes, some for export. For the last several years he has been experimenting with summer-planted chip potatoes. At his 75-acre field in the Lamont area, Kirschenmann reviewed the positives and the negatives of the three varieties he planted last summer, Mega Chip, Delta Pearl and Marcy. They will be harvested in December and January. "We're trying to get a big first set, hoping to get the growth before the weather turns cool. It's a challenge," Kirschenmann said. If the plants put out numbers instead of size, they won't have a crop to harvest. They are not looking for a particularly big potato but a medium-sized, uniform harvest. Fall varieties typically produce about half the tonnage of a spring crop, with yields in the 250-300 hundred-pound sack per acre range. Besides trying different varieties of chip potatoes, he's also working with different aged seed to see which will produce a better crop. One of the seed varieties he used couldn't hold up in the summer temperatures. He's also found planting the whole seed potato works best in the summer because there is less decay. Potato exporter Jason Davenport, who was assisting Kirschenmann with the tour, said chip potatoes need extra attention. "The harvesting, washing and storage are more technical, especially for those that will be exported," said Davenport, who is with Allied Potato. Timing the harvest is critical, he said, because the potatoes have to have the proper sugar levels. Over-mature potatoes will yield a darker processed product, something manufacturers want to avoid. The mechanical harvesting and washing process has to minimize defects so there is less to trim off. Once the potatoes are in storage, the sugar levels in the potatoes continue to be monitored. Shipping chip potatoes long distances is another challenge. Too cold and sugar levels rise. Too hot and decay sets in. Growers also don't have control of storage conditions once the potatoes are in a shipping container heading across the Pacific. "They are the most difficult commodity to ship," said Kirschenmann, estimating that he exports only about 10 percent of his harvest. Davenport said that trade agreements with importing countries assist the process, but the potatoes still must pass phytosanitary requirements other countries have to keep pests and disease out of their crops. Chip potatoes are easier, he added, because the potatoes are processed. Mahler said that currently, Japan only allows imported potatoes from February to June. China does not allow potatoes to be imported, she said, but having their manufacturers attend the tour allowed them see the advantages of U.S. potatoes. Capital Press www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Northwest spud experts hunt for the perfect potato Argenpapa. EEUU, 03-11-2008 EEUU. (The Packer).- It is an exercise akin to looking for a needle in a giant haystack. In this case, there are four giant haystacks and the treasure is a perfect tuber. The annual Pacific Northwest Tri-State Potato Tour attracted researchers, agronomists, geneticists and potato industry folks. Over a span of 10 days in early October, the group trudged through potato test plots from Klamath Falls, Powell Butte and Hermiston, Ore. to Aberdeen, Idaho. “At this point, it's basically a beauty contest,” said Dan Hane, an Oregon State University research agronomist. “It's not easy being a judge of a potato beauty contest, because there are so many different things that could potentially be a new variety.” Depending on the year, up to 200,000 varieties of potatoes are planted at the test plots, Hane said. Unlike most other commodities, potatoes have a very complicated genetic make up. “That's why we look at new material every year, and we throw at least 98% of them away,” Hane said. Long process Consumers will not soon see the chosen potato varieties in the produce section of their favorite markets. “It often takes 10 years to 15 years to develop a variety and to release it,” said Chuck Brown, a Prosser, Wash.-based research geneticist for the Agriculture Research Service, a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The thrust of the annual tour is efficiency, which translates into profit, Brown said. “The margin of profit for growers and processors is very small, so little gains in reduction of cost or increase in yield mean a lot,” Brown said. Making matters more difficult for the researchers is to serve multiple masters — and their changing demands. About 85% of the potatoes grown in Washington go to processors, Brown said. In past years, processors wanted potato varieties that delivered uniformly large tubers, especially those processors who produce French fries. That has changed, however. “Today, the processors are trying to develop product made from small potatoes,” Brown said. “We're talking about a plant that will provide a huge amount of potatoes that can be harvested in 60-90 days from planting.” A huge amount is as many as 100 potatoes from a single plant as opposed to today's plants that produce nine or ten potatoes, he said. “They now want what we used to throw away.” Brown said. “What was once undesirable has now become desirable, so there's a lot to learn.” Among the recent findings is that potatoes harvested within 90 days have few blemishes and little disease, Brown said. Researchers think all the diseases and blemishes develop later in the season, he said. At the Klamath Falls test plots, nearly half of the varieties being evaluated are for chipping potatoes, said Oregon State University researcher Brian Charlton. It is another industry reversal. “We got out of chipping potatoes years ago because the biggest domestic potato chip processor used its own breeder and its own proprietary varieties,” Charlton said. “Now there are opportunities to export raw chipping potatoes to some of the Pacific Rim countries that can't supply enough potatoes on their own.” As with potatoes grown for other uses, developing a chipping variety can take up to 15 years, Charlton said, before it is officially released to the industry. Debate on varieties In addition to Oregon State and the Agriculture Research Service, the tri-state efforts include researchers from the University of Idaho and Washington State University. “These are close cooperative efforts,” Charlton said. “Each state would be floundering a bit were it not for the collective effort.” “The industry folks are involved, but their mood changes over time,” Hane said. “So our criteria change.” During the annual tour, the cooperation does not prevent disagreements. They can become heated, Hane said. “That's just part of the fun,” he said. “It's a dictatorship when it comes to that. If somebody likes a variety, it's going to keep going no matter how much I dislike it or find a problem with it.” Those verbal jousts rarely happen for first or second year plantings when visual appearance is the only criterion, he said. It is in later years when disagreements can become tense. The early years often produce surprising results, however. “You don't know what you're going to get when you cross two good-looking varieties,” Hane said. “We often see vast differences from one year to the next.” After the first couple of years, yield and quality are the next dimensions to be evaluated. “We basically spend the next 12 years looking for reasons to throw things away,” Hane said. The industry has been placing more emphasis of late on nutritional aspects and health benefits. Consumers, processors and potato brokers are very interested in any little advance in nutrition, Brown said. “People love potatoes,” he said. “If you tell them that a potato is a little higher in nutrition, they'll say ‘that's good enough for me.'” The future of potatoes Oregon State is the only Pacific Northwest university with a breeder-geneticist on staff, Charlton said. It is one of a handful of universities nationwide with such a position, he said. Whether consumers will see many different potato varieties come 2020 is a guessing game. “Potentially, we could have something out there that's quite different in 12 years,” Hane said. “There's always stuff that's on the edge of being released.” For that reason, Hane said it is imperative that the industry has frequent contact with researchers and stays on top of developments. There are ways to obtain exclusive rights to some of these new varieties, he said. “There's a 55% chance potatoes will be slightly different in 15 years,” Charlton said. “As we're developing the more unique shapes, like fingerlings with brighter skin and flesh colors, as the average consumer becomes more health conscious and when we can prove they have higher antioxidant levels and higher vitamin C levels, I think they're going to command a larger segment of the fresh industry.” The future also may include a few valleys. “A pretty potato that packs out well could be empty of nutrition, but it still may be the most profitable variety for a grower,” Brown said. “In the end, it's somewhat out of our hands what is actually selected by processors and consumers.” Nonetheless, the researchers are working closely to develop varieties with enhanced phytonutrients such as folic acid, iron and antioxidant compounds, he said. www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Cuban potato deal stalls Argenpapa. Cuba, 05-11-2008 Cuba. (G randforksherald).- North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson says a deal to ship seed potatoes to Cuba has stalled, in part over a language barrier. “There is zero chance North Dakota seed potatoes will be going to Cuba this fall — the calendar just got away,” Johnson said. Johnson said one question yet to be answered is where the potato shipments will be inspected, either in North Dakota or a sea port. The Cuban proposal, when translated to English, says potato shipments would be inspected at a “loading port” but Johnson believes it should be “loading point.” “We believe there is a problem with the English translation,” Johnson said. “A loading port would be next to water and a loading point would be in North Dakota. “It seems to suggest they are changing their position on where the inspection will occur, but we really don't think they are,” Johnson said. Johnson said Cuban officials returned the rules this month to U.S. officials with “two or three places suggesting changes that are all relatively minor.” The federal Agriculture Department says it is working on a response. “We got feedback from (Cuba) and some of their comments were technical in nature,” said Melissa O'Dell, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. “We're working to respond and turn this around as quickly as possible,” O'Dell said. North Dakota officials have tried for two years to ship domestic seed potatoes to Cuba, which would be a first since the United States established a trade embargo with Cuba in 1962, Johnson said. A deal brokered to ship seed potatoes last year languished after U.S. regulators failed to come up with rules for inspecting the crop. The federal government approved rules in August to deal with potato food-safety issues, known as “sanitary and phytosanitary measures,” that ensure the commodity is disease and insect-free. Two Cuban inspectors toured seed potato fields in the state's Red River Valley last year and plan to return to North Dakota when the potatoes were ready to be shipped, Johnson said. The USDA also has worked with Maine and Minnesota on seed potato inspection rules for Cuba. “The protocol has been drafted so that any state can ship seed potatoes to Cuba,” O'Dell said. The potato planting season in Cuba is about to begin. Johnson believes the agreement between the U.S. and Cuba will be worked out in time for a shipment next year, and that the language questions will be settled. “I think they will be overcome,” Johnson said. “There is a very clear eagerness now at USDA and in Cuba to get a document signed.” www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día US potato crop slow to develop, but quality excellent Argenpapa. EEUU, 05-11-2008 EEUU. (Potato News).- According to the latest USDA Vegetables and Melons report, much of the 2008 potato crop was slow to develop, with delayed plantings and cool weather in many growing areas. Attempting to make up for lost time, growers delayed fall harvests by two weeks in order to allow crops extra time to bulk up. By mid-September, when crops should have been coming off the fields, growers were just beginning to kill vines in Idaho. As of October 10, industry sources reported roughly 85 percent of the Idaho crop had come off the fields. The decision to delay harvest may have paid off, with reports of favorable yields and excellent crop quality throughout Idaho and major growing regions. The first USDA forecast for fall potato production will be released November 10 in 'Crop Production'. Although Idaho's potato quality will be strong this year, there will likely be fewer potatoes produced in the Gem State, according to the USDA report. Idaho growers expect to harvest 14-percent fewer acres than a year ago—the largest decline among the major producing States. Washington's harvested acreage decreased 6 percent from 2007, but growers experienced favorable weather throughout the season, increasing the likelihood of strong yields. Hot weather during the last part of August through early September diminished hopes of a bumper crop for the State, but yields are still reported to be high. The fall harvest in Colorado's San Luis Valley reportedly fared better than expected, despite damage from hail storms and high winds in mid-August. Wisconsin's harvested area was revised to 63,000 acres - down 2 percent from 2007. The State experienced damage from summer flooding but growers were able to replant some of the lost acreage. It is thought that favorable yields from the Red River Valley in Minnesota and North Dakota will balance out any losses in Wisconsin. Industry sources report that New York's harvest could be the strongest in years with favorable weather likely offsetting a 5-percent reduction in harvested area. In Maine, production is not expected to reach last year's 17 million cwt given a 4-percent drop in harvested area. www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Ware increase could threaten Scottish high potato seed health status Argenpapa. Escocia, 07-11-2008 Escocia. ( Farmers Weekly ).- An increasing proportion of ware production in Scotland could threaten the high health status of seed potatoes produced in the country, Allan Parker, president of the World Potato Congress , told Farmers Weekly after speaking to seed growers at the Potato Council's Seed Industry Event. "Up until recently, the ratio of seed to ware production was 60% seed to 40% ware," he said. "Now it has flipped to closer to 40% seed and 60% ware in Scotland. That's a changed situation which must not be let get away." In his presentation, Mr Parker explained how Prince Edward Island in Canada had lost its high seed health status for seed potatoes during the 1980s after processing production increased, bringing in varieties with low virus resistance, and after seed growers had had to pay for certification. The result was that the seed potato industry dropped from a high of 60,000 acres to 17,000 acres by 2007 and thriving export markets were lost. "Growers shouldn't be afraid of growth and change, but if it wants success, it needs to be vigilant to the challenges it brings," he said. Mr Parker suggested there should be legislation to help protect the seed industry's high health status. "If you're growing table crops [in seed areas], you have to agree to meet good health standards for those crops before they are planted," he said. That would start with using only certified seed or farm-saved seed that met agreed quality standards. Also, ware growers had a duty to understand that aphids in their crops presented a risk for transmitting virus in seed crops. "If Scotland wishes to keep a seed potato industry, the standards for virus control in ware crops need to be very high," he said. Eastern promise Russia and other eastern European countries offered a great export opportunity for Scottish seed growers and the wider potato industry, said Mr Parker. His DokaGene Technologies firm sourced seed from Scotland every year to grow in Russia, but with 8m acres of potatoes being grown in that country, Scotland was not supplying as much as it should be, he said. "As well as seed potatoes, the industry could also be selling knowhow, marketing and advice," he said. But to be successful, growers needed to understand the business culture in such countries, he said. "Understand what your customers need." For example, develop new varieties targeted to those markets, he suggested. That process had been happening for a time, and was part of the reason why seed exports had risen in the past 10 years from 70,000t to 90,000t a year, said Mark Prentice of the Potato Council . "Clearly, there is a demand for our product worldwide. Customers are looking for a high-health product." The question now was whether to continue to seek new export markets or try to consolidate and grow existing markets, he said. "The consensus is probably to focus more energy on the latter, while not forgetting completely about new markets." Author: Mike Abram Keeping up to date? FWi newsletters direct to your e-mail will keep you in the picture. Spread the word: bookmark it! diggit! reddit! Noticias al día Potato variety research takes place in Abangares Argenpapa. Costa Rica, 07-11-2008 Costa Rica. (Journalcr.com) .-As part celebrations on the occasion of the International Potato Year, Agriculture Minister Javier Flores Galarza, in coordination with experts from the National Agricultural Research and Technology Transfer Institute (INTA), recently unveiled three new promising potato clones at the Carlos Duran Experimental Station in Potrero Cerrado, Cartago (on the slopes of the Irazu Volcano). As part of this research effort, it is expected that the clones will soon be released and, once the seed reproduces, will be given to growers for cultivation. According to Carlos Alfaro Rodriguez, manager of the Ministry of Agriculture's (MAG) Potato Program, these new varieties have a very high cooking quality and excellent flavor, plus their flesh is yellow — a color preferred by homemakers to prepare mashed potatoes and picadillos (diced potato dishes). Jeanette Aviles Chavez, who runs the Carlos Duran station, explained that this project lasted more than four years, with experimental plantings established in various potato-growing regions of the country, such as Zarcero (Northern Zone), Cartago (at medium and high altitude), and Abangares (Guanacaste). In all of these places, regardless of the local climates, the varieties yielded excellent results. “I believe it's important that people begin to rate potatoes not only for their smooth skin, but that they consider the quality and flavor inside,” Aviles said. “These varieties provide a better yield with less use of agrochemicals, and that's why they are a very promising option for organic producers.” Minister Flores underscored that these new clones are the result of the vigorous technical exchange that goes on between MAG, INTA and the International Potato Center. He added that these varieties will play an important role in the government's National Food Plan, because their tolerance to pests and diseases helps farmers reduce their production costs, yielding higher income in the process. The head of MAG also said that the release of the varieties will take place during the first few months of 2009, once the requirements established by the National Seeds Office are met. “In Costa Rica, there are more than 100 potato varieties that can be grown, but only six are properly registered and exploited commercially,” Flores said. “Nearly 1,000 small growers make a living from growing potatoes, and Costa Ricans eat about 11 kilos of potatoes per capita.” The ceremony in Potrero Cerrado was also attended by Martín Callisaya, the Bolivian ambassador to San Jose; Alberto Gutierrez, the Peruvian ambassador here; and Alan Bojanic, representative of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to Costa Rica. Also present were conventional and organic potato growers from throughout the country. Noticias al día Increased production cost reason for reduction in potato plantings across Northern Europe Argenpapa. CEE, 07-11-2008 CEE. ( potatoreporteronline).- According to the NEPG the combination of - 3% lower planted area and – 4% lower production compared with 2007 is expected to ensure a stable market situation through the 2008 crop trading period. Futures market and grower agreements on forward sales made recently, indicate similar or slightly higher prices than currently being quoted. The NEPG expect processing potato prices to be maintained above £100/t. This is required to ensure growers are not attracted to other lower risk/lower cost crops, and a further reduction in potato plantings is not repeated in the 2009 potato crop. www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Fall potato production in the US down 8% Argenpapa. EEUU, 14-11-2008 EEUU. (USDA).- According to statistics reported by the USDA yesterday, production of fall potatoes for 2008 is forecast at 373 million cwt, down 8 percent from 2007. Area harvested, at 918,200 acres, is virtually unchanged from the July estimate but 8 percent lower than last year. The average yield, forecast at 407 cwt per acre, is down 2 cwt from last year's record high yield and, if realized, will be the second highest yield on record. Western States: Idaho's yield is forecast at 378 cwt per acre. If realized, this will be the second highest yield on record, 8 cwt below the record yield set in 2006. Cool, wet weather delayed planting this spring, but with reports of Potato Virus Y down, potato quality was better than last year. In eastern Washington, potatoes were planted on time, but growth was delayed due to cool, wet weather in the early summer, which also delayed planting in the western part of the State. Potato size was smaller than last year, but quality was good. In Colorado, the growing season was favorable for the San Luis Valley, however, severe hail storms in August damaged plants just before vine killing. As a result, potato sizes were more variable. Despite a slow start to the potato crop in Oregon, most growers reported normal to slightly below normal yields. In California, favorable weather conditions resulted in excellent crop quality and yields. Central States: In North Dakota, crop condition was rated fair to good throughout the growing season. Wisconsin growers reported a smaller crop with good quality potatoes. In Michigan, there were low disease and insect pressures across the State and farmers were able to take timely corrective action when needed. As of November 2, ninety-eight percent of the crop was harvested. Eastern States: In Maine, a wet growing season resulted in below average potato yields. Dry weather in September promoted excellent harvest and storage conditions. Massachusetts potato farmers battled wet conditions during the season, while growing conditions were excellent in Rhode Island. www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Uncertainty remains for Thorpdale potato growers Argenpapa. Australia, 01-12-2008 Australia. (ABC).- Gippsland potato growers say they are facing increasing uncertainty about whether they will be able to sell their crops this year. It has been more than a month since the quarantine pest, potato cyst nematode, was found on a property at Thorpdale. The Department of Primary Industries has been working to remove a halt on interstate trading of potatoes from the region. But potato grower Jenni Blackshaw says farmers have now had to start planting, and with harvesting not far away, time is running out. "We've got three small children, so you don't know what the future's going to hold, whether we'll be able to sell our potatoes this year, or whether they'll be left here somewhere, so very much the unknown," she said. "It plays an incredible amount on your mind, there's been lots of sleepless nights, and lots of wondering, lots of what-ifs, lots of what if this happens, what sort of scenarios are going to play out." Noticias al día Burbank acreage continues decline Argenpapa. EEUU, 10-12-2008 Russet Norkotahs grow to 13.5% of fall crop acreage NEEUU. Capital Press.- ewer russet varieties and specialty spuds took another bite out of Russet Burbank acreage this year. Burbank plantings dropped to 41 percent of U.S. fall potato acreage, down from 45.1 percent in 2007, according to a survey released by USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. The survey included the eight major potato producing states of Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Minnesota and Maine. Many growers increased their plantings of newer processing varieties and early fresh-market types, the survey indicated. Cultivars that gained ground this year included the Russet Norkotah, Umatilla Russet, Shepody and Premier Russet. The Russet Norkotah, an early fresh-market variety, moved up to 13.5 percent of total fall crop acreage this year from 11.3 percent in 2007. Norkotahs were the top variety in Oregon this year, accounting for 23.8 percent of the state's total. Idaho growers increased Norkotah plantings this year to 13.1 percent from 9.8 percent in 2007. In Colorado, Norkotahs made up more than half the crop at 55.2 percent. The Norkotah, which includes many different selections, now ranks as the No. 2 potato variety behind Burbank. Demand for early processing potatoes drove increases in Ranger Russet and Shepody plantings in both Idaho and Washington. Rangers jumped from less than 17 percent of plantings in Washington in 2007 to 19.2 percent. In Idaho, the variety increased from 14.4 percent to 15 percent. Shepody acreage jumped from 6.9 percent in Washington to 10.6 percent this year. The Russet Burbank, developed by plant scientist Luther Burbank in the 1870s, is still the most widely grown potato in the United States. A good dual-purpose spud, it's marketed both as a fresh-market spud and as a processing variety for french fries. But Burbank acreage has been declining for years. Acreage plummeted this year in both Washington and Idaho, in part due to strong demand for early processing varieties. In Washington, Burbank acreage dropped from 38.5 percent of total plantings to 27.1 percent. Nearly all of Idaho's potato acreage was devoted to Burbanks in 1975. Its share was down to 57.4 percent this year from 62 percent in 2007. Burbank's share of the overall U.S. potato crop will probably continue to shrink, said Richard Novy, a potato breeder with the USDA's Agricultural Research Service in Aberdeen, Idaho. "I don't think it's going to be one variety that effectively eliminates Burbank," Novy said in a recent interview. "I think what will be seen is a steady adoption by industry of new varieties that find niches in growing environments where they do better than Burbank." Some of the newer russet cultivars can be grown with lower inputs, produce a higher percentage of USDA No. 1 tubers and have the ability to tolerate environmental stresses better than the Burbank. Two other processing varieties, the Umatilla Russet and Premier Russet, showed solid acreage gains this year. Both can be stored at cooler temperatures than the Burbank without producing dark-colored fries. The Umatilla Russet, introduced by the Northwest Potato Variety Program in 1998, accounted for 15.1 percent of total acreage in Washington this year and 7.5 percent in Oregon. Premier Russet, introduced by the same breeding program just last year, accounted for 3.1 percent of Oregon's acreage this year and 2.4 percent of Washington's acreage. Several specialty fresh-market and chipping varieties also posted modest gains this year although most still represent less than 1 percent of total acreage. www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Idaho Potato Conference aims to help growers cope with tumultuous times Argenpapa. EEUU, 12-12-2008 EEUU. (Potato News).- Efficiency, sustainability and profitability will be the focus of the University of Idaho's 41st Annual Potato Conference Jan. 21-22 in Pocatello. “What we're seeing in the world right now is volatility,” said Nora Olsen, conference chair and Extension potato specialist. “If we can stabilize ourselves through efficiency and good sustainability practices, we'll be able to better deal with the current economic turmoil.” John Keeling, executive vice president and chief executive officer of the National Potato Council, will address the conference's keynote Sustainability Symposium on Wednesday morning. Keeling says the NPC is helping growers wade through conflicting sets of sustainability measures by developing sustainability guidelines that will be “consistent and workable at the farm level and provide measurable results for others in the supply chain.” “Sustainability and economic viability have to be directly linked in any description of sustainable farming,” Keeling said. “The principles that have kept successful farming families on the farm for generations are the core principles of sustainability.” That means sustainability guidelines “must reflect what farming has always been about—improved efficiency over time. Whether the benchmarks are protection of wildlife habitat, application of plant protection products or calculation of carbon foot print, sustainability is about improving efficiency over decades—not individual growing seasons.” Other conference seminars will address the economic downturn's impacts on the U.S. potato industry, market changes, market cooperatives, rising production costs, exports to Mexico, fertilizer cost reduction, early-planting risks, overlooked plant diseases, nematode management, and observations regarding the past field season. In addition, intensive workshops will cover such topics as bed planting under sprinkler irrigation, new variety production, long-term impacts of short rotations, production and economics of organic potatoes, accessing market information on the Web, precision planting, production cost analysis, humic acids, field burning, pesticide disposal and Good Agricultural Practices audits. Workshops on managing weeds, insects, diseases, manures, irrigation, harvest and storage are also on the docket. Potato packers can learn about food safety and lean manufacturing while Hispanic farmworkers can attend Spanish-language workshops on noxious weeds, insects, bruising, diseases, fungicides, herbicides, bee protection and the university's new Field Guide to Potato Pests in English and Spanish. The Potato Conference, held at Idaho State University's Pond Student Union Building, is scheduled for 8 a.m.-4:45 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 21, and 8:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 22. In-state registration is $15 until Jan. 9 and $20 at the door. Out-of-state participants pay $75 until Jan. 9 and $90 at the door. The conference is presented in cooperation with the Idaho Potato Commission, Potato Growers of Idaho, Spectra Productions, Raw Products Committee of Idaho, Idaho Center for Potato Research and Education, Idaho Growers-Shippers Association, Idaho State University, Association of Commerce and Industry and trade fair exhibitors. More information is available online at http://extension.ag.uidaho.edu/district4/Potato%20Conference/potato.html or by calling (208) 529-8376. www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Sistema SAH, tecnología desarrollada en el PROPAPA, adoptada por productores de semillas del país Argenpapa. Argentina, 15-12-2008 Argentina. (Propapa)Hasta hace pocos años, la producción de plántulas in vitro en Argentina se realizaba casi exclusivamente por medio de la micropropagación, siguiendo protocolos desarrollados en la década del ´80. Esta técnica requiere de laboratorios especialmente equipados donde se realiza la multiplicación in vitro de plántulas sanas bajo condiciones de asepsia en medios nutritivos con sacarosa. En la actualidad, el productor semillerista cuenta con un sistema de producción de plántulas de fácil implementación: SAH, sistema autotrófico hidropónico. Esta tecnología, desarrollada en el Lab. de Cultivos In Vitro del PROPAPA, le permite producir sus propias plántulas in vitro sin necesidad de un sofisticado laboratorio o equipamiento. Además, el sistema SAH permite producir una mayor cantidad de plántulas en menor tiempo, de mejor calidad fisiológica, de mayor adaptación al transplante y a un menor costo que el sistema tradicional. Los productores semillerista de distintas zonas del país que adoptaron esta tecnología ya han comprobado sus beneficios: la calidad y rusticidad de las plántulas obtenidas; la alta productividad (a partir de 100 tubos in vitro se obtienen 20.000 plántulas en un mes) y la flexibilidad en la producción. El sistema SAH se transfiere mediante el entrenamiento y la puesta a punta del sistema en el establecimiento del productor. Esto incluye el entrenamiento del personal, el asesoramiento en adaptación de las instalaciones, en la compra de insumos y en la organización de la producción. Además se entrega un “kit” inicial con materiales para iniciar la producción y el entrenamiento. Producción de plántulas autotróficas por sistema hidropónico de alta sanidad Basado en: Capacidad fotoautotrófica de las plántulas Conceptos de hidroponía Manejo de los factores ambientales Micropropagación Based on: Photoautotrophic capacity of the explant Hydroponic nutrient concepts Enviromental factors Aseptic standards from micropropagation MEJOR CALIDAD DE PLÁNTULAS Mayor tamaño Mejor funcionamiento fisiológico Crecimiento uniforme PLANTLET QUALITY Improved size Uniform height Reduced physiological and morphological disorders Aumento de la productividad Disminución de pérdidas por contaminaciones Disminución del shock de transplante Mayor cantidad de plántulas en menor tiempo Increased productivity More plantlest in less time Less losses after transplanting Vigorous plantlets Good start in the greenhouse A partir de 100 plántulas en tubos de ensayos: From a few in- vitro tubes: 10.000 plántulas rustificadas en un mes 10,000 plants in a month per operator Disminución de los costos Utilización de materiales económicos Disminución de etapas de alto consumo de mano de obra Simplicidad y rapidez en el transplante Excelente adaptación y rápido crecimiento luego del transplante Rápido crecimiento Ciclo más corto en invernáculos Low productivity costs Economic and easy to find materials Less time consuming rutine tasks Media preparation Flasks and test tubes handling and cleaning Excellent response in the greenhouse Shorter adaptation period Producción de minitubérculos Minitubers production Rendimientos Yields Tasas de multiplicación Multiplication rates Iguales o mayores a plántulas in-vitro convencionales Depending on greenhouse conditions, they were equal or higher than those obtained by planting in-vitro plan RESULTADOS DE INVESTIGACIONES EXPERIENCIA EN PRODUCCIÓN TRANSFERENCIA DE TECNOLOGÍA PRODUCTORES LABORATORIOS INSTITUTOS Productores que adoptaron el sistema en distintas zonas del país Ing. Agr. Susana Rigato, Lab. Cultivos In Vitro y Producción de Semilla Prebásica, PROPAPA www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Pawar asks farmers to exploit potato export potential Argenpapa. India, 15-12-2008 India. (Pib.nic.in).- Agriculture Minister, Shri Sharad Pawar, today called upon farmers to exploit the vast potential for export of potatoes by adopting available technology and maintaining high quality. The Minister argued that while India is the third largest potato producer in the world, its contribution to global potato trade is a mere 0.5 percent. India has the required production technologies and the produce is free from major diseases, which provide significant opportunity for export of potato products. Shri Pawar was addressing farmers after inaugurating the Global Potato Conference here today. Over 400 scientists, trade and industry representatives and policy makers from all continents are attending the Conference. A large number of farmers are also attending the Conference. Shri Pawar informed that in recent years, India has seen record production of horticultural crops. This, he said, has been possible with the launch of mega schemes such as the National Food Security Mission, Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojna and the National Horticulture Mission, coupled with research initiatives. Going by the trend seen in the past, the goal of the NHM to double horticulture production from 150 million tonnes in 2003-04 to 300 MT by 2011-12 seems fully achievable, he said. Felicitating the Central Potato Research Institute, the premier potato research body in India, for developing a large number of varieties, including trans-genics with high protein content and late blight resistance, the Minister asked Indian scientists to proactively work in the areas of productivity enhancement, sustainable use of natural resources and the likely impact of climate change. He also flagged the need for technologies for use by small farmers, especially for local storage of this perishable crop. DG, ICAR, Dr. Mangala Rai, called for evolving short-duration potato varieties so that potato could fit in various cropping systems. He also expected more use of biotechnology, tissue culture and other research and production tools for improving productivity, quality and health of the crop. The other areas that will need focus, he said, are production of quality planting material, adoption of new post-harvest technologies, and developing value added products. The year 2008 is being observed as ‘International Year of the Potato' by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) keeping in view the potential of this crop in providing food security at world level. Potato happens to be the most important non-grain food commodity, with more than 320 million tonne a year production from nearly 20 million hectare of farmland. The Conference will discuss issues ranging from genetics and pathology to production and post-harvest technologies, trade and industry. It is to have 9 technical sessions in which about 50 international and 30 Indian lectures will take place. A potato exhibition is also being held along with the Conference, displaying research, agronomy, uses and other aspects of the wonder crop. www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Farmers wrap up a busy year Producers weathered changes in potatoes, sugar beets, dairy Argenpapa. EEUU, 29-12-2008 EEUU. (Capital Press).- It's been a notable year in Idaho agriculture and not just because of the roller coaster ride in commodity prices. For starters, it was the International Year of the Potato. But 2008 has been noteworthy for a number of other reasons. Here's a roundup of some significant events that affected a few of Idaho's leading agricultural commodities this year: Potatoes The year started out as the International Year of the Potato designated by the United Nations. The idea was to draw attention to the important role that potatoes could play in feeding the world's hungry, especially in developing nations. As it turned out, the special designation probably wasn't the most significant event for spud producers in the nation's No.1 potato state. Competition from other crops, including wheat, barley, alfalfa and corn, created intense competition for potato acres this year. Spud plantings plummeted 14 percent from 2007 levels as prices for many other crops approached record highs. United Potato Growers of Idaho, a supply management cooperative established in 2005, for the first time went out and actually counted the number of spud acres planted. For years, growers had to rely solely on a statistical survey conducted by USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Co-op leaders said an actual count of acres would provide more reliable information and allow growers to make better decisions. "Knowing the actual number of acres is a critical first step," CEO Jerry Wright said in July when the co-op announced the results of its first-ever tally that showed growers had planted 300,000 acres. Beginning on May 15, seven United teams traveled throughout the state physically counting potato acres by ground and air. The co-op used a combination of GPS and mapping software to record the crops planted in each field. All told, the teams reviewed more than 122,000 fields and counted nearly 4.3 million acres. The significant reduction in potato acreage this year contributed to strong demand and increased prices. Grower prices in Idaho during November averaged $7.25 per hundredweight, up from $5.50 a year earlier, according to the NASS. But that's only half the story. The other half goes like this: Potato growers who were locked into preseason processing contracts didn't have anything to write home about. The price spread between potatoes sold on the open fresh market and those sold to processors was huge. In September, Idaho farmers received an average price of $15.10 per hundredweight for fresh-market spuds, while processing spuds fetched just $5.60 per hundredweight, the NASS reported. The 2008 Idaho potato crop will also go down as the most expensive ever, according to a cost of production study conducted by University of Idaho agricultural economist Paul Patterson. Total per acre costs for growing Russet Burbank spuds jumped 20 percent in one year, Patterson found. The biggest percentage increase was an 80 percent jump in fertilizer prices from 2007. Sugar beets Idaho's sugar beet crop got off to a rocky start this year, with thousands of acres wiped out by frost and wind. Boise-based Amalgamated Sugar Co. reported that more than 40,000 acres had to be replanted in late spring. "We had a heck of a time getting stands established," company president and CEO Vic Jaro said. Not only that, but the state's sugar beet industry faced the same competition for acreage as the potato industry. The combination of bad weather and attractive alternative crops was a double whammy. Sugar beet production in Idaho is projected to total 3.48 million tons, down 38 percent from a year ago and the lowest production since 1984, according to the Idaho field office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service. As a result, the sugar beet processing campaign in Idaho will be several weeks shorter than normal and some layoffs will occur at the company's three factories. Temporary layoffs are planned in early 2009 that will affect not only seasonal workers, but full-time employees, company officials said in December. "We anticipate the crop returning to normal levels next year," Jaro said. This was also the first year that the majority of the Idaho sugar beet crop was planted to Roundup Ready varieties. In January, a coalition of food safety advocates, environmentalists and organic seed producers filed a lawsuit in an attempt to halt planting of the genetically modified crop, to no avail. Dairy For Idaho's dairy farmers, it was a year of trying to cope with soaring feed costs and government regulation. But those concerns weren't enough to halt the steady, long-term growth in Idaho milk production, even though the pace of growth slowed a bit. Idaho milk production was up again in November by 5 percent compared with the same month a year ago. The average number of milk cows during November was 554,000 head, an increase of 29,000 head from November 2007. By mid-year, Idaho had moved ahead of New York in monthly milk production to become the No. 3 dairy state in the country in total milk production behind California and Wisconsin. As the year winds down, Idaho dairy producers share a major concern with other U.S. cattle producers: the fear that the Environmental Protection Agency plans to impose a "cow tax" for contributing to air pollution and global warming. If the EPA moves ahead and lists methane as a hazardous air pollutant, it could affect producers with as few as 25 milk cows, according to the Idaho Dairymen's Association. www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día North Dakota's potato production lower in 2008 Argenpapa. EEUU, 05-01-2009 EEUU. (Farm & Ranch Guide).- Potato production in the state is expected to reach 22.7 million cwt in 2008 from 81,000 harvested acres, which is down 11 percent from last year. The average production per acre was higher, however, with the 2008 average yield pegged at a record high 280 cwt per harvested acre. This represents an increase of 20 cwt per acre from last year's average. Russet potatoes accounted for 50 percent of the total harvested acres at 40,500 acres and 65 percent of the total potato production. White potatoes made up 19 percent of the total production and 28 percent of the harvested acreage, while reds comprised 15 percent of the production and 21 percent of the harvest acreage and yellows made up one percent of both production and harvested acreage. Ted Kreis, marketing specialist for the Northern Plains Potato Growers Association, said it is necessary to look at the specific uses in order to understand the numbers completely, since the USDA report uses combined figures. “As far as the fresh crop this year, it was probably one of the better crops we ever had,” Kreis said. “The quality and color of the red potatoes were just fantastic this yearŠand the yields were running about 20 percent higher than last year. Despite the fact that we planted about 7 percent fewer acres, there was quite a bit more production than we had last year.” About 97 percent of the potatoes grown in the Red River Valley are red potatoes grown for the fresh market, according to Kreis. Yellow potatoes, such as Yukon gold, plus a small number of russets, make up the remainder of the fresh market. The processing potatoes include mostly the russets and are used mainly for fries, chips and a small amount for dehydration for potato flakes. “We were expecting a larger cut in russet production this year, but when the final numbers came in we weren't down that much more actually,” Kreis said. “There again, the yields were very good this year. “This past summer we had almost ideal weather. It was a little late getting into the fields and planting, but once the crop was planted the rains came at just the right time and we didn't have any real hot spells last summer.” As for 2009, Kreis doesn't expect to see too much fluctuation in the potato crop numbers, since the red potato acres usually are pretty constant and from all indications the processing contracts are going to run about the same as they did in 2008 and in addition, potato prices at this time are pretty favorable. On the demand side, the industry is seeing a slight fall-off in the call for fresh potatoes. “What's affected the consumption more than anything is just the change in lifestyle - as far as the number of meals they are eating at home and the size of families,” Kreis said. “The phase of having four or five people gathered around the table every evening is long gone, unfortunately. “On the other hand, the French fry industry is doing really well because fast food is still quite popular. And red potatoes are bucking the trend, as far as consumption goes, since the red potatoes are gaining a share of the fresh potato market, while the russet share is shrinking. A lot of people are switching from russet to red or yellow potatoes for their fresh potato needs.” Potato production in the U.S. was off by eight percent in 2008, with 374 million cwt produced. The harvested acreage of 921,200 acres was also off by 8 percent and the average yield was 406 cwt per acre, down 3 cwt from last year's record high average yield. North Dakota ranked fourth in the nation in potato production, following Idaho with 115 million cwt, Washington - 93 million cwt and Wisconsin - 25.7 million cwt. Potato stocks held by North Dakota growers, dealers and processors totaled 14.8 million cwt on Dec. 1. This represents a 2 percent increase from a year ago, but is 14 percent lower than in 2006. Current stocks represent 65 percent of the production, up from 61 percent in 2007, but down from 68 percent in 2006, according to the service. The total stocks on hand are defined as all potatoes on hand, regardless of use, including those that will be lost through future shrinkage and dumping. Russets accounted for 69 percent of all potatoes in storage in the state. Other classes included round whites - 7 percent; long whites - 8 percent; reds - 15 percent; and yellows - 1 percent. The 13 major potato producing states held 242 million cwt in storage on Dec. 1, which represents a 9 percent decline from a year ago and off 7 percent from 2006. Potatoes in storage accounted for 66 percent of the total U.S. production. Stocks by type were: reds - 4 percent; round whites - 9 percent; long whites - 3 percent; yellows - 2 percent and russets - 82 percent. Potato disappearance, at 123 million cwt, was 6 percent lower than Dec. 1, 2007. Processors in the nine major states have used 71.8 million cwt of potatoes this season, down 2 percent from the same period last year and 3 percent less than two years ago. www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Higher potato production in North America in 2009? Argenpapa. Canadá, 07-01-2009 Canadá. (Potato News).- In the latest issue of North American Potato Market News it is said that strong prices for potatoes, relative to those for competing crops, makes it almost inevitable that growers will plant more potatoes next year. A model based the relationship between potato prices and wheat prices projects a 2.6% increase. According to the editor of NAPMN, Bruce Huffaker, other factors suggest that the increase could be as much as 6%. The trend yield, for the 2009 fall potato crop, is 416 cwt per acre. The actual yield in 2008 is reported to be 406 cwt. Acreage increases and higher yields could increase 2009 potato production by 5.4% - 8.5%. Such an increase, across all of North America, could boost 2009 potato production by 28-44 million cwt. What impact will increased production have on potato prices for the 2009 crop? According to Mr Huffaker, there is a strong inverse relationship between production and potato prices. A model of the relationship between the Idaho shipping point price (FWA) and changes in North American potato production indicates that the projected increase for the 2009 crop would likely reduce the FWA by 14%-24%, relative to the 2008-crop average. Mr Huffaker said that "processing growers need to be sure that they have firm contract commitments that they can live with, before planting any potatoes. Fresh growers need to realize that there is a strong potential for open contract potatoes to spill into the fresh market." www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Prospects promising for spud growers Argenpapa. EEUU, 12-01-2009 EEUU. (Agweekly).- “I would expect the number of potatoes planted to increase in two-thousand nine,” said Keith Esplin, Blackfoot, Potato Growers of Idaho executive director. “Many producers planted grain in two-thousand eight because of the price it was bringing then. Some people leased out their ground because the cost of fuel and fertilizer were so high. It will be interesting to see how many get back to potatoes in two-thousand nine.” Esplin said it's hard to predict what a recession will do to potato prices. Prices have been several dollars higher per hundredweight this year than last. “People still eat potatoes in a recession,” he said. “However, they change the pattern of what they eat. We need to keep up with the changes.” Frank Muir, president and CEO of the Idaho Potato Growers Commission, has been charting the changes. The commission has been developing a variety of marketing plans to fit the new economy. “Our fiscal year started in September and so did the newest campaigns to promote Idaho potatoes,” he said. “We have a lot of advertisements in foodservice industry magazines, and we have commercials featuring Denise Austin, discussing the health value of potatoes. The commercials were filmed right here in Idaho.” The commercials are being shown on all the major cable networks. The commission also has partnered with several well-known chefs, including Wolfgang Puck, to create new recipes using Idaho potatoes. “We'll be sending out e-mail recipe blasts every month to food editors across the country all year,” Muir said. “We'll be showing people how to use potatoes to recession-proof the grocery budgets.” The commission will distribute a computer thumb drive of recipes in the shape of a potato. There also will be potato-related food promotions centering around the Super Bowl with Ovie Mughelli of the Atlanta Falcons, Muir said. Sports will again be featured in potato promotions during the Special Olympics in Boise in February. “We have permission to make Spuddy Buddies (the Idaho potato industry's mascot) in cobalt blue with the insignia to match the uniform for the Olympians,” Muir said. The Spuddy Buddies will be given to the participants of the Special Olympics. “We've also done some videos celebrating the Idaho farmer for the Internet,” Muir said. “One is very moving and some are more humorous.” Commercials also remind consumers that Idaho potatoes are a brand and unique. Information is given on how the soil, climate, weather and environment combine to make Idaho potatoes far superior to other tubers. Jerry Wright, CEO of Potato Growers of Idaho, said last year's record low of potato plantings could bode well for 2009. “We had fifteen million fewer hundredweight in two-thousand eight than the year before,” Wright said. “That's the lowest in 25 years. The other states also were down. That means little or no surplus going into two-thousand nine.” Wright and PGI have been trying to persuade growers to limit their number of acres of potatoes since 2004. The fewer potatoes grown mean higher prices for those produced. He said farmers should not plant more potatoes than they did last year because it would be financially dangerous to flood the market with potatoes. An excess of potatoes would bring down prices. “Our outlook is cautiously optimistic for two-thousand nine,” Wright said. “There is unprecedented economic distress that should precipitate a strong air of caution on the part of the growers.” The lowered interest rates may be a benefit to growers. “That could be a bit of a silver lining in this economy,” Muir said. “Farming is a part of the economy banks are willing to support. Farmers with good balance sheets may be able to get their production loans at lower interest rates.” Wright said all Idaho's potato organizations will devote their time and attention to helping producers get through the recession and continue to produce the state's most famous product. www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Research helps potato farmers increase marketable yield and cut costs Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña, 14-01-2009 Gran Bretaña. (FWI).-Improvements in potato management resulting from applying Cambridge University Farms research are increasing yields and cutting input costs on two Norfolk farms, delegates at the Cambridge University Potato Growers Research Association annual conference heard. Saleable yields from store had increased by 10% from an average 43t/ha in the 1990s to 46.9t/ha in the period between 2002 and 2008, B&C Farming's Tony Bambridge said. CUF had helped the Marsham farm with its irrigation scheduling since 1992, he said. As a result he had data from each crop recording planting date, date of first and 50% emergence and weekly ground cover figures until late August. "We also do yield digs in mid-August every year." Analysis of 77 Maris Piper crops showed how management of crops had changed since the 1990s, he said. Average planting dates were now a months later (18 April v 21 March), which pushed back emergence by three weeks and tuber initiation. Later planting was a result of recognising the need to plant in better soil conditions. "When you see a bad crop, my immediate reaction used to be blame the seed or the fertiliser, never think it could be something we've done wrong. "But CUF did a lot of work looking at the effect of compaction, putting some numbers of how root growth was affected by compacted soils." Penetrometer readings on his farm, which measure soil resistance, highlighted where his soils were compacted to a degree where root growth was affected, he said. "Where we had three Mega Pascals readings, we were effectively growing the crop in 35cm of soil." Other changes in management had been the result of the drive to produce a more uniform crop with greater marketable yield and an increased larger-size fraction, he said. The move from chitted to unchitted seed produced a more even crop that kept growing until the farm was ready to harvest them rather than having early senescence. "It means the crop emerges perhaps one week later than the chitted seed for the same planting date. "But by keeping the period from green leaf death either from senescence or desiccation to harvest as short as possible, which helps get full skin set, you reduce the incidence of fungal diseases that affects weight loss in store and appearance of the tubers." Planting at wider spacings, based on Potato Council -funded research that looked at what spacings would produce the greatest marketable yield for a variety at a given size distribution, has also helped him produce more larger tubers, along with paying attention to the CUF research into planting chronological young seed, which also has the effect of producing larger tubers. "The result is that while our freshweight yields haven't improved that much over time, although we probably are more consistent, we now produce 42-45% in the over-65mm fraction compared with 33% in the early 1990s." Research aimed at farms North Norfolk Potato Growers is the one of the latest businesses to benefit from Cambridge University Farm research as part of a programme to improve take-up of the research on farm. NNPG joined the Potato Council's grower collaboration project, in which CUF researchers gave seed rate and fertiliser recommendation for grower crops based on information supplied to them, last season, James Harrison said. "CUF selected three fields where there was the greatest difference between farm practice and their advice." Seed rates were cut by 20-30%, with spacings up from 28cm to 44cm on the Hermes, while fertiliser recommendations were lowered by a quarter on the Saturna crops, he said. The Hermes seed rate savings extrapolated to a saving of £13,500 across the 97ha Mr Harrison grows, while P&K savings could be worth up to £330/ha, depending on whether land was rented. Despite the aim not being to increase yields, CUF recommendations also increased yields on two out of the three fields in the trials. It had left Mr Harrison a difficult decision on his commercial crop next season. He was not totally comfortable with the large difference in spacings, he admitted. "It will make us review our practices for next year, and probably do a bigger area on our Hermes commercial crop. But it was just the first year of a three-year project so we want to see more results as well." www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Processor looking, but not touching Argenpapa. EEUU, 14-01-2009 LIMESTONE, Maine. (Bangornews).-Potato processing giant Lamb Weston has no immediate plans to develop a facility in Maine, although the company continues to watch economic and agricultural activity in the state. “We have been monitoring the opportunities for Lamb Weston's potential in Maine for 10 years,” Stephanie Childs, spokeswoman for ConAgra Foods, said Wednesday from the company's headquarters in Omaha, Neb. “This is a routine matter of business and we are always on the lookout for quality production.” Lamb Weston is a business division of ConAgra Foods. Representatives of the company were in Aroostook County last fall, looking at sites on the old Loring Air Force Base, now operating as the Loring Development Authority. Nine years ago, Lamb Weston's interest in expanding into Maine was high enough that the company purchased an option on 150 acres at Loring. “Lamb Weston has no presence in New England,” Carl Flora, president and CEO of the Loring Development Authority, said. “At the time they were looking at building their market in the Northeast.” All consideration stopped the next year when a variety of economic and cultural factors affected the food industry in general and potato consumption in particular. “The attacks of 9-11 had a huge impact on travel and that resulted in fewer people eating french fries,” Flora said. “At the same time there was the ‘mad cow' disease scare and the popular Dr. Atkins Diet [and] both of those meant fewer people eating potato products.” That option expired years ago, but Flora said he has seen a renewed interest from Lamb Weston. “They are taking a fresh look at all the variables,” Flora said. “We were out [at the Loring Development Authority] looking at property,” Childs said. “This is something we do routinely there and elsewhere.” Con Agra Foods' Lamb Weston division is the largest processor of potatoes in the country. Should Lamb Weston decide to develop a potato processing facility in northern Maine, it could only be good news for local producers, Flora said. “It would be tremendous for the potato industry in Maine,” he said. “It would probably mean an additional 10,000 acres of potatoes to support a plant like that.” Meeting that need, according to an official in the industry, would not be a problem and would likely represent a shift in planting practices rather than placing new acreage in production. “It does not necessarily mean you'd see an additional 10,000 acres planted in Aroostook County,” said Don Flannery of the Maine Potato Board. “It would be more of a shift in the use of land with growers moving toward what they see having the better market use.” While Flannery would welcome Lamb Weston to the area, he's taking more of a wait and see attitude. “The market will dictate when and if we will see this,” he said. “I'm not a pessimist, but I am a realist.” In the meantime, Flora said, he will continue to do what he can to convince the company it makes sense to locate in Maine. “They told me the time is more right at this point than in the past eight years,” Flora said. “It's significant that after the passing of seven to eight years they continue to have some level of interest.” www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día High potato black dot infections serve as warning for 2009 Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña, 19-01-2009 High black dot levels in potatoes in the past two years should serve as a warning to growers to check this year's field history for the disease, and consider having soil inoculum levels tested and the use of Amistar at planting, advisers suggest. Gran Bretaña- ( Farmers Weekly ).- Levels of the fungal blemish have been higher this year, says Paul Coleman of Greenvale AP . Heavy rain before and after desiccation helped push infectious spores down to the tubers, he explains. "It also meant harvest in quite a lot of cases was delayed from three weeks to four or five weeks after desiccation." That extra period in the ground is critical for the development of the disease, Jeff Peters from the Central Science Laboratory notes. "The amount of black dot that develops is proportionate to the time the crop is in the ground from emergence to harvest." Research, for example, has previously identified for Maris Piper that the risk of black dot significantly increases after about 140 days. Results from two more varieties should be available by April, Glyn Harper from the Potato Council's Sutton Bridge Experimental Unit says, which should help determine whether that effect is generic across all varieties. But it suggests growers who know they have a high risk from either having their soil tested or from previous field history, should look to minimise the number of days crops, particularly susceptible varieties, that are in the ground, Dr Peters says. For example, for Maris Piper being grown in a high-risk soil growers should aim for about 125 days, he advises. But using Amistar (azoxystrobin) as an in-furrow treatment allows growers to adjust that time period upwards by about 10 days, he adds, helping give extra time for bulking. Treatment should be considered almost for any pre-pack crop for set skin movement that will be stored, even if only for a few weeks, that is being grown on land with potatoes in the rotation in the past 10 years, Mr Coleman says. "Black dot seems to be getting worse and Amistar does give a good reduction providing you do everything else right." That includes considering using more tolerant varieties, such as Saxon and Vales Sovereign, burning off in good time and harvesting promptly after three weeks, he adds. www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día McCain delivers more bucks Argenpapa. Australia, 04-02-2009 Australia. (The Courier).- BALLARAT district potato growers have been offered a 24 per cent increase to supply potatoes to McCain Foods this year. Growers received a letter last week from the Ballarat food processor stating the increase. It is believed the amount was agreed to across the board for all potato varieties supplied to McCain. But given the region has experienced the worst heat wave since 1908, The Courier understands there may be massive yield decreases for those struggling with water. Last year Goulburn-Murray Water cut back groundwater allocations by half in the Spring Hill Water Supply area, affecting farmers on the northern side of the divide at Newlyn. Farmers also have no allocation to draw from the Newlyn Reservoir. Newlyn grower David McKay said the 24 per cent increase was justified, considering the high prices growers paid for diesel and chemical fertiliser when planting their crops. On the southern side of the divide at Dean, grower and McCain Growers Group vice-president Dominic Prendergast said he was "reasonably happy" with McCain's offer. He said Dean growers should have the same tonnage going into McCain's factory this year. He said hopefully McCain would take all of their potatoes. In September, the growers group rejected McCain's earlier price offer to buy this season's crop. Growers believed it did not compensate for their rising farm costs. With the dry season approaching, growers face severe production costs in double pumping water, saying it had become much harder for them compared to growers in other regions. www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Potato industry homes in on quality seed Argenpapa. Inglaterra, 26-01-2009 POCATELLO, Idaho - this week Many speakers at the 41st Annual Idaho Seed Potato Growers Seminar focused on the importance of testing seed potatoes for viruses. Doug Boze, Idaho Crop Improvement Assn., reminded growers that seed from Canada had to be accompanied by a health certificate. He said the lack of a health certificate had caused problems for growers in the past. He also urged seed growers to provide samples for testing within the specific sizes called for. He said the planting equipment used in this program is very old and can only handle the specified sizes. Boze said growers sometimes send in potatoes that are too large. Mike Telford, a noted seed grower, discussed the importance of proper testing methods for seed potatoes. “A sample of 400 seems to be the perfect number,” Telford said. “As long as the sampling is done correctly. The samples must be taken in an even circle from a central point. He said this number of samples works well with fields of all sizes. He offered several tips to a successful seed growing program. He said it was important to start with clean, disease-free seed. Telford advised selecting potato breeds that are resistant to viruses and to be aware that field location can open potatoes up to contamination. Seed potatoes should be tested both before planting and at the end of the season, Telford said. He reminded growers that they should strive for zero disease but to have reasonable expectations. Jeanne Debons, Potato Variety Management Institute executive director, brought attendees up to date on the Tri-State effort to protect potato varieties developed in Idaho, Washington and Oregon. “Plant variety protection began in 1994 in California,” Debons said. “Since then, licensing protection has brought significant dollars back to the developers.” She said a variety of strawberry developed in California grew well in Mexico and began overshadowing United States sales. This resulted in first strawberries, next avocadoes, and eventually other strains of produce being licensed. That way, growers using a licensed strain had to pay for the privilege. The program started with Tri-State produced potatoes in 2005. Through a variety of grants, each of the three states got $75,000 to begin the plant-variety-protection program. Debons said she wished the program had begun much sooner because this year's budget cuts to universities that develop new potato strains will be significant. Money from producers using licensed varieties will eventually be funneled back into the universities' potato development efforts that created them in the first place. The business plan calls for returns to come in by 2011. Debons said she hopes funds will start coming back before that. She keeps track of who is looking for what type of seed and who grows it. Her organization also provides members with fliers, promotions and a point of contact. The top three local potato strains are currently Alturas, Premiere Russet and Blazer Russet, she said. Further information on the program is available at www.pvmi.org . www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día USA: quali impatti della crisi economica sul commercio di patate? Argenpapa. General, 28-01-2009 L'organizzazione di produttori di patate dello stato americano dell'Idaho sta valutando come agire per le semine del raccolto 2009. Secondo Jerry Wright, il presidente dell'associazione, se i pataticoltori piantassero più acri dell'anno scorso, sarebbero inevitabilmente destinati a subire un calo dei profitti. I prezzi per le patate dell'Idaho nel corso della stagione 2008 sono stati sufficientemente remunerativi e hanno raggiunto il livello massimo degli ultimi 30 anni: "Ciò si spiega - dice Wright - in quanto la produzione ha interessato ben 50.000 acri in meno, con un volume prodotto inferiore del 10%. Si è trattato del raccolto meno abbondante degli ultimi 20 anni". Oggi la situazione rischia di essere molto diversa: la crisi economica sta tagliando le spese degli americani per pranzi e cene fuori casa, cosa che si riflette negativamente soprattutto sul segmento delle patatine surgelate destinate alla frittura. Fino allo scorso ottobre, gli Stati Uniti erano comunque riusciti ad aumentare le loro esportazioni di patatine surgelate, strappando quote di mercato al Canada grazie alla debolezza del dollaro americano. Questo trend positivo si è però scontrato a ottobre 2008 con la forte rivalutazione del dollaro. La domanda mondiale per le patatine surgelate da destinare alla frittura ha conosciuto una crescita del 38% nel corso degli ultimi sette anni, ma le vendite, che ancora mettevano a segno un +16% lo scorso a settembre, hanno poi chiuso con un -2% a dicembre. Nel frattempo, mentre le presenze di consumatori nei ristoranti sono risultate piatte o in calo per la prima volta in cinque anni, le vendite di patate da mensa nei negozi di alimentari non appaiono in crescita, come accadde invece in altri periodi di recessione dell'economia americana. Nel corso dell'ultimo trimestre 2008, patatine, patate surgelate e patate da mensa hanno visto una contrazione nelle vendite pari rispettivamente al 4,6%, 1,6% e 3,5%. Perfino le vendite di patate fresche presso la catena Wal-Mart's sono diminuite del 4,4% nell'ultimo trimestre 2008. I consumatori stanno invece orientandosi verso il segmento delle patate disidratate, della pasta, del pomodoro in scatola, dei maccheroni e di altri prodotti a basso costo, come i fagioli. "Da questi comportamenti d'acquisto - conclude Wright - si evince che le patate non vengono ben percepite dai consumatori sulla scala del rapporto qualità/prezzo. Prevedo dunque che per la stagione 2009/2010 il nostro mercato pataticolo sarà seriamente influenzato da una recessione che si delinea come dura, prolungata e di dimensioni epiche". Fonte: www.idahobusiness.net Autore: Rossella Gigli Copyright: www.freshplaza.it www.arganpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Potato producers warned to hold down plantings Argenpapa. EEUU, 28-01-2009 POCATELLO, Idaho. (Agweekly). - The fate of potato producers lies in how many acres they choose to plant this year. That's the message Jerry Wright, United Potato Growers of Idaho CEO, gave attendees of the 41st annual University of Idaho Potato Conference at Idaho State University this week. “The economy isn't going to recover any time soon,” Wright said. “It could be late 2009 or into 2010 before things come back. That's what the experts are telling us.” He said the recession will probably permanently impact the way baby boomers and echo boomers buy everything from cars to groceries from now on. Wright said this recession is the most serious since the Great Depression. It's also the most hyped by the media. This recession is unique in that people are not turning to fresh potatoes to eat at home as they did in other recessions. “They are paying $3.59 cents per pound for dehydrated potatoes but not 35 cents a pound for fresh ones,” Wright said. “With the number of two-person income families and single people, they are not choosing to eat as people have in the past. They may not be eating in restaurants as much, but they still choose convenience over cost in the grocery store.” Another staple that has declined is red meat, Wright said. Potatoes are associated with red meat, and people seem less inclined to fix either at home. French fries took a hit because fast-food restaurants no longer pair a burger and fries. “With the McDonald's Dollar Menu, people can buy a cheese burger and any side they want,” he said. “Of course, if they are like my teenager, they'll take two cheeseburgers.” All these things mean that potato prices could plummet if there is over-production, Wright said. “Take the money you made from your potatoes and grain in the last couple years and bank it,” Wright said. “Over planting this year will lead to another year like 2004.” Paul Patterson, University of Idaho economist in Idaho Falls, said planting costs also will have an impact on profit margins. “I don't anticipate that fertilizer and fuel will be as high as last year,” Pattterson said. “However, I anticipate seed will go up 25 to 30 percent this year.” He said seed prices hadn't risen significantly for a while. They go up in relation to contract prices producers get from processors. Patterson estimated that 2009 Russet Burbank G3 seed will sell for about $8.90 per hundredweight. “That's the cost at the seed seller's location,” he said. “The cost will go up the further if it has to be transported-- like to western Idaho.” The cost of seed also depends on the type of potato it is. “Land costs will go up significantly, too,” Patterson said. “I'd expect that to rise between 8 and 12 percent.” All this adds up to a very risky planting season. Marieke de Rejke, a representative of Rabobank International, the Netherlands, spoke about how the recession is impacting the entire world market. “The bubble has burst,” she said. “Economic growth has slowed down over most of the world, and no one knows when it will go up again.” De Rejke said the only countries still enjoying economic growth are India and China. Much of Europe is in a serious depression, she said. Potatoes haven't dropped yet because the amount of potatoes planted in the past two years was significantly less than usual. She said many producers chose alfalfa or grains because of the high cost of potato production in 2007 and 2008. “We need to use our brand to make sure people still choose Idaho potatoes,” Wright said. “And, we need to not over plant at this critical time. Please, please be wise. The future of potato farming is in your hands.” www.arganpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Idaho's potato farmers planting next year's ideas Argenpapa. EEUU, 28-01-2009 EEUU. (Idaho Business).- If Idaho potato farmers plant more acres than they did last year, they could derail the price gains they've made the past three years and wreck prospects of continuing to profit from the state's most famous cash crop, the United Potato Growers of Idaho's chief executive and president warns his colleagues. As the nation's economic downturn worsens, dining out declines and frozen french fry sales soften, Jerry Wright fears Idaho spud growers will over plant and further drive down potato prices. The $12 per hundredweight price that potatoes have fetched lately is up substantially from the $3 range they scraped in 2004, but prices could slide again if the cooperative fails to tightly manage acreage plantings. During the fourth quarter of 2008, Idaho potato shipments were down 5 percent. “That's indicative of what the economy is doing,” Wright told a crowd gathered at Idaho State University for the 41st Annual Potato Conference Jan. 21. “It's clear this economy is slowing down our business.” He noted potato prices are up $6 a hundredweight from last year, the highest in 30 years, and credited the spike to the fact 50,000 fewer acres were planted in Idaho, resulting in 10 percent fewer potatoes. “It's the smallest crop we've had in 20 years.” The fresh market still is under performing what potato stocks indicate should be happening. The United States has been increasing its share of frozen processed potato exports at the expense of Canada and the European Union, but those exports hit a wall in October because in 30 days the U.S. dollar shifted from one of the weakest currencies to one of the strongest. World demand for frozen potato products surged 38 percent the last seven years, but fryer sales that were up 16 percent through last September were down minus 2 percent by December. Meanwhile, restaurant traffic also was flat or down for the first time in five years. “That's another very, very troubling trend,” Wright said. The industry is finding that fresh potato sales at groceries are not rising as they have in past recessions as consumers cut their restaurant dining. During the fourth quarter of 2008, chip, frozen and fresh sales were down 4.6 percent, 1.6 percent and 3.5 percent, respectively. Even Wal-Mart's fresh potato sales were down 4.4 percent. Consumers are opting instead for dehydrated potatoes, pot pies, dry pasta, canned tomato and bean products, macaroni or other low value, convenience items. “It appears fresh potatoes are not perceived well on the convenience/value scale,” Wright said, noting red meat sales also are down significantly. An economic recovery most likely will begin the fourth quarter of 2009. However, if China's growth rate this year is below 6 percent, it may not start until 2010. Wright said he expects the 2009-2010 potato market to be seriously impacted by a recession that threatens to be severe, prolonged and epic in nature. www.arganpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Potato producers warned to hold down plantings Argenpapa. EEUU, 02-02-2009 EEUU. (Agweekly).- The fate of potato producers lies in how many acres they choose to plant this year. That's the message Jerry Wright, United Potato Growers of Idaho CEO, gave attendees of the 41st annual University of Idaho Potato Conference at Idaho State University this week. “The economy isn't going to recover any time soon,” Wright said. “It could be late 2009 or into 2010 before things come back. That's what the experts are telling us.” He said the recession will probably permanently impact the way baby boomers and echo boomers buy everything from cars to groceries from now on. Wright said this recession is the most serious since the Great Depression. It's also the most hyped by the media. This recession is unique in that people are not turning to fresh potatoes to eat at home as they did in other recessions. “They are paying $3.59 cents per pound for dehydrated potatoes but not 35 cents a pound for fresh ones,” Wright said. “With the number of two-person income families and single people, they are not choosing to eat as people have in the past. They may not be eating in restaurants as much, but they still choose convenience over cost in the grocery store.” Another staple that has declined is red meat, Wright said. Potatoes are associated with red meat, and people seem less inclined to fix either at home. French fries took a hit because fast-food restaurants no longer pair a burger and fries. “With the McDonald's Dollar Menu, people can buy a cheese burger and any side they want,” he said. “Of course, if they are like my teenager, they'll take two cheeseburgers.” All these things mean that potato prices could plummet if there is over-production, Wright said. “Take the money you made from your potatoes and grain in the last couple years and bank it,” Wright said. “Over planting this year will lead to another year like 2004.” Paul Patterson, University of Idaho economist in Idaho Falls, said planting costs also will have an impact on profit margins. “I don't anticipate that fertilizer and fuel will be as high as last year,” Pattterson said. “However, I anticipate seed will go up 25 to 30 percent this year.” He said seed prices hadn't risen significantly for a while. They go up in relation to contract prices producers get from processors. Patterson estimated that 2009 Russet Burbank G3 seed will sell for about $8.90 per hundredweight. “That's the cost at the seed seller's location,” he said. “The cost will go up the further if it has to be transported-- like to western Idaho.” The cost of seed also depends on the type of potato it is. “Land costs will go up significantly, too,” Patterson said. “I'd expect that to rise between 8 and 12 percent.” All this adds up to a very risky planting season. Marieke de Rejke, a representative of Rabobank International, the Netherlands, spoke about how the recession is impacting the entire world market. “The bubble has burst,” she said. “Economic growth has slowed down over most of the world, and no one knows when it will go up again.” De Rejke said the only countries still enjoying economic growth are India and China. Much of Europe is in a serious depression, she said. Potatoes haven't dropped yet because the amount of potatoes planted in the past two years was significantly less than usual. She said many producers chose alfalfa or grains because of the high cost of potato production in 2007 and 2008. “We need to use our brand to make sure people still choose Idaho potatoes,” Wright said. “And, we need to not over plant at this critical time. Please, please be wise. The future of potato farming is in your hands.” www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Online filing programme is hugely popular ARGENPAPA. Gran Bretaña. 06-02-2009 Gran Bretaña. (Nebusiness).- THE Potato Council has introduced an online programme for filing returns to cut costs and administration time. The e-planting returns system consists of a searchable map, which locates a field by the place name, map reference or DFIS number. A drop down menu of market sectors and potato varieties is also included to simplify the task. The website went live as a pilot project last year and has now become a permanent fixture after positive feedback from the industry. Potato Council spokeswoman Inga Martin said: “It is incredibly easy to use but comes complete with an online user guide for first-timers and is supported by our technical team. “The map data is validated instantly and there are prompts at each stage to ensure that no inaccurate or incomplete returns can be filed, saving a huge amount of time.” New users are required to register, which can be done by calling (01865) 782203 or emailing registration@potato.org.uk . www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Border re-opens to Alberta seed potatoes ARGENPAPA. America del Norte. 06-02-2009 América del Norte. (Capital Press).- The U.S. Department of Agriculture has lifted a ban on seed potatoes from Alberta, Canada, after the completion of field surveys for potato cyst nematodes. The action opens the door for Alberta seed potatoes to be shipped and planted in the United States this spring. "We're glad that the status of the border has been resolved," said John Keeling, executive vice-president of the National Potato Council. "It should facilitate trade and commerce." The U.S. border had been closed to Alberta seed potatoes for more than a year. Shipments were suspended in October 2007 after the discovery of potato cyst nematodes on two Alberta farms. Potato cyst nematodes are recognized internationally as quarantine plant pests, although they don't pose a threat to human health. The USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service lifted the ban Wednesday, Jan. 28, after determining that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency had successfully completed the required survey work without finding any additional pests. After the ban was imposed, many U.S. potato growers who had been regular buyers of Alberta seed potatoes were forced to find alternative seed sources for the 2008 crop. Historically, about 30 percent of the potato crop in Washington state has originated from Alberta seed potatoes. The reopening of the border should add some certainty to the 2009 planting season, Keeling said. "It will provide a level of certainty for people who want Alberta seed to be able to get it in plenty of time for planting," he said. The U.S. market is now open to all Canadian seed potatoes that meet potato cyst nematode phytosanitary guidelines. All shipments must originate from fields that have been sampled, tested and shown to be free of the nematodes. In May 2008, U.S. and Canadian agriculture officials agreed to a set of guidelines for the movement of seed potatoes between the two countries. To be eligible for export this year, all seed potato fields must undergo soil sampling and testing for potato cyst nematodes at the rate of 1 pound of soil per acre. National Potato Council officials view that as a minimal standard. At 1 pound of soil per acre, "You're about at the level that you would begin to see signs of crop damage in the field," Keeling said. "You would be noting visual signs on plants." Plans are under way to increase the testing requirement to 5 pounds of soil per acre for the 2010 growing season. www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día 'Outstanding potato guy' Dan Hane retires Argenpapa. EEUU, 13-02-2009 Dan Hane, recently retired research agronomist, checks out a specialty potato variety. Photo by Tiffany Woods EEUU. (Eastoregonian).- Research agronomist Dan Hane retired at the end of 2008 after 30 years at Oregon State University's Hermiston Agricultural Research and Extension Center. "He's one of the best varieties testers anywhere, in spite of the fact that he had to learn how to grow potatoes after he got on the job," said retired OSU potato agronomist Al Mosley. "He's been an outstanding potato guy." Hane grew up near Connell, Wash., where his family raised corn and alfalfa. "They did not grow any potatoes," Hane admitted. "We didn't have French fries, and they weren't a big crop back then." Hane earned degrees in crop science at Washington State University and Colorado State University. After five years at a dryland research station in Oklahoma he moved back to the Pacific Northwest, where he earned a doctorate at OSU in 2000. During his early years at the Hermiston research station, Hane worked with agronomist Vance Pumphrey to develop crop water use information for wheat, potatoes and alfalfa. That work led to more efficient irrigation methods and provided information that is still in use today. He also learned how to grow potatoes, primarily from the growers. Until the Hermiston station got center pivot irrigation in the early 1990s most of his trials took place in growers' fields. Mosley credits Hane with bringing up-to-date equipment and potato technology to the station as he developed the potato trials program. In 1985 OSU joined efforts with the USDA Agricultural Research Service, WSU and the University of Idaho in the tri-state potato variety development program and Hane, in his words, "pretty much morphed into a potato head." "I was fortunate enough to be here when this tri-state effort came to be. I've been able to put a lot more effort into variety development, and brought out some varieties that have been quite useful to the industry," Hane said. Most of Hane's work has been with processing potatoes for French fries. He has had a hand in field testing almost 30 potato varieties that have been released for the commercial market. The most successful, the Umatilla Russet, is the number 5 variety grown in the U.S. today. "Dan has been a real benefit to the entire potato industry, and in particular to the processing industry. He has made a real impact there," said Steven James, potato project leader at the Central Oregon Agricultural Research Center in Madras. Thirty varieties may not seem like much in a 30-year career, until you realize that the Tri-State program annually field tests 200,000 genetically different individual potatoes. The Hermiston station grows hundreds of cultivars each year, each with the potential to become a new commercial variety. "Potatoes are particularly diverse, with a complicated genetic makeup," Hane says. "That's one reason you need to look at so many to find something useful." At the Hermiston station Hane used the same farming and irrigation techniques as commercial growers. From planting through cultivation and harvest to processing in a small fryer he collected information on each variety. At the end of the season he and his fellow researchers pooled their findings and decided which varieties to discard and which to move forward on. "I'm better at finding reasons for throwing them away. Maybe I'm a little less optimistic," Hane said. Hane's other main research area has been potato viruses, where his work has made a significant contribution to the information needed before a variety is released. "We want to offer some pluses for the processor by having a better quality product, and offer the grower something with better disease resistance," Hane said. Though he has officially retired, Hane is staying on at HAREC part time for another year. One of his new challenges is developing evaluation criteria for fresh market specialty varieties. "We know what to do with a processing potato, what we need in yield, processing and storage. But what about this fingerling red, or this round purple thing? We don't have criteria to decide what to do with specialty varieties," Hane said. In the future, Hane expects to see more potato varieties filling more niches, rather than one variety that does all things. Potato development is a slow and complicated process, Hane said. It can take 15 years to release a variety for production, then several more years of commercial evaluation before processors and the restaurant industry contract with growers for the new variety. Potato research has been good to Hane, giving him the chance to stay in touch with growers and colleagues in the potato industry. "I can play farmer and know I won't go broke doing it, and perhaps I can help growers out in the long run. They've certainly helped me out," Hane said. "It's been a two-way street." Noticias al día Diseases and insects invade Ishikha potato field Argenpapa. India, 13-02-2009 Australia. ( e-pao).- Mass infection by disease and invasion by insects have been detected to the potato cultivation of the farmers at the field at Ishikha pat under the initiative of the Society for People Advancement Manipur (SPAM) with the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) method of farming. The mass infection and invasion was caused due to the non-treatment of the soils of the fields which has been felt need since the continuous cultivation of potato in the last few years, said the experts of the agriculture office (chemistry) department of agriculture and scientists of the Central Agricultural University (CAU) comprising the IMP team who inspected the fields today. During the investigation of the experts, insects like While Grub, Cut Warm, etc. were found inventing the plants apart from infection by the disease like the potato leave curl virus and red blide which could severely affect to the yield of the potato. The insects and diseases are infecting the potato plants as the soil was not treated as recommended by the experts before planting of the crop, said Ph Rajendro Deputy Director, Agriculture Department who led the inspection team today. He said, "We had already cautioned the farmers while preparing the soil to treat it so that it could be protected from the insects and diseases but it farmers could not do due to the time constraint." There is no need for worry as the expert team detects the disease before destroying the plants to a great extend. Commenting on the diseases and insects, assistant prof. Kh Ibohal told the farmers to spray chemical with less toxicity which he recommend. He said, such kinds of diseases and insects are commonly affected when the same crop are repeatedly planted in the same place continuously. So, he strongly recommends soil treatment if same kinds of crop are repeated growth in the same field. Ishikha pat, it could be mention here is one of the best places which potato can be growth successfully with high yield and had become talk of the people of the state in the last around two years. The farmers got bumper harvest after they applied IPM method of cultivation. According to SPAM official Hemanta, this year also, under its initiative, the farmers are growing potato in 41 acres of field. Source: e-pao.net Noticias al día Bad weather hits potatoes Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña, 18-02-2009 Gran Bretaña. (Farmers Guardian).- POTATO planting resumed briefly last week before cold wet weather halted any further progress. Total planting increased to just 160 hectares (395 acres), compared with 350ha (865 acres) set in excellent conditions by the same date last year, says the Potato Council. The odd early crop, which was just emerging, has been damaged by frosts, but the area affected is very limited. In Pembrokeshire some ground has been prepared, but planting has not started. A token planting has started on Anglesey with just a few Swift and Rocket set. In the north, soil conditions are very wet, with snow mainly confined to the higher ground. Supplies have on the whole been unaffected, including seed deliveries from Scotland, says the Potato Council. Noticias al día Selenium-enriched potatoes from Peter Keogh ArgenPapa. Irlanda, 23 02 2009 Peter Keogh & Sons, the potato-growing and packing company owned by the north County Dublin Keogh family, has launched a selenium-enriched Rooster potato called Selena, which is currently available exclusively in Superquinn stores in Ireland. Irlanda. (FOODBEV).-The Selena potato, which is grown on the Keogh family farm in Oldtown, is enriched with the naturally occurring micronutrient, selenium, an essential mineral and potent antioxidant that plays an important role in the immune function. The Selena method of growing potatoes lends itself to many popular Irish varieties, including Rooster, Maris Piper and Kerrs Pink. Ireland, as with other regions of the world, has lower levels of selenium in some of its soils, which means that Irish people may not be consuming enough selenium through fruit, vegetables and grain. Peter Keogh & Sons conducted trials on their farm last year and found that by enriching the soil with selenium at planting, the potato plant can utilise the nutrient throughout the growing cycle and turn it into organic form in the potato tuber. Tom Keogh from Peter Keogh & Sons said: “We wanted in some ways to reinvent the potato while ensuring its place as a food for the future. We investigated many vitamins and minerals, but the micronutrient selenium stood out because of its fantastic health benefits and the fact that there's a deficiency in the Irish diet. “We were very surprised with the results," he added. "Our Selena Rooster potatoes taste great and contain more than 50% of the recommended dietary allowance of selenium per serving. Because potatoes are so widely consumed in Ireland, we hope that the Selena potato will contribute to improving the health of the population." www.argenpapa.com.ar 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 Wash. spud growers agree to revised contracts Argenpapa. EEUU, 25 02 2009 As strong global demand weakens, Idaho expects to get similar proposal Dave Wilkins EEUU. (Capital Press).- Potato growers in Washington state may feel some empathy with Detroit auto workers after giving back part of a contract increase. Major processors agreed in September to give Northwest spud growers a hefty raise on their 2009 pre-season contracts. Potato Growers of Washington voted Feb. 13 to give some of it back. It seemed like the prudent thing to do in the midst of a global recession, grower representatives said. Soon after the 2009 processing contracts were approved last fall, the global economy took a turn for the worse. After decades of strong growth, global demand for french fries and other frozen potato products has weakened, industry officials said. Processors are expected to cut contract acreage in the Columbia Basin by about 8 to 10 percent this year as a result. Fuel and fertilizer prices have also fallen, so it won't cost farmers as much to grow potatoes this year as first thought. After a two-hour meeting during which some processors pleaded their case, Potato Growers of Washington members voted to give back some of the contract increase, said Dale Lathim, executive director of PGW. Growers with average production costs and average yields could still see a 20 percent profit margin under the revised contract, he said. It's significantly less than growers originally agreed to, but it's still "very, very good," he said. "We feel very positive about what we've done," Lathim said. "We hope it's a good move for the industry, and we look forward to a very good 2009." About 90 percent of the group's members voted in favor of revised contracts with J.R. Simplot Co. and Lamb-Weston, the potato division of food giant ConAgra. Lathim said he expects a similar contract revision with McCain Foods. The processors agreed to give Washington growers the same basic contract terms in 2010, so the revised contract is essentially a two-year deal, Lathim said. "We're trying to stabilize the industry by giving growers a 20 percent profit margin in 2009 and 2010," he said. Volume commitments under the revised contract vary by company. "We did get some acreage guarantees, but not as much as we were looking for," Lathim said. If Washington growers had refused to budge, they would have reaped a one-year "windfall," but perhaps have been worse off in the long run, Lathim said. Several Simplot executives, including newly named CEO Bill Whitacre, made a special trip to Washington to appeal to growers before the vote. Their one-hour presentation was impressive, Lathim said. "They made an excellent presentation, first-class all the way," he said. The revised contract terms will help secure a long-term future for Washington growers, he said. "All we've done is just move the contract back to where it's a deal that will work for the processors and their customers as well as the growers," Lathim said. Processors are also expected to ask Idaho growers to approve revised contracts, but it could be a tough sell. Idaho growers were turned down when they approached processors about an adjustment in the 2008 contract after they were hit with a huge run-up in fuel and fertilizer costs before planting. "When we went to processors, they said, 'No, a deal's a deal,'" said Dan Hargraves, executive director of the Southern Idaho Potato Cooperative. Idaho growers got an average price increase of 12 percent in their 2008 processing contracts, but input costs jumped about 22 percent, he said. It would likely take a multi-year deal of three years or more to get Idaho growers to agree to any contract revision, Hargraves said. "We see very little benefit from our standpoint in making just a one-year adjustment," he said. "We don't want to get thrown under the bus again next year if the market dynamics are weak." Staff writer Dave Wilkins is based in Twin Falls, Idaho. E-mail: dwilkins@capitalpress.com. www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Wash. spud growers agree to revised contracts Argenpapa. Canadá, 27 02 2009 As strong global demand weakens, Idaho expects to get similar proposal Dave Wilkins Canadá. (Capital Press).- Potato growers in Washington state may feel some empathy with Detroit auto workers after giving back part of a contract increase. Major processors agreed in September to give Northwest spud growers a hefty raise on their 2009 pre-season contracts. Potato Growers of Washington voted Feb. 13 to give some of it back. It seemed like the prudent thing to do in the midst of a global recession, grower representatives said. Soon after the 2009 processing contracts were approved last fall, the global economy took a turn for the worse. After decades of strong growth, global demand for french fries and other frozen potato products has weakened, industry officials said. Processors are expected to cut contract acreage in the Columbia Basin by about 8 to 10 percent this year as a result. Fuel and fertilizer prices have also fallen, so it won't cost farmers as much to grow potatoes this year as first thought. After a two-hour meeting during which some processors pleaded their case, Potato Growers of Washington members voted to give back some of the contract increase, said Dale Lathim, executive director of PGW. Growers with average production costs and average yields could still see a 20 percent profit margin under the revised contract, he said. It's significantly less than growers originally agreed to, but it's still "very, very good," he said. "We feel very positive about what we've done," Lathim said. "We hope it's a good move for the industry, and we look forward to a very good 2009." About 90 percent of the group's members voted in favor of revised contracts with J.R. Simplot Co. and Lamb-Weston, the potato division of food giant ConAgra. Lathim said he expects a similar contract revision with McCain Foods. The processors agreed to give Washington growers the same basic contract terms in 2010, so the revised contract is essentially a two-year deal, Lathim said. "We're trying to stabilize the industry by giving growers a 20 percent profit margin in 2009 and 2010," he said. Volume commitments under the revised contract vary by company. "We did get some acreage guarantees, but not as much as we were looking for," Lathim said. If Washington growers had refused to budge, they would have reaped a one-year "windfall," but perhaps have been worse off in the long run, Lathim said. Several Simplot executives, including newly named CEO Bill Whitacre, made a special trip to Washington to appeal to growers before the vote. Their one-hour presentation was impressive, Lathim said. "They made an excellent presentation, first-class all the way," he said. The revised contract terms will help secure a long-term future for Washington growers, he said. "All we've done is just move the contract back to where it's a deal that will work for the processors and their customers as well as the growers," Lathim said. Processors are also expected to ask Idaho growers to approve revised contracts, but it could be a tough sell. Idaho growers were turned down when they approached processors about an adjustment in the 2008 contract after they were hit with a huge run-up in fuel and fertilizer costs before planting. "When we went to processors, they said, 'No, a deal's a deal,'" said Dan Hargraves, executive director of the Southern Idaho Potato Cooperative. Idaho growers got an average price increase of 12 percent in their 2008 processing contracts, but input costs jumped about 22 percent, he said. It would likely take a multi-year deal of three years or more to get Idaho growers to agree to any contract revision, Hargraves said. "We see very little benefit from our standpoint in making just a one-year adjustment," he said. "We don't want to get thrown under the bus again next year if the market dynamics are weak." Staff writer Dave Wilkins is based in Twin Falls, Idaho. E-mail: dwilkins@capitalpress.com. www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día University of Idaho offers four new potato publications Argenpapa. EEUU, 02 03 2009 EEUU. (Potato News).- The University of Idaho College of Agricultural and Life Sciences has added four publications on potatoes to the late-winter lineup of its Educational Communications unit. A 130-page “Field Guide to Potato Pests”—a practical, pocket-sized guide to the weeds, diseases, nematodes and insects that affect Idaho's world-famous crop—can be purchased for $5 plus shipping and handling by calling Educational Communications at (208) 885-7982 or e-mailing calspubs@uidaho.edu . Written in both English and Spanish, it includes photographs of the crop stages during which each pest is likely to attack and is intended to increase early identification of pests by field workers. “Cultural Management of Western Russet Potatoes” and “Storage Management of Western Russet Potatoes” can be downloaded from Educational Communications' online Catalog at http://www.info.ag.uidaho.edu/ . Western Russet is a medium to high yielding multi-purpose potato released in 2004 by the USDA Agricultural Research Service and the agricultural experiment stations of Idaho, Oregon and Washington. The publications offer storage recommendations based on two years of testing at the University of Idaho's Kimberly Research and Extension Center as well as research-based information on managing seed, planting, nutrients, irrigation, weeds and diseases. “Wireworm Biology and Nonchemical Management in Potatoes in the Pacific Northwest”—one of a series of organic potato production bulletins developed by Oregon State University personnel and 11 farmers—is available both online and in print. It reviews the scientific literature on wireworm and provides information on wireworm biology, monitoring, risk assessment and nonchemical control options that can be integrated into a variety of production systems. As a 20-page printed publication, it costs $4.50 plus shipping and handling. Noticias al día Economist predicts higher potato production costs Argenpapa. EEUU, 09 03 2009 Spud processors cutting back on contracted acres, but grower sees no increase in open plantings Dave Wilkins Capital Press EEUU. (Capital Press).-Idaho potato farmers are likely to pay more to grow spuds this year than in 2008, despite the recent drop in diesel and nitrogen fertilizer prices. "My guess is that the overall cost increase will be somewhere between zero and 5 percent," said Paul Patterson, a University of Idaho Extension ag economist. Patterson's projection is based on cost information available in early January. Potato farmers got slammed with cost-of-production increases of more than 20 percent last year. Input costs probably won't increase as much this year, but they're still likely to be higher than in 2008, growers and ag economists said. "The only thing that we have seen a decrease in is nitrogen and diesel," said Klaren Koompin, a potato farmer from American Falls, Idaho. Potassium costs are up about 30 percent from last year, he said. The increase in production costs should discourage growers from planting too many spuds this year, Koompin said. Cost of production is a critical issue as growers approach planting season. Processors are cutting back on contracted acreage, and some growers who thought they were going to have a contract will be without one. Koompin said he doesn't think the situation will lead to a big increase in open-market plantings as some in the industry fear. "The cost is still so high, I don't think that there will be a lot of open potatoes raised by contract growers," he said. "If we get cut on contract acres, those acres aren't going to be planted. We will just cut back by that amount." Idaho process growers received about 12 percent more for spuds grown under contract last year, but their input costs soared 22 percent, said Dan Hargraves, executive director of the Southern Idaho Potato Cooperative. Production costs can vary widely from farm to farm, depending on the size of the operation, location, varieties grown and other factors, Patterson said. He said seed costs, on average, will be up 25 to 35 percent from last year and chemical costs will be up about 5 percent. Fertilizer costs will be down about 10 to 15 percent, and machinery costs should be down 15 to 25 percent, he said. Overall operating costs for Idaho potato farmers will be close to the same as 2008, while ownership costs will be up about 8 percent, Patterson estimated. Ownership costs include land rental. Cash rental rates are up as much as $150 per acre on some potato ground in the Magic Valley compared with 2008, he said. "Land rents went up pretty considerably last year, and it's still carrying over to this year," Patterson said. One processor is reportedly paying $800 per acre for potato ground in the Magic Valley this year, and there have been other reports of potato ground in the Columbia Basin going for nearly $900 an acre. www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día No more potatoes from Saudi Arabia Argenpapa. Yemen, 13 03 2009 SANA'A, YEMEN.(Yemen Times). — Almost 4,000 tons of potatoes imported last month from Saudi Arabia have flooded vegetable markets in Yemen at a cheaper price than the local produce leading the Cabinet to halt the import altogether since last week. According to a trade treaty, Yemen imports potatoes from Saudi Arabia every year during the winter season when production is low. This year, the country has imported large quantities from Saudi Arabia due to a cold wave that hit the Marib governorate, one of the largest potatoes producers in the country, and floods that had devastated the governorates of Hadramout and Mahra. Small merchants say that, if it weren't for the imported potatoes, there would be a shortage in the market. Moreover, people cannot afford buying local grown potatoes because they are very expensive. “Importing potatoes from Saudi Arabia has helped local consumers,” said Ali Nasser, grocery seller in the Al-Raqas market in Sana'a. “There are not enough quantities of local potatoes because of cold weather which hit the country last month.” “The price of the potato has increased nowadays even the kind imported from Saudi Arabia,” said Jaber Al-Umaisi, vegetable wholesaler at Al-Hasaba Central Market. This kind of potatoes, he says, comes to our market in bad conditions because they spend so much time at the border. He thinks that “importing them should be banned.” Cheating in selling potatoes The Yemeni potato is better in quality than its Saudi competitor which has driven some merchants into cheating consumers by changing the appearance of potatoes imported from Saudi Arabia. “Potatoes from Saudi Arabia are clean unlike Yemeni ones, which has prompted some merchants to spray these potatoes with water and roll them in dirt to give them the appearance of a Yemeni one,” said Ali Al-Sadani, retailer and wholesaler of groceries in the Al-Hasaba market. “There is a shortage of Yemeni potatoes in the markets, so we turn to imported potatoes to meet consumer demand,” Al-Sadani explained. He said that he sells a 20-kilo basket of imported potatoes for YR 2,700 and the same basket of Yemeni potatoes for up to YR 3,400. Not suitable for human consumption Some people say this kind of potato is not suitable for consumption because of its bad taste. “Although its shape is clean and good, when it is cooked it tastes bad,” said Abdullah Mohammad, consumer and head of a household. “We carried out a study about this kind of potato imported from Saudi Arabia, and found that it is not suitable for eating because they are bulbs mean for planting,” said Mustapha Nasr, owner of Economic and Media Studies Center. Importers said they suffered great loss because of this problem. “We lost four trucks of potatoes at the border when the committee from the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation stopped them for twenty days to check whether or not the potatoes were for planting,” said Mohammad Naser Al-Qaifi, spokesman of Al-Nawami Group for Importing and Exporting Vegetables. “The authorities in general are blackmailing us. They say the potatoes are too small, meant for planting and not suitable for eating,” said al-Qaifi. Farmers demand end to imports Officials in the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation say they received complaints from farmers that they are making losses as a result of the country importing potatoes. Dr. Mansour Al-Aqel, general director of Agricultural Guidance says, “We have a treaty with Saudi Arabia for open borders between the two countries to import and export vegetables.” “We import vegetables for a limited period between October and December,” he added. “These days there is a scarcity of potatoes because of unfavorable weather conditions that delay local production and floods which swept agricultural lands.” Because the farmers have been affected, we have stopped importing potatoes now on the basis of the Cabinet's decision which defines the period for importing from October to December. Foreign potatoes re-exported The imported potatoes from Saudi Arabia are not of Saudi origin, but re-exported from other countries. “Saudi exporters are intelligent, they use the treaties signed between Yemen and Saudi Arabia for their interests,” said Al-Qaifi who declared that Saudi exporters are importing potatoes from Egypt with lower prices and re- exporting them to Yemen for more benefits. “Potatoes from Saudi Arabia are imported by Saudi merchants from Egypt and India,” agreed al-Aqel who affirmed that the Yemeni potato is better than the imported type. “As exporters and importers, we export onions, potatoes and tomatoes to Saudi Arabia but we face difficulties from the authorities in our business,” said Al-Qifi. “The Saudis have better strategies than us.” Mahmoud Assamiee Noticias al día The pattern broke four years ago Potato growers can keep profitable prices by thinking of the industry first Argenpapa. EEUU, 16 03 2009 EEUU . (Fresh Plaza).-The old pattern was that fresh potato growers made healthy profits every sixth year (1989, 1995, 2001). In most other years, according to my research, growers either lost money or broke even. After the 2001 crop was marketed, prices fell for four consecutive years. Losses mounted, forcing some out of the industry and pushing others to the brink of survival. Then prices jumped up and stayed there. For the 25-month period from July ‘03 through July ‘05 the average monthly price for Idaho growers was above $4 five times. During the next 43 months, there were only five months when the price was BELOW $6 (Figure 1). Never before, in more than a century of United States Department of Agriculture records, have potato prices remained high for four consecutive crops. With the old pattern it would have taken 24 years to get that many profitable fresh potato crops. Prices have been on a higher plateau because growers avoided an old problem – excess supplies. Grower decisions will determine if the problem will re-appear in 2009. Growers control plantings The U.S. fresh potato industry faces some challenges. One is how to manage success. After four years of keeping supply at profitable levels, it may be hard to do it again. There is a powerful urge to plant more potatoes in 2009. Wise growers may show restraint but other people could jump in. Record high prices ignited enthusiasm for planting potatoes. Several other factors will have some impact. High production cost and price risk could restrain potato plantings. Alternative crop prices are giving mixed signals. Lower grain prices tend to increase potato plantings, but high hay prices have the opposite impact. Several economists have developed econometric models to forecast potato plantings. I built one years ago for my doctoral research, but it is now outdated. Bruce Huffaker, who publishes North American Potato Market News, built a similar model. In January, he used his model to predict an 8.2 percent increase in U.S. 2009 potato plantings. Expert opinion can also be a good forecasting tool. I collected some at potato industry presentations I made recently. When I asked growers for a show of hands about several planting scenarios, most raised their hands for an increase in the range of zero to 5 percent. Yields increase steadily Plantings are only part of the potato supply puzzle. Yields make up another important part. In my yield trend research, I found a consistent pattern that has not been broken. Potato growers have continued to increase yields at a steady rate for the last half century. For the U.S. as a whole, yields have gone up at the rate of 4.4 hundredweight per year. Oregon and Washington growers have been increasing yields at the rate of 7 hundredweight per year. In Colorado, Idaho and Wisconsin the increase has been 4 to 5 hundredweight per year. Yields in 2008 were below the trend in the U.S. and in most states. If 2009 yields go back to the trend, 2009 potato supplies be up 2 percent in Idaho, 10 percent in Oregon and 1 percent in the U.S. (Table 1). Supply controls prices Fresh potato demand is inelastic. Small changes in supply cause big changes in price. I found a 7-to-1 relationship. For each 1 percent change in supply, prices change 7 percent in the opposite direction. I used this relationship to predict price impacts in two scenarios. Scenario One: Plantings – up 4 percent & Yields -- up 1 percent This combination of yield and plantings would boost supplies 5 percent. That would lead to a 35 percent decline in fresh potato prices. Scenario Two: Plantings – up 8 percent & Yields -- up 1 percent. An estimated 8 percent increase in plantings and a return to the U.S. yield trend would cause supplies to increase 9 percent. That translates to a 63 percent decrease in fresh potato prices. Under either scenario money-losing prices would return to the industry. There is a way to prevent the red ink from flowing – reduce potato plantings. An economic concept - ‘the fallacy of composition' – says that what is true for an individual is not true for a group. In the potato industry it means that growers who try to increase profits by planting more potatoes, make prices drop for all growers. This spring growers can keep prices profitable if they think about the industry rather than themselves. By Joseph F. Guenthner, PhD Professor of Agricultural Economics P.O. Box 442334 University of Idaho Moscow, ID 83844-2334 208-885-6056 jguenthn@uidaho.edu Note: On occasion, Dr. Joseph Guenthner serves as a consultant to industry organizations including United Potato Growers of America. This article was written independently and is based on academic research. www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día How to increase potato yield Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña, 18 03 2009 Gran Bretaña.(FoodEast News).-When are the best times to irrigate a potato crop ? What are the ramifications of the latest changes on pesticide use? What's the significance of the chronological age of a seed potato – and how can it dramatically change size and yield? These and many other significant questions were answered at Greenvale AP's Growers' Day, held at the Haycock Hotel near Peterborough on February 11, 2009. The event was oversubscribed – around 40 growers were expected and over 50 actually attended, coming from all over the UK, despite atrocious weather conditions. The day focused on Vales Sovereign , the new 'all-rounder' potato variety developed by Greenvale and currently sold exclusively through Tesco . Sales of the popular new variety are growing rapidly from an already impressive base of 15,000 tonnes, with Tesco planning for 60,000 tonnes over the next 18 months. Speakers included Tim Pratt, produce technical manager for Tesco, Mark Stalham of Cambridge University Farm (CUF) , Robert Baird, procurement manager Greenvale Cambridgeshire, and Paul Coleman, Greenvale's technical director. After the presentations lunch was served, with Vales Sovereign on the menu in mashed, roast and wedge recipes. In the afternoon the growers visited Tesco's state of the art distribution centre at Peterborough. Breaking into the Tesco Top Ten Robert Baird opened proceedings, pointing out that while Vales Sovereign is popular with customers because of its versatility and taste, it is also an increasingly popular choice for growers, because it is resistant to disease and needs less nitrogen and irrigation than other varieties. "Black dot has been the bane of many varieties for several years – it's good news that Vales Sovereign is so resistant to the disease," he said. Tim Pratt presented Tesco's view of Vales Sovereign. "It's already made the top twenty in sales of potatoes and will make the top ten soon – it will probably end up in the top five," he said. He praised the potato's "fantastic" versatility and confirmed that it was becoming a very important variety for Tesco – in fact, it had won the Tesco Fresh Variety of the Year Award for 2008. He added that Vales Sovereign is one of the very few successful named varieties to be developed over the past fifty years. Paul Coleman then brought growers up to speed on the 'changing face of weed control' – highlighting the need to adopt new regimes, in the light of new regulations such as the reduction in maximum legal dosage of Linuron. Paul also detailed the changes to nematicide usage that have come about following improved monitoring of crop residues. Chronological age: 333 is better than 303 Paul Coleman then explained how Greenvale's tests with the chronological age of seed potatoes had shown dramatic increases in stems for the dormant variety of Vales Sovereign. The chronological age is the period from the initiation of the tuber on the mother crop to the date of planting the seed. The tests showed that seed potatoes with a chronological age of 333 days delivered much higher stem numbers than those of 303 days. The result is the need to match seed rates to the age of the seed. As a result, all Greenvale's Vales Sovereign crops will be planted as early as possible. The target for Vales Sovereign growers is 188,000 stems per hectare. With 55mm-sized seed, 55,500 were required using 303-day seeds, but only 35,600 using 333-day seed. He also confirmed that Greenvale were investing in a major research programme with Cambridge University Farm (CUF) to model 15 Vales Sovereign fields with the objective of giving growers highly targeted feedback on areas such as irrigation and nitrogen uptake and yield potential in a variety of conditions. To irrigate, or not to irrigate… Mark Stalham's presentation demonstrated the latest thinking on irrigation techniques. He asked 'do we always need to irrigate?' and while the answer was broadly yes, the specifics were critical – not only for yield but also in combating cracking and scab. Water use efficiency (WUE) is the name of the game – get the timings right and there are huge potential benefits. CUF has developed a software economic model showing how different responses to SMD (soil moisture deficit) affect yield. The model is based on 20 years of data; the user inputs different SMD and irrigation figures and the programme works out their impact on yield and profit figures. Mark also highlighted that Vales Sovereign produces good yields with less irrigation than other varieties, a result of its rooting and canopy characteristics. The bottom line? WUE varies according to variety, growth and soil conditions. Growers must avoid over-watering, even on scabby soil, and vary their irrigation pattern to suit their crop. "We were absolutely delighted with the support from growers attending the day," said Sue Gilbert, Greenvale's group marketing manager. "Even more pleasing was that they clearly found the event stimulating and useful. What's more, we have had an excellent response – most of the growers who came have either already decided to grow Vales Sovereign, or plan to do it as soon as they can." www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día The return of the Red McClure by David Frey , Aspen Daily News Correspondent Argenpapa. EEUU, 27 03 2009 The Roaring Fork and Crystal River Valley section of Colorado is as nearly perfect in soil conditions as can be found, and the potatoes grown there are not excelled anywhere in the world, and are equaled in but few places. — E.H. Grubb & W.S. Guilford, “The Potato,” 1912 CARBONDALE — Long before National Geographic Adventure magazine dubbed this a “next great adventure town,” Carbondale was a great potato town, but as the potato fields vanished, so did a potato variety that was born here. But take heart, foodies. The Red McClure is coming home. EEUU.(Aspen Daily News).-Concerned that this heirloom variety had disappeared from its birthplace and was drifting into obscurity, the Roaring Fork chapter of the Slow Food movement conspired to track down the elusive tuber and bring it back. The group found the spud growing in captivity in the San Luis Valley, where the Red McClure once was king, being raised by Colorado State University in an effort to keep historic food varietals from disappearing. Missouri Heights resident Marie Louise Ryan, a member of Slow Food Roaring Fork, is preparing to load up her Subaru wagon with 500 pounds of Red McClures suitable for planting to satisfy commercial farms, school gardens and backyard gardeners, and bring this historic potato back to life. “No food item should go extinct,” Ryan said, “much less in the area where it was developed. I'd like to grow it because it was developed here and because I like growing potatoes. I think everyone should grow them here, for historic purposes and biodiversity purposes.” The Red McClure has Irish immigrant Thomas McClure to thank for its name, and its existence. The man, for whom nearby McClure Pass was also named, defied his father by leaving Ireland for America to join the Gold Rush. He came to Gilpin County, then Leadville, then Aspen, before taking up farming in the Catherine Store area east of Carbondale, where, like many of his neighbors, he raised potatoes. One of the popular potatoes here was the Peachblow, and McClure's variety was a natural mutation of it: fist-sized, ruddy red, with deep eyes. He introduced the new variety in 1910, and it became one of several varieties grown around Carbondale, which at one time produced more potatoes than all of Idaho. In the 1930s, before labor shortages and plunging prices killed the town's potato industry, Carbondale was shipping 400 railcars of potatoes out of town. Potato magnate Eugene Grubb called Carbondale home. The Russet-Burbank potato that put Idaho on the map was first developed on the Lou Sweet ranch above town. ‘Virtually, it's disappeared' David Frey/Aspen Daily News After nearly fading from existence, the Red McClure potato is returning to Carbondale where it was developed. The group Slow Food Roaring Fork found some of the last few Red McClures growing at a San Luis Valley research center and is working to reintroduce the variety for local growers. The Red McClure became a favorite across the Divide in the massive potato fields of the San Luis Valley. Over the decades, though, it disappeared there, too, replaced by new varieties. By 1947, the American Potato Journal documented only five counties in the country raising Red McClures. They were all in the San Luis Valley. Now, those are gone, too. “This is Slow Food's mission: to bring back crops that deserve an audience,” said Tom Passavant, co-president of Slow Food Roaring Fork. Finding the potato was a challenge. A Fort Collins lab offered to produce it in a test tube, but Ryan demurred. Test tube potatoes just aren't Slow Food style. Finally, she found them alive and well, and in the open air, in the San Luis Valley. “Virtually it's disappeared,” said Dave Holm, horticulture professor at Colorado State University's San Luis Valley Research Center, where just one-tenth of an acre of Red McClures remain in cultivation. “I don't know, right off, anywhere else in the United States you could go to find it.” A few San Luis Valley old-timers still grow them, Holm said, and some say they prefer the flavor to newer varieties, but the Red McClure has disappeared from seed catalogs. Thirty years ago it was the most popular red potato in the area, Holm said, but it's been displaced by newer types like the Sangre, which is redder and has shallower eyes and fewer blemishes. Good to great When Slow Food Roaring Fork members sat down to sample the Red McClure, their ratings ranged from good to great, Passavant said. “We would never pretend it's a gourmet potato,” he said. “This isn't going to put French fingerlings out of business. But at Slow Food we believe in preserving species by eating them. We think this is a good, solid, working-class potato that deserves to be grown again in the valley, and our mission is to see if we can establish this crop on a commercially viable basis.” Commercial growers like Palisade's Rancho Durazno, Delta's Borden Farms and Silt's Osage Gardens plan to grow the potato. So do sustainable agriculture groups like Rock Bottom Ranch and Sustainable Settings. The Waldorf School on the Roaring Fork, just a potato toss away from McClure's old farm, plans to grow it in its garden. So do Aspen Elementary School and Carbondale's Colorado Rocky Mountain School, which will offer the potatoes for sale to the public at its annual spring plant sale. “We certainly don't want to see things die away,” said Osage Gardens owner Sarah Rumery. “We'd like to help support it.” Passavant said he'd like to see the Red McClure end up back not just in area gardens and farms, but on valley restaurant menus, bringing Carbondale's native potato back to its roots, sharing dinner plates with local beef. “Meat and potatoes,” he said. “How can you beat it?” dfrey@aspendailynews.com Noticias al día Growers told to grow demand, not more potatoes By Ashley Bentley Argenpapa. EEUU, 30 03 2009 DENVER.(The Packer).- In the middle of an above-average marketing year, potato industry leaders are both excited and concerned about what the future brings. Attendees of the U.S. Potato Board's annual meeting March 10-13 were pumped up by a domestic marketing presentation that promised to reach out to the industry's target audience, but they also were warned about dire markets if fall production increases. “Things are extremely unsettling in the marketplace, and we've got some issues to work out,” said Bart Connors, immediate past chairman of the board. “We'd all like to know the outcome of planting plans, commodity prices and contracts, but that's not why we're here today. We're here to grow demand.” Potato prices have been up this year, mostly because of lower supplies affected by weather throughout the country early in the season. Potato consumption is down, so the dip in supplies corresponds with demand. Lee Frankel, president of Salt Lake City-based United Potato Growers of America, encouraged industry members to keep an ear to the ground and not be tempted by high prices this year to plant more acres for next season. Grow the pie In order to combat sluggish demand, board members voted to raise grower assessments a half-cent per cwt. beginning in 2010, which should add another $1.5 million to next year's budget. The domestic marketing budget is expected to receive an extra $237,000 next year, almost a 5% increase, and the research and evaluation budget should see a $100,000 bump, a 38% increase from 2008. “The economy (made) our decision more difficult,” Connors said of the assessment vote. The day before the decision was due, Connors urged the board not to bury its collective head in the sand and put off the assessment increase, but rather just do it now. Whether motivated by fear of the future of the market or excitement about the new campaigns, grower members agreed to take action. Kathleen Triou, vice president of domestic marketing, presented the domestic marketing committee's target audience, “Linda,” a 25-54 year-old female head of the household, a demographic represented by 82.8 million U.S. residents. “She's an impulse buyer, and not only does she plan for her family but she sees new things and picks them up,” Triou said. “She's a trend setter, is influenced by celebrities, fashion and trends, likes new news and likes to bring new news to her friends.” Triou reviewed the board's recently implemented integrated marketing campaign, “Potatoes … Goodness Unearthed” and the “Peel Back the Truth” ads that were featured in women's and health magazines through the fall and early this year. “The first results we've seen (from the ads) are very promising,” Connors said. “We have that emotional component that has not been in our ads before.” The campaign's next step is on the Internet, said Buddy Ketchner, managing partner for Sterling Rice Group, the board's New York-based advertising agency. The committee identified opportunities using data from an eating trends survey and an attitude and use survey. According to results, 43% of respondents' favorite thing about potatoes is their versatility, while 34% said taste and flavor and 27% said health and nutrition. “Without any help from us, a quarter of the people already believe they're healthy and nutritious,” Triou said. The survey also revealed 88% of respondents had served potatoes in the week before taking part in the survey, and another 10% said they had in the last month. “It's not that they're not eating potatoes. They just need to eat them a little more,” Triou said. Ketchner said the potato industry has started to swing in the right direction and has the advantage of entering the next season with momentum. The bad rap potatoes got at the height of the low-carb craze has seen its peak and is on its way down, he said. www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día About the CropLogic Potato Calculator TM Argenpapa. Genaral, 30 03 2009 General.(CropLogic).-The Potato Calculator provides potato growers improved crop management information and recommendations. It enables growers to optimise both crop yield and quality, while minimising growing costs and environmental impacts. It also enables food processing companies to monitor and manage their supplies of raw material to ensure consistency and improved prediction of yield and quality. The core product is an internet-based software system consisting of a supply forecasting and crop monitoring tool for processors and a decision support tool for crop management. "Today's farmers are striving to manage their operations in a more profitable, sustainable, and environmentally sensitive manner, yet their production practices must accommodate increases in energy costs, reductions in water supplies, and changes in climate... At the same time they need to conform to complex environmental guidelines that mandate safer and more efficient use of fertilizers and pesticides. As a result, they require considerably more information on their crops and soils than was needed a generation ago." United States, Department of Agriculture Supply forecasting and crop monitoring system This system integrates data from all potato fields to enable aggregation of information for yield prediction and supply forecasting. In addition, it enables remote monitoring of crop progress. Crop management system This enables growers and agronomists to optimise decisions on potato crop management. It is used for planting and harvest decisions and to schedule fertiliser and irrigation. www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Potato shipments continue amid torrential rains By Andy Nelson Argenpapa. EEUU, 01 04 2009 EEUU. (The Packer).-Heavy rains in the Red River Valley have not significantly slowed potato shipments from the region, shippers said. On March 25, the river that splits North Dakota and Minnesota had crested as high as 35 feet, and by March 27 it was expected to crest at between 39 and 41 feet, according to news stories. The record crest, 40.1 feet, occurred in 1897. But while residents along the river feverishly piled sandbags and the two states' congressional delegations briefed President Obama on the situation, shippers continued to send out trucks and get product to market. “There might be one lane open instead of two, and someone may get a load tomorrow instead of today — big deal,” said Steve Tweten, president of NoKota Packers Inc., Buxton, N.D. The only way spuds would get wet is if packing shed roofs leaked, Tweten said — and his hasn't. The rains won't affect the 2009-2010 crop, either. Tweten said growers won't start planting it until mid-May. Shipments also haven't been appreciably slowed at Ryan Potato Co., East Grand Forks, Minn., said Ron Norman, director of operations. “Some highways have been closed day-to-day, but we're doing pretty good,” he said. From March 15 to March 21, about 6.9 million pounds of potatoes shipped from North Dakota, down from 7.8 million pounds last year at the same time, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Potato challenges ahead for the Northern European potato crop Argenpapa. CEE, 06 04 2009 CEE. (Potato News).- In the March issue of the Euro Potato report, compiled by Potato Council in the UK and edited by Rob Burrow, it is said that the 2008 crop has already had to face a number of challenges from severe rainfall that impacted in late planting and, in some European countries difficult harvesting schedules. The growing season saw the potential for disease problems to emerge, including wet rots and skin blemishes, which increased the risk for long term storage. There was also an unexpected bonus for some growers in terms of average yield per hectare in some countries, particularly the Netherlands and GB. The final analysis however resulted in a large volume of potatoes without storage capacity and of poor quality, or suspect crops which required urgent movement. This urgency to make a sale has seen significant downward pressure on the Northern European maincrop sector throughout the current trading period, rather than for any recession reasons. According to the Euro Potato report, in the current uncertain financial climate, particularly with tighter credit and costs increasing, cash flow, particularly for small enterprises, is still a growing concern throughout the whole supply chain. In approaching the 2008 season economists forecast increases in the cost of production to the extent of 15-25% depending upon forward buying of key inputs such as seed, fertiliser and energy. The outlook for growers selling “Free Buy” stocks in today's market is mainly one of negative returns. In contrast, it has been encouraging that more forward thinking sectors have adopted a shared risk approach to supply contracts, particularly in GB. Also rising unemployment and a decrease in consumer spending will make staple foods, including potatoes, more attractive in volume terms. Current demand in the fresh sector for “Value Type” potatoes is one impact of the credit crunch. Major retailers in all Northern European countries, with the exception of Germany, appear to be making a push to offer customers discounted product lines, due to the general economic downturn and as a way of competing with discounter stores. The consequence of yield results and the subsequent market price will be more clearly illustrated when growers and their financiers evaluate the potential “Risk versus Reward” in the 2009 season. Potato growers are likely to continue the recent trend for protectionism by securing market and price through contract arrangements or to committed purchasers. Major potato purchasers also increased own production last year to secure a sound supply base; it remains to be seen whether a similar situation will occur for the 2009 European crop. www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Organic Management of Late Blight of Potato and Tomato with Copper Products Argenpapa . Información técnica, 08 04 2009 eOrganic authors: Alex Stone, Oregon State University Brian Baker, Organic Materials Review Institute Source: Excerpts from: Brown Rosen, E., E. Sideman, A. M. Shelton, B. Caldwell and C. Smart, 2006. Resource guide for organic insect and disease management [Online]. Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. New York State Agricultural Experiment Station. Available at: http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/pp/resourceguide/mfs/06copper.php (verified 17 Jan 2009). Introduction Late blight (causal agent Phytophthora infestans ) is a very difficult disease to control organically in regions where potatoes are grown on large acreage and rain occurs during the production period. Organic farmers should practice best cultural management to manage this disease. However, in some regions, even when all best organic management strategies are adopted, if inoculum is blowing in from off-farm sources, potato cultivars are not resistant, and weather conditions are conducive to disease development, a late blight epidemic can occur. Once late blight is initiated in a field, disease progress can occur very rapidly, killing all aboveground plant tissues within one or two weeks. In regions of the world where late blight epidemics occur frequently, prophylactic copper applications are applied. As required by the certification process, farmers must use all available alternative practices to manage late blight, and describe these in the Organic System Plan, before deciding to apply a copper product. "Copper fungicides are estimated to extend the growing period (before the potato foliage has to be destroyed to prevent the spread of blight to the tubers and neighbouring fields) by between 2-4 weeks. This is estimated to result in between 10 and 40% higher yields compared to crops not protected by copper (in which the foliage has to be destroyed earlier)." (Leifert undated) Use on organic farms Copper fungicides are on the National Organic Program National List as synthetics. They are regulated for use as disease management tools, with the restriction that they must be used in a manner that minimizes copper accumulation in the soil. Like any other synthetic pesticide used in organic agriculture, a farmer must first adopt all available alternative management practices and show that those practices are not sufficiently effective. Specific preventive and alternative measures would include destruction of cull piles, planting of disease resistant cultivars, roguing/destruction of diseased plants, irrigation management, and wide row spacing. Farmers applying copper products should periodically soil test for copper to track trends in soil copper contents. Efficacy Copper fungicides can be highly effective if applied prophylactically (before infection) and with complete coverage of all plant foliar surfaces, including the undersides of leaves where the pathogen typically sporulates. In the European BlightMOP project, across many trials in countries across the EU, foliar potato late blight was controlled on average by 27% with an average yield increase of 20% (Speiser et al 2006). In a single season field trial at Oregon State University in 2007, four applications of 1.9 lbs elemental copper as cupric oxide suppressed foliar disease development by 88% (Stone 2007). A late blight spray trial was conducted at Oregon State University in 2007. Copper fungicides, compost tea, and other materials approved for use on organic farms were tested for efficacy against late blight. Only the copper materials effectively controlled late blight, as can be seen in this photo. All green plots (living potato plants) are copper product treatment plots. The potato plants are completely dead in the control and all other treatment plots. Photo credit: Alex Stone, Oregon State University. Mode of Action (this section is excerpted from Resource Guide for Organic Insect and Disease Management ) Following absorption into the fungus or bacterium, the copper ions will link to various chemical groups (imidazoles, phosphates, sulfhydryls, hydroxyls) present in many proteins and disrupt the function of these proteins. Thus, the mode-of-action of copper hydroxide (or any other copper fungicide) is the nonspecific denaturation (disruption) of cellular proteins. The toxic copper ion is absorbed by the germinating fungal spore and thus for best results copper must be reapplied as plants grow to maintain coverage and prevent disease establishment. Formulations To find formulated products that are acceptable for certified organic production, check the OMRI Products List and the WSDA Brand Names List. See related article Can I Use This Product for Disease Management on my Organic Farm? For information on making and applying Bordeaux mixture, see the publication 'Bordeaux Mixture' (Donaldson et al 2000). NOTE: Before applying ANY copper product, be sure to 1) read the label to be sure that the product is labeled for the crop you intend to apply it to and the disease you intend to control, and 2) make sure that the brand name product is listed your Organic System Plan and approved by your certifier. Effects on human health (this section is excerpted from Resource Guide for Organic Insect and Disease Management ) Acute toxicity The oral LD50 of copper sulfate is 472 mg/kg in rats. Toxic response in humans has been observed at 11 mg/kg. Ingestion of copper sulfate is often not toxic because vomiting is automatically triggered by its irritating effect on the gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms are severe, however, if copper sulfate is retained in the stomach, as in the unconscious victim. Injury to the brain, liver, kidneys, and stomach and intestinal linings may occur in copper sulfate poisoning. Copper sulfate can be corrosive to the skin and eyes. It is readily absorbed through the skin and can produce a burning pain, as well as the other symptoms of poisoning resulting from ingestion. Skin contact may result in itching or eczema. It is a skin sensitizer and can cause allergic reactions in some individuals. Eye contact with this material can cause conjunctivitis, inflammation of the eyelid lining, cornea tissue deterioration, and clouding of the cornea (Extoxnet 1996). Copper hydroxide is less acutely toxic, with an oral LD50 in rats of 833 mg/kg. It is also not readily absorbed through the skin, with a dermal LD50 of over 5000 mg/kg in rats (Nufarm Americas Inc. 2004). Metabolism Absorption of copper sulfate into the blood occurs primarily under the acidic conditions of the stomach. The mucous membrane lining of the intestines acts as a barrier to absorption of ingested copper. After ingestion, more than 99% of copper is excreted in the feces. However, residual copper is an essential trace element that is strongly bio-accumulated. It is stored primarily in the liver, brain, heart, kidney, and muscles (Extoxnet 1996). Chronic toxicity Vineyard sprayers experienced liver disease after 3 to 15 years of exposure to copper sulfate solution in Bordeaux mixture. Long-term effects are more likely in individuals with Wilson's disease, a condition that causes excessive absorption and storage of copper. Chronic exposure to low levels of copper can lead to anemia. The growth of rats was retarded when given dietary doses of 25 mg/kg/day of copper sulfate. Dietary doses of 200 mg/kg/day caused starvation and death (Extoxnet 1996). Reproductive effects Copper sulfate has been shown to cause reproductive effects in test animals. Testicular atrophy increased in birds as they were fed larger amounts of copper sulfate. Sperm production was also interrupted to varying degrees. Reproduction and fertility was affected in pregnant rats given this material on day 3 of pregnancy (Extoxnet 1996). Teratogenic effects There is very limited evidence about the teratogenic effects of copper sulfate. Mutagenic effects Copper sulfate may cause mutagenic effects at high doses. At 400 and 1000 ppm, copper sulfate caused mutations in two types of microorganisms. Such effects are not expected in humans under normal conditions (Extoxnet 1996). Carcinogenic effects Copper sulfate at 10 mg/kg/day caused endocrine tumors in chickens given the material outside of the gastrointestinal tract through an intravenous or intramuscular injection. However, the relevance of these results to mammals, including humans, is not known (Extoxnet 1996). Organ toxicity Long-term animal studies indicate that the testes and endocrine glands have been affected (Extoxnet 1996). Heart disease occurred in the surviving offspring of pregnant hamsters given intravenous copper salts on day 8 of gestation. Environmental concerns Copper does not degrade in soil and there are serious concerns about the cumulative effect of copper applications on soil copper contents and soil biology. In the European Union, copper fungicides have been banned completely in the Netherlands and Denmark, and use has been restricted to 6kg/ha/year (5.4 lbs/A) elemental copper in other EU countries since 2006. These regulations were directed at perennial cropping systems in which copper applications are made annually, resulting in a high likelihood of soil copper accumulation, but the regulations also apply to annual cropping systems. In annual rotational systems, where copper applications are only made every 4-6 years, copper accumulation is less of a concern, but nonetheless, copper use is regulated and certified organic farmers in the US are required to restrict their use of copper products. Copper fungicides are protectants, so they MUST be applied to the foliage before infection. The copper ion is absorbed by the germinating spore, and the copper denatures spore proteins. Once infection has occurred, copper has no effect on disease progress in the plant. Because there is no 'kick-back', coppers must be applied regularly throughout the potato production season, beginning when potato plants emerge. In some regions, this strategy can result in 8 or more sprays per season. In dry conditions, coppers stick well to plant surfaces without adding a sticker to the tank mix, so when plants are not growing, sprays could be less frequent. However, when the potato foliage is growing rapidly, applications are required more frequently in order to protect new foliage. In the European BlightMOP project, potato late blight was effectively controlled with as little as 6 sprays of 0.9 lbs elemental copper per acre each as oxychloride, and this total application rate (5.4 lbs Cu per A) fell within the EU guidelines (6 kg/ha, or 5.4 lbs/A). In a single season field trial at Oregon State University in 2008, four applications of 1.9 lbs elemental copper as cupric oxide (highest label rate, Nordox) (total Cu application: 7.6 lbs Cu/A) strongly suppressed disease development (Stone, 2007). It is possible that Nordox could be effective at 0.9 lbs elemental copper/A per spray. Monterey Chemical, the US distributor of Nordox, is currently investigating the efficacy of lower Nordox rates. Toxicity to plants (this section is excerpted from Resource Guide for Organic Insect and Disease Management ) Copper is toxic to plants, particularly in large doses and at high temperatures. Symptoms of excess copper are reddish-brown leaves, followed by an uneven yellowing. These leaves will wilt and become dessicated. Leaves in this condition are also more susceptible to frost damage. Copper toxicity rates may result in reduced fruit set of tomatoes and in extreme conditions may even kill plants. Copper will be more toxic to plants in acidic conditions and more effective against disease under higher pH conditions, so a program to maintain soil pH is an important part of a strategy to maintain plant health. Soil accumulation (this section is excerpted from Resource Guide for Organic Insect and Disease Management ) Because copper accumulation is practically irreversible, limitations on copper use is a serious concern for organic farming. Copper is bound, or adsorbed, to organic materials, and to clay and mineral surfaces. The degree of adsorption to soils depends on the acidity or alkalinity of the soil. Because copper sulfate is highly water soluble, it is considered one of the more mobile metals in soils. However, because of its binding capacity, its leaching potential is low in all but sandy soils (Extoxnet 1996). Copper is a necessary plant and animal nutrient, but it is toxic to plants and other organisms at high levels. It is always present at a background level, but can be of concern in situations of heavy agronomic use of copper compounds. Agricultural soils are reported to have average background levels of 20-30 ppm (Baker 1990), with average overall US level found to be 15.5 ppm (Holmgren 1993). Some vineyard soils in Europe, which have seen intensive use of copper sulfate containing Bordeaux mixtures for 100 years, have soil Cu concentrations ranging from 100 - 1500 ppm (Besnard 2001). Maximum soil concentration rates for copper in New York soils have been recommended based on soil type, from 40 ppm (sandy soils) to 60 ppm (silt loam) to 100 ppm (clay soils) in order to protect against phytotoxicity and negative impacts on soil life (Harrison et al 1999). Typically, each spray with a copper-based fungicide results in an application of 1 to 4 lb. of copper per acre (raising the topsoil concentration from 0.5 to 2 ppm), and often several copper sprays are made per season. Thus, under a heavy copper spray program, toxic topsoil levels could be reached in a matter of decades. Some certifiers recommend that growers include copper in their soil testing program in order to determine a background level and track any changes in that level as a consequence of repeated copper spraying. Effects on wildlife (this section is excerpted from Resource Guide for Organic Insect and Disease Management ) Birds Copper sulfate is practically nontoxic to birds. It poses less of a threat to birds than to other animals. The lowest lethal dose (LDLo) is 1000 mg/kg in pigeons and 600 mg/kg in ducks. The oral LD50 for Bordeaux mixture in young mallards is 2000 mg/kg (Extoxnet 1996). Aquatic organisms Copper sulfate is highly toxic to fish. Even at recommended rates of application, this material may be poisonous to trout and other fish, especially in soft or acid waters. Its toxicity to fish generally decreases as water hardness increases. Fish eggs are more resistant than young fish to the toxic effects of copper sulfate. Copper sulfate is toxic to aquatic invertebrates, such as crab, shrimp, and oysters. It is used as a pesticide to control tadpole shrimp in rice production. The 96-hour LC50 of copper sulfate to pond snails is 0.39 mg/L at 20 C. Higher concentrations of the material caused some behavioral changes, such as secretion of mucous, and discharge of eggs and embryos (Extoxnet 1996). Other organisms Bees are endangered by Bordeaux mixture. Copper sulfate may be poisonous to sheep and chickens at normal application rates. In some orchards, most animal life in soil, including large earthworms, has been eliminated by the past extensive use of copper containing fungicides (Extoxnet 1996). Copper has been found to suppress rates of nitrogen fixation by the bacteria Rhizobium under some situations at relatively high copper levels of 235 ppm (OMRI 2001). Earthworms are sensitive to several heavy metals and may accumulate them in their tissues. Beneficial organisms Copper is a relatively non-specific bactericide and fungicide and can kill naturally occurring microorganisms on leaves as well as those that have been applied as biocontrols including Bacillus sp., Trichoderma and others. Conclusion Copper is a valuable tool for organic management of late blight in potatoes and tomatoes. However, it cannot be relied upon as the sole means of control. An integrated program of preventative and alternative practices which could include field design and fertility and irrigation management should be used in combination with copper applications to manage late blight of potato and tomato. Before applying ANY copper product, be sure to 1) read the label to be sure that the product is labeled for the crop you intend to apply it to and the disease you intend to control, and 2) make sure that the brand name product is listed your Organic System Plan and approved by your certifier. References and citations Baker, D.E. 1990. Copper. p. 151-176 In B.J. Alloway (ed.) Heavy metals in soil. Blackie and Sons Ltd. Besnard E., C. Chenu, and M. Robert. 2001. Influence of organic amendments on copper distribution among particle-size and density fractions in Champagne vineyard soils. Environmental Pollution 112:329-337. Brown Rosen, E., E. Sideman, A. M. Shelton, B. Caldwell, and C. Smart. 2006. Resource guide for organic insect and disease management [Online]. Cornell University. New York State Agricultural Experiment Station. Available at: http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/pp/resourceguide/mfs/06copper.php . (verified 17 Jan 2009). Note: the brand name list in this article is outdated; check with your certifier before applying any copper product. Donaldson, D., W. H. Olson, and R. D. Raabe. 2000. Bordeaux mixture [Online]. University of California IPM Online. Statewide IPM Information Program. Pest Notes Publication 7481. Available at: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7481.html (verified 17 Jan 2009). Extoxnet. 1996. Copper sulfate [Online]. Pesticide Information Profiles. Extension Toxicology Network. Available at: http://extoxnet.orst.edu/pips/coppersu.htm (verified 17 Jan 2009). Harrison, E. Z., M. B. McBride, and D. R. Bouldin. 1999. Land application of sewage sludges: an appraisal of the US regulations. International Journal of Environmental Pollution 11(1): 1-43. Holmgren, G. G. S. , M. W. Meyer, R. L. Chaney, and R. B. Daniels. 1993. Cadmium, lead, zinc, copper, and nickel in agricultural soils of the United States of America. Journal of Environmental Quality 22: 335-348. Leifert, C. Undated. Blight-MOP: Development of a systems approach for the management of late blight in EU organic potato production [Online]. Available at: http://ec.europa.eu/research/agriculture/projects/qlrt_1999_31065_en.htm (verified 17 Jan 2009). United States Department of Agriculture. Agricultural Marketing Service - National Organic Program. National List [Online]. Available at: http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/ams.fetchTemplateData.do?template=Templa... (verified 17 Jan 2009). Nufarm Americas Inc. 2004. Champion wettable powder. Material Safety Data Sheet. OMRI (Organic Materials Review Institute). 2001. Copper sulfate for use as algicide and invertebrate pest control [Online]. NOSB Technical Advisory Panel Review. Available at: http://www.omri.org/coppersulfate.pdf (verified 17 Jan 2009). Speiser, B., L. Tamm, T. Amsler, and J. Lambion. 2006. Improvement of late blight management in organic potato production systems in Europe: field tests with more resistant potato varieties and copper based fungicides. Biological Agriculture and Horticulture 23:393-412. Stone, A. 2007. Materials for late blight management: unpublished data from the Ospud project [Online]. Available at: http://ospud.org/materials_for_late_blight_management (verified 17 Jan 2009). Further Reading Stone, A. 2009. Organic management of late blight of potato and tomato ( Phytophthora infestans ) . eOrganic article. This is an eOrganic article and was reviewed for compliance with National Organic Program regulations by members of the eOrganic community. Always check with your organic certification agency before adopting new practices or using new materials. For more information, refer to eOrganic's articles on organic certification. www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día ‘Processing industry to consume 10% of potato output by 2010-11’ Argenpapa. India, 13 04 2009 India. (Financial Express).- India's potato production has seen a phenomenal increase since the 1950s, mainly due to strong demand from the processing industry and remunerative returns. According to the Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI), the area under potato rose by almost 547% since the 50s, while yield rose by 267% and overall output jumped by 146%. In 2008-09, potato production (which is a rabi or winter crop) is estimated to be around 28 million tonne as against 25 million tonne achieved last year. The Food and Agriculture Organisation, while declaring 2008 as the International Year of Potato, had stated that the wonder crop may provide answers to critical food security problems faced by a large number of under developed countries. FE's Sandip Das spoke with SK Pandey, director of CPRI on the various facets of potato production. Excerpts: Tell us about the new varieties of potato seed developed by CPRI in the last few months and what has been the response from farmers? During the last six months, we have released a new potato variety Kufri Frysona. This is the first ever potato variety from India, suitable for preparation of French Fries. The trials conducted on the variety have shown its suitability for cultivation in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal. The variety produces long tubers having more than 20% dry matter. The breeder seeds will be produced after it is notified either by the state or central variety release committee. However, its quality seed as well as disease free in-vitro planting material will be available to farmers from next year. As the potato production has been rising in the last few years, what is your outlook for the next five years? Potato is a highly nutritive food and the crop can be produced in 90 to 100 days. Its wide adaptability in planting and harvesting makes it an ideal crop to grow between two major crops. It is a good sign that production is increasing with the advent of several new high yielding varieties like Kufri Pushkar for the entire Indo-Gangetic belt, Kufri Sadabahar for Uttar Pradesh, Kufri Surya for warmer areas like Karnataka, Maharashtra, etc. Looking to the estimated demand of nearly 50 million tonne of potato by 2020, for a nearly 1.3 million population, I am sure its production and productivity will keep rising. problem areas faced by potato farmers? Late blight disease in potato is a main problem across the country. In spite of the development of field resistant potato varieties and the availability of good quality chemicals, every year farmers suffer huge losses if they fail to take preventive action. Availability of good quality seed also remains a problem in many parts of the country. Being a perishable commodity, harvested potato tubers are subjected to post harvest losses mainly when there is frequent change in weather. Small and marginal farmers are also sometimes forced to sell their produce at cheap rates because of inadequate cold storage facilities. Can you comment on the emerging scenario in potato cultivation I feel that the potato processing sector has slowly emerged as a very large industry with more than 35-40 processing units located in various parts of the country. They are engaged in production of value added products like potato powder, chips, French fries, etc. Development of indigenous high dry matter varieties of Kufri Chipsona series has given boost to the sectors in recent years. It is estimated that by 2010-11, nearly 10% of the total potato produced in the country will be consumed by the processing industry, which at present is merely 4-5%. This will provide good returns to the farmers on one hand and will also absorb excess supplies during a glut. www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día ‘Processing industry to consume 10% of potato output by 2010-11’ Argenpapa. India, 13 04 2009 India. (Financial Express).- India's potato production has seen a phenomenal increase since the 1950s, mainly due to strong demand from the processing industry and remunerative returns. According to the Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI), the area under potato rose by almost 547% since the 50s, while yield rose by 267% and overall output jumped by 146%. In 2008-09, potato production (which is a rabi or winter crop) is estimated to be around 28 million tonne as against 25 million tonne achieved last year. The Food and Agriculture Organisation, while declaring 2008 as the International Year of Potato, had stated that the wonder crop may provide answers to critical food security problems faced by a large number of under developed countries. FE's Sandip Das spoke with SK Pandey, director of CPRI on the various facets of potato production. Excerpts: Tell us about the new varieties of potato seed developed by CPRI in the last few months and what has been the response from farmers? During the last six months, we have released a new potato variety Kufri Frysona. This is the first ever potato variety from India, suitable for preparation of French Fries. The trials conducted on the variety have shown its suitability for cultivation in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal. The variety produces long tubers having more than 20% dry matter. The breeder seeds will be produced after it is notified either by the state or central variety release committee. However, its quality seed as well as disease free in-vitro planting material will be available to farmers from next year. As the potato production has been rising in the last few years, what is your outlook for the next five years? Potato is a highly nutritive food and the crop can be produced in 90 to 100 days. Its wide adaptability in planting and harvesting makes it an ideal crop to grow between two major crops. It is a good sign that production is increasing with the advent of several new high yielding varieties like Kufri Pushkar for the entire Indo-Gangetic belt, Kufri Sadabahar for Uttar Pradesh, Kufri Surya for warmer areas like Karnataka, Maharashtra, etc. Looking to the estimated demand of nearly 50 million tonne of potato by 2020, for a nearly 1.3 million population, I am sure its production and productivity will keep rising. problem areas faced by potato farmers? Late blight disease in potato is a main problem across the country. In spite of the development of field resistant potato varieties and the availability of good quality chemicals, every year farmers suffer huge losses if they fail to take preventive action. Availability of good quality seed also remains a problem in many parts of the country. Being a perishable commodity, harvested potato tubers are subjected to post harvest losses mainly when there is frequent change in weather. Small and marginal farmers are also sometimes forced to sell their produce at cheap rates because of inadequate cold storage facilities. Can you comment on the emerging scenario in potato cultivation I feel that the potato processing sector has slowly emerged as a very large industry with more than 35-40 processing units located in various parts of the country. They are engaged in production of value added products like potato powder, chips, French fries, etc. Development of indigenous high dry matter varieties of Kufri Chipsona series has given boost to the sectors in recent years. It is estimated that by 2010-11, nearly 10% of the total potato produced in the country will be consumed by the processing industry, which at present is merely 4-5%. This will provide good returns to the farmers on one hand and will also absorb excess supplies during a glut. www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Sainsbury's source local potatoes in fantastic initiative Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña, 13 04 2009 Gran Bretaña.(International Supermarket News).-As our recent story on Tesco showed, supermarkets are seeing a rise in demand for locally sourced fresh produce, as consumers become more aware of the carbon footprint impressed on the environment by food miles. Sainsbury's has joined the trend by allying itself with Greenvale AP, one the UK's largest potato suppliers, to offer a fast and efficient track from the field to the supermarket's shelves. There is a taste for the authentic in this drive. The First for Fresh Campaign involves thirty-five of Sainsbury's stores (compared to just 3 in 2003) receiving potatoes from local farms which are in many cases just a few miles away. The scheme will be run between early May and July this year. The campaign seeks to accomplish that enviable commercial task: to satisfy consumer demand and environmental consciousness at the same time. With its promises of authenticity, speed and efficiency, the scheme looks destined for success. Sainsbury's are taking this opportunity to renew their commitment to local farmers, and thus provide the public with the healthiest options. The potatoes are consistent with the chain's strict standards. They are protected from frost in the winter season by fleece covering, and are cared for by specifically geared irrigation and fertilising methods. Greenvale AP believe in their capacity to work well with Sainsbury's. “As one of the UK's largest potato suppliers we have the infrastructure in place to be able to implement this kind of scheme,” says recently appointed Charlotte Manwaring, whose key responsibility at Greenvale is the Sainsbury‘s account. In order to achieve the ‘first for fresh' objective, Greenvale AP worked closely with its growers from seed planting through to harvesting. Michael Bult's family has been farming land in West Newton in Somerset, for three generations. “We put a high priority on environmental issues so we were delighted to participate in this scheme,” he says. “Local people can really enjoy these potatoes knowing they come from – literally – just down the road. We get involved with the actual delivery of the stock as well so the customer can be assured they will arrive in perfect condition”. The potatoes are typically picked in the morning and are on the shelves of Sainsbury's local stores in just a matter of hours. The speed closes the gap between the often pseudo-authenticity we see in media drives for “fresh” goods, and people's taste for real, natural produce. “This is a really exciting promotion for everyone involved,” says Charlotte Manwaring. “On the one hand achieving the goal is stressful – for example, the timings are critical – but at the same time it's hugely rewarding and so far the feedback from customers is 100% positive”. It's hard to see anything in this initiative that isn't positive. If relations between outlets and suppliers are being strengthened, the environment is being considered a key factor in the process, and the customer can enjoy authentic fresh produce, this is probably as near as you can get to being all things to all men. And neither party will suffer for it . www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Processing industry to consume 10% of potato output by 2010-11’ Argenpapa. India, 15 04 2009 India.(Financial Express).-India's potato production has seen a phenomenal increase since the 1950s, mainly due to strong demand from the processing industry and remunerative returns. According to the Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI), the area under potato rose by almost 547% since the 50s, while yield rose by 267% and overall output jumped by 146%. In 2008-09, potato production (which is a rabi or winter crop) is estimated to be around 28 million tonne as against 25 million tonne achieved last year. The Food and Agriculture Organisation, while declaring 2008 as the International Year of Potato, had stated that the wonder crop may provide answers to critical food security problems faced by a large number of under developed countries. FE's Sandip Das spoke with SK Pandey, director of CPRI on the various facets of potato production. Excerpts: Tell us about the new varieties of potato seed developed by CPRI in the last few months and what has been the response from farmers? During the last six months, we have released a new potato variety Kufri Frysona. This is the first ever potato variety from India, suitable for preparation of French Fries. The trials conducted on the variety have shown its suitability for cultivation in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal. The variety produces long tubers having more than 20% dry matter. The breeder seeds will be produced after it is notified either by the state or central variety release committee. However, its quality seed as well as disease free in-vitro planting material will be available to farmers from next year. As the potato production has been rising in the last few years, what is your outlook for the next five years? Potato is a highly nutritive food and the crop can be produced in 90 to 100 days. Its wide adaptability in planting and harvesting makes it an ideal crop to grow between two major crops. It is a good sign that production is increasing with the advent of several new high yielding varieties like Kufri Pushkar for the entire Indo-Gangetic belt, Kufri Sadabahar for Uttar Pradesh, Kufri Surya for warmer areas like Karnataka, Maharashtra, etc. Looking to the estimated demand of nearly 50 million tonne of potato by 2020, for a nearly 1.3 million population, I am sure its production and productivity will keep rising. What are the key problem areas faced by potato farmers? Late blight disease in potato is a main problem across the country. In spite of the development of field resistant potato varieties and the availability of good quality chemicals, every year farmers suffer huge losses if they fail to take preventive action. Availability of good quality seed also remains a problem in many parts of the country. Being a perishable commodity, harvested potato tubers are subjected to post harvest losses mainly when there is frequent change in weather. Small and marginal farmers are also sometimes forced to sell their produce at cheap rates because of inadequate cold storage facilities. Can you comment on the emerging scenario in potato cultivation I feel that the potato processing sector has slowly emerged as a very large industry with more than 35-40 processing units located in various parts of the country. They are engaged in production of value added products like potato powder, chips, French fries, etc. Development of indigenous high dry matter varieties of Kufri Chipsona series has given boost to the sectors in recent years. It is estimated that by 2010-11, nearly 10% of the total potato produced in the country will be consumed by the processing industry, which at present is merely 4-5%. This will provide good returns to the farmers on one hand and will also absorb excess supplies during a glut. www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día New potato variety suitable for French fries released by CPRI Our Bureau, Mumbai Argenpapa. India, 15 04 2009 During the last six months, the Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI), Shimla, has released a new potato variety Kufri Frysona. This is the first ever potato variety from India suitable for preparation of French fries. The trials conducted on the variety have shown its suitability for cultivation in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal. The variety produces long tubers having more than 20% dry matter, says S K Pandey, director, CPRI. According to a report in The Financial Express, the breeder seeds will be produced after it is notified either by the state or central variety release committee. However, its quality seed as well as disease-free in-vitro planting material will be available to farmers from next year. Pandey said it was a good sign that potato production was increasing with the advent of several new high-yielding varieties like Kufri Pushkar for the entire Indo-Gangetic belt, Kufri Sadabahar for Uttar Pradesh, Kufri Surya for warmer areas like Karnataka and Maharashtra. Looking to the estimated demand of nearly 50 million tonnes of potato by 2020, for a population of 1.3 billion, these varieties would help meet the requirement, he said. Pandey said the potato processing sector had slowly emerged as a very large industry with more than 35-40 processing units located in various parts of the country. They were engaged in value-added products like potato powder, chips and French fries. The development of indigenous high dry varieties of Kufri Chipson series has given boost to the sector in recent years. It is estimated that by 2010-11, nearly 10% of the total potato produced in the country will be consumed by the processing industry, which at present is merely 4.5%. This will provide good returns to the farmers on one hand and will also absorb excess supplies during a glut. According to the CPRI, the area under potato rose by almost 547% since the 50s, while yield rose by 267% and overall output jumped by 146%. In 2008-09, potato production is estimated to be around 28 million tonnes as against 25 million tonnes achieved last year. Potato is a highly nutritious food and the crop can be produced in 90 to 100 days. Its wide adaptability in planting and harvesting makes it an ideal crop to grow between two major crops. The UN Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), while declaring 2008 as the International Year of Potato, has stated that the wonder crop may provide answers to critical food security problems faced by a large number of under-developed countries. 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 Cuban farmers increasing use of potato fields to cultivate other crops Argenpapa .Cuba, 15 04 2009 Cuba. (Potato News).- The growing of other crops in fields previously used for potatoes is one of the initiatives led by agricultural workers in Ciego de Ávila, the central province of, in an effort to increase food production and come to terms with rising fertilizer costs and the effects of the world financial crisis in the agricultural sector. According to a report published by Invasor.cu, this alternative consists of planting sweet potatoes, corn, beans and squash to take advantage of the high fertility left by the irrigation and use of fertilizers during the potato crop cultivation. Rolando Macias, head of the Cultivos Varios entreprise said the project is doubly profitable because it will provide other root crops, as well as beans and vegetables in just a few months without the use of extra fertilizer use. Fertilizers are becoming increasingly expensive. The use of natural fertilizers is widely expanded all over Cuba, with worm humus being the most common source applied along with other agricultural waste products. This year's potato harvest is said to develop well, indicating that it might become the best season over the past few years. www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Potato growers report good planting progress Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña, 17 04 2009 Gran Bretaña.(FWi).-Main crop potato planting is well under way across the UK, with many areas nearing completion. Rob Burrow of the British Potato Council says: "Despite a slow start, due to low soil temperatures in some areas, planting has gone very well and has been problem free for most producers." The latest reports from the council note good progress across all regions. The south has experienced favourable conditions, but some heavier soils have been slow to dry out with a few growers being delayed by low soil temperatures. The west and midlands have a similar story, although some producers have had the added complication of delays in seed delivery. The east has progressed quickly, with a few growers commenting on the risk of a late frost, and the north and Scotland are also making good progress. Shropshire producer, Richard Solari, has had a good run, with almost 75 % of his 120ha crop already in the ground. He has opted for several varieties this year, including Shepody and Innovator under contract for McCain , but is also experimenting with a few acres of Maritiema, a Dutch variant of Maris Piper. His main concern for the forthcoming season is that favourable conditions may increase supply which might impact on price. He has already begun pre-emergence spraying and is aiming to complete this in the next 2-3 weeks. Suffolk grower, James Foskett, has sown 160 of his 345ha crop and says: "It is a far cry from the dismal conditions of last year. Almost the entire crop has received a pre emergent and many varieties including King Edward and Marfona are showing well under the fleece." David Nelson, field director for processors Branston agrees: "Good soil conditions and the earliest planting for several years has created a promising start for the crop," he said. The only downside he could see was that the early start would put pressure on an early harvest to maintain quality. Author: Robert Harris Noticias al día Scientists Use Old, New Tools To Develop Pest-Resistant Potato Argenpapa. EEUU, 22 04 2009 A potato infected with Columbia root-knot nematode (left) and a healthy potato. (K10868-1) EEUU.(USDA).-Despite their microscopic size, Columbia root-knot nematodes (CRN) have potential to inflict huge losses—about $40 million annually—by tunneling into potatoes to feed. But this level of loss isn't likely to happen, thanks to fumigants growers now use—at a cost of $20 million annually. In seeking alternatives to using chemical fumigants, ARS and collaborating scientists are field-testing a new russet potato breeding line that naturally resists the pests. Commercial varieties bred from line PA99N82-4 would be the first with resistance not only to CRN, but also to northern and southern root-knot nematodes, says geneticist Chuck Brown. He's in ARS's Vegetable and Forage Crops Research Unit at Prosser, Washington. “PA99N82-4 also resists the viral disease corky ringspot, which is transmitted by nematodes and causes unsightly blemishes in tubers,” he adds. “Corky ringspot is also controlled by soil fumigation.” CRN is problematic in the Pacific Northwest, where two-thirds of America's potatoes are grown, and in Florida. Though fumigating the soil before planting suppresses CRN numbers, the practice isn't cheap, with some chemicals costing $300 per acre. It can also harm nontarget organisms, including beneficial soil-dwelling insects. Genetic resistance, however, confines the fight to the potato's roots and tubers. But putting that resistance to work hasn't been easy. Because resistance is absent from U.S. cultivated potatoes, Brown and colleagues used the wild species collection at ARS's U.S. Potato Genebank in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. Painstaking screening of the material at Prosser showed Solanum bulbocastanum to be the most resistant. The problem is, wild and cultivated potatoes are chromosomally incompatible. So the researchers resorted to “bridging,” a technique that fused S. bulbocastanum and cultivated potato cells together, forcing the DNA of both to combine. Stimulants were then added to induce cells to become plantlets. Over several years, the researchers used backcrossing to eliminate unwanted traits—like tiny tubers and poor taste—from resistant plants they had created. Besides conventional plant-breeding techniques, they used biotechnology methods, including DNA markers linked to S. bulbocastanum's gene for resistance, RMc1(blb). Normally, resistance levels are determined by inoculating potted plants with nematodes, waiting 7 weeks, and removing and washing the roots so the pests' eggs can be counted. “It's a laborious, time-consuming process,” says Brown. But with marker technology, leaf tissue can be quickly analyzed for genetic evidence of RMc1(blb). “Being able to determine in 1 day's time which plants are resistant is very helpful,” he adds. Still, the entire process to date has taken 20 years and the close collaboration of many scientists, including ARS postdoctoral researcher Lin-Hai Zhang, at Prosser; Washington State University scientist Hassan Mojtahedi; and John Helgersen, now retired from ARS. PA99N82-4, the top pick of this intensive effort, is in its third year of field trials. Besides tests in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho under the Tri-State Potato Breeding Program, it's also being evaluated in California and Texas. Two more years of testing will follow before the line is released for development into commercial varieties.—By Jan Suszkiw, Agricultural Research Service Information Staff. This research is part of Plant Biological and Molecular Processes, an ARS national program (#302) described on the World Wide Web at www.nps.ars.usda.gov . Charles R. Brown is in the USDA-ARS Vegetable and Forage Crops Research Unit , 24106 N. Bunn Rd., Prosser, WA 99350; phone (509) 786-9252, fax (509) 786-9277. " Scientists Use Old, New Tools To Develop Pest-Resistant Potato " was published in the April 2009 issue of Agricultural Research magazine. www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día No cash crop for jilted farmers MP asks RCMP to investigate company's receivership Argenpapa. Canadá, 24 04 2009 By Jacques-François Levesque Canada.(Victoriastar.ca).-The Tobique-Mactaquac Member of Parliament has called for the RCMP to investigate why eight Grand Falls region farmers were never paid for potatoes shipped to a Quebec processing company between August and December of 2008. Conservative member Mike Allen told the Victoria Star that he has asked the commercial Crime Division to investigate the complicated transactions which has area potato farmers still waiting for $750,000 in unpaid potatoes shipped to Russet House Inc., a large potato processing firm based in Huntingdon, Quebec, east of Montreal. "I have raised this issue with the RCMP through their Commercial Crimes Division, as a result of the company in Quebec seeking creditor protection in December at approximately the time invoices to the farmers in our region were coming due. The company is still operating, as we understand it, and buying raw material for their process. The RCMP have an investigation protocol that they follow, and before it goes to commercial crimes, there would first be local inquiries by District 10 RCMP. I have been informed that District 10 has opened a file on the matter so we will see in coming weeks how this will shake out." What started as a good opportunity to sell more than six million pounds of potatoes has turned into a nightmare for local farmers. The eight growers from Grand Falls, St. André and Drummond, have yet to be paid for the potatoes they shipped to Russet House. Three of their counterparts from Quebec are also still awaiting payment for their spuds. The company owes local growers more than $750,000 for 6.2 million pounds of potatoes shipped between August and December 2008. Documents received by The Victoria Star, in regards to the producers' plight, show that the bulk sale price offered by the company was $7.88 per 100 pounds with a shipping price that each producer had to bear. The price of transport for 100 pounds was from $2.10 to $3.15. Sky-high fuel prices meant the cost of transport was very high. The sales contract between the growers and Russet House Inc. began in September 2008 and ended in December 2008. Payment from the company was to be made 60 to 90 days after the potatoes were received. According to the Quebec Potato Growers Federation (Fédération des producteurs de pommes de terre du Québec), the price determined for the bulk potatoes (long potatoes category) was $18.15 for the months from August to January 2009. But on Jan. 9, 2009, the company was placed under the protection of the Bankruptcy Act, represented by the Trustee in bankruptcy Pierre Roy & Associates Inc. of Montreal, Quebec. The insolvent person signing for Russet House Foods Inc., was Leopold Moyen, Director of Russet House Foods Inc. Company created in 2007 The chief investor behind Russet House is a well-known Canadian businessman. Russet House Foods Inc. was founded by Paul Jeffery, chairman and owner of Windermere House Resort. Jeffery also founded Kelsey's in 1978, with the opening that year of the chain's first restaurant in Oakville, Ontario beginning three decades of strong growth for the chain. In 1993, he founded Montana's Cookhouse Restaurants and, two years later (1995), brought the Outback Restaurants to Canada as the Eastern Canada franchise holder. Along the way, he pioneered the concept of integrating restaurants into big box retail centres. Kelsey's International Inc. was listed on the TSX in March 1996 which provided access to capital to grow the three restaurant chains. After 25 years, Jeffrey had built Kelsey's International Inc. to 240 restaurants under three brands mentioned - with 14,500 employees and doing $500 million in annual sales. In 2002, Jeffrey sold Kelsey's International to Cara Foods of Toronto with the intention of retiring. His retirement lasted barely two years before he founded another company - Russet House Foods Inc., which now markets sweet potato fries across the United States and Canada. He also became involved in developing small malls in Burlington and Ancaster, Ontario and founded a charter jet service out of Toronto Pearson International Airport. The opening of Russet House Foods Inc. followed the closure of the Cleyn and Tinker and Huntingdon Mills textile factories. In an effort to save lost jobs, Huntington purchased these plants for $1.7 million with the intent of renting them to various entrepreneurs in processing potatoes field. Russet House Foods Inc.'s customers include grocery stores such as Loblaws, Sobeys and Metro, chain restaurants as well as large industry players in the potato industry. On Feb. 20, 2007, the Government of Canada granted $558,921 to Russet House Inc. towards the purchase and installation of new and used manufacturing equipment for processing in the production of pre-cooked, refrigerated and frozen potato products for the Québec and Ontario restaurant, hotel and food service market. "Russet House is in a good position to rapidly expand the scope of its commercial activities, particularly in light of the support it enjoys from Québec, Ontario and U.S. shareholders with solid experience in the agri-food sector, such as Patates Provincial Inc., one of Québec's top five potato producers," stated Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Minister of Labor and Minister of Canada Economic Development at that time. In July 2008, the Ministère du Développement économique de l'Innovation et de l'Exportation of Québec gave financial aid to the tune of $253,680. Potatoes were processed in refrigerated warehouses and distributed into the marketplace. One of the main refrigerated warehouses for this type of product was Conestoga Cold Storage, a full-service operation, providing everything from blast freezing and warehouse to national distribution. With fully computerized warehouse and distribution centres in Kitchener, Mississauga, Montréal and Calgary, and cross docks in locations ranging from Ottawa to Winnipeg, the company delivers seamless storage and distribution capabilities. Conestoga Cold Storage is on the list of creditors with a total of only $88,503.19 owed to the company. Farmers want answers "Why was Russet House Foods Inc. put under the protection of the Bankruptcy Act when the demand for potatoes and frozen French fries is exceeding the supply?" asked Hank Tepper, one of the growers still waiting for his money, and representative of the seven other farmers. According to Statistics Canada, the average price for a kilogram of potatoes for frozen French fries from October 2008 to January 2009 rose from $1.99 to $2.13. "With the amount of 6,236,535 pounds of processed potatoes, this brings us to gross revenue of $6,236,535. With the purchase of potatoes for $7.88 per 100 pounds. when the market price was $18.15 per 100 pounds., Russet House Foods Inc. has made an enormous profit. The demand for frozen French fries is strongly increasing due to a change in consumer consumption and this is in relation to the current economic crisis, where consumers are changing some of their high consuming habits," said another farmer in a meeting with the Victoria Star. "There is a strong need for an investigation on the part of the federal and provincial governments in New Brunswick and Quebec as soon as possible," the farmer added. In January 2009, a letter from the growers' group attorney Gilbert, McGloan, Gillis was sent to Pierre Roy & Associés Inc. on January 26, 2009. "I represent a number of creditors in New Brunswick who have supplied potatoes to Russet House the period of September 2008 to and inclusive December 2008. We do note that Leopold Moyen did sign the notice of intention and do also understand that he has interest in other business in addition to Russet House and other shareholder Paul Jeffrey has interests in a number of other business. The reason for the writing of this letter is that the cost of the delivered potatoes in the four month period ending December of 2008 is in excess of $750,000. The potatoes either continue to exist in storage or they have been processed into French fries which have been sold. The money for the sale of French fries made New Brunswick potatoes should not co-mingled with the other moneys for processing of sweet potatoes. "If the moneys do not in fact exist we are concerned about misappropriation of those moneys. If the company was insolvent at the time it entered into the purchase contracts with my clients, we are concerned about the obtaining of credit in such circumstances. I do believe that certain provisions of the Criminal Code may have application if such circumstances exist. Finally, my clients would be concerned of any transfer of moneys or goods to any associated company (such as defined in the Income Tax Act) and ask for a breakdown of all transactions concerning Russet House with persons with whom it was not dealing at arms length going back a period of five years." On March 6 2009, another letter was sent by the same group of attorney, in relation to Conestoga cold storage, also owned by Paul Jeffrey. "I further understand that Russet House in 2008 did pay to Conestoga a sum of money in excess of $800,000. My clients are familiar with the cost of cold storage rental and have advised me that charge is excessive. I also understand that the potatoes supplied by my client (for which they have not been paid) in large measure have been sold and the proceeds received by Russet House have been used to purchase on a cash basis sweet potatoes. There is a concern that it was the intention of Russet House and its creditors to obtain credit from my clients when they know as early September of 2008 of the insolvent circumstances of the company. Finally, my clients would appreciate an opportunity to meet the principal of Russet House - either in Grand Falls or Montreal", stated the group of attorney Gilbert McGloan Gillis. While the legal wrangling continues, the farmers are now facing the cash-intensive spring planting season with no indication of when or if they will be paid. The cash crunch has Potatoes NB officials concerned. "The impact on the producers involved in this situation and the local economy is serious. These growers sold their potatoes in good faith and are in position to lose a lot of money. I hope that the company will honour its obligations and that this can be resolved very soon," stated Joe Brennan, Chairman of Potatoes New Brunswick. www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Phytophthora infestans strains A2-Blue13 and A1- 6 www.pestalert.org Spread of new strains of Phytophthora infestans in England Argenpapa . Información Técnica, 27 04 2009 IDENTITY Name: Phytophthora infestans strains A2-Blue13 and A1- 6 Taxonomic Position: Chromista : Oomycota : Oomycetes : Pythiales : Pythiaceae Common Names: potato late blight Significance: Potato late blight, caused by Phytophthora infestans , is found in nearly all areas of the world where potatoes are grown. It is known as the most devastating disease of potatoes and one of the most devastating plant diseases of any crop. Phytophthora infestans is a heterothallic species with two mating types designated as A1 and A2. When both mating types are present sexual reproduction can occur leading to increased genetic variation from recombination and the formation long lived oospores. In North America both the A1 and A2 mating types are present. A new strain of the A2 mating type, A2-Blue13, was found near Ipswich, England, in 2005 where prevalence is now almost 80 percent and has been recorded as some of the worst known potato blight (Abel, 2009). The A2 mating type, rare in the United Kingdom until 2005, is now dominant (Abel, 2009; Bretaña, 2008). In the UK, A2-Blue13 causes larger blight lesions and produces spores faster than other strains. In addition, A2-Blue13 can produce spores at lower temperatures,and has a shorter latent period (Abel, 2009; Bretaña, 2008). Growers are finding that some previously resistant varieties of potato are susceptible to the new strain, and some of their commonly used blight fungicides are not effective (Sárvári Research Trust, 2009; Sykes, 2008). Also in England, a dominant strain of the A1 mating type is surfacing (Potato Council Ltd., 2009). This strain is called A1-6 or Pink 6. Potato researchers in the area report that regional differences in population diversity are no longer observed as strains like A2-Blue13 and A1- 6 continue to dominate. Use of clean planting stock and research aimed at resistance management strategies is critical to better control outbreaks. OTHER INFORMATION: References: Abel, C. 2009. New blight strain demands extra vigilance. Farmers Weekly Interactive. Last accessed April 9, 2009: http://www.fwi.co.uk/Articles/2009/04/05/114942/new-blight-strain-demands-extra-vigilance.html [Also reported by ProMED-mail ( http://www.promedmail.org ) titled “Late Blight, Potato – United Kingdom, Bangladesh”, published online April 06, 2009] Bretaña, G. 2008. Blight resistance - top of mind for potato growers. Argenpapa. Last accessed April 9, 2009, http://www.argenpapa.com.ar/default.asp?id=3038 . Potato Council Ltd. 2009. Growers adviced to keep tight control on blight. Global Potato News. Last accessed April 10, 2009, http://www.potatonews.com/pressreleases/press_detail.asp?id=1135 . Sárvári Research Trust. 2009. Know Your Enemy - Blight. Last accessed April 9, 2009, http://www.sarvari-trust.org/late-blight.html . Sykes, L. 2008. Rethink needed on control tactics. Pages 30-31 in Farmers Weekly Academy. Noticias al día Bacterial biocontrol product improves potato yields Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña, 29 04 2009 Gran Bretaña.(FWi).-Injecting beneficial bacteria into the furrow when planting potatoes could help increase marketable yields and decrease skin blemishes, according to trials. The microbes in Omex 's Biomex Starter - a liquid formulation of the naturally-occurring plant-friendly bacteria Bacillus amyloliquefaciens - improve the release of nutrients from fertilisers, while at the same time help develop rooting and provide the plant with a defence against infection, according to Neil Fuller of Soil Solutions, who has been developing the concept for a number of years. Biomex can be applied either with placement fertiliser in two rows either side of the seed tuber at planting, as a seed treatment, or sprayed directly into the furrow. "The idea is that the live bacteria added to the starter fertiliser colonise the plant roots, which feed the bacteria with carbon-rich root exudates," he explains. "In return, the microbes increase nutrient uptake, making fertilisers more efficient, and as a side effect, produce metabolites that stimulate healthy growth and suppress disease. "As the plant grows, so the microbes get stronger and more active. This is the exact opposite of most chemicals and biostimulants, which lose efficacy as the plant develops." The result is a plant that has better access to water and nutrition. "Potentially these microbes could get 30% more phosphorus out of applied fertiliser, so replacing about80kg/ha of P," he claims. Results from trials suggest varieties differ in the way they respond to Biomex. In a trial last season on Maris Piper aimed for the chipping market, the variety producing fewer tubers, but 18% more marketable yields. In the previous year a similar 16% increase in marketable yield of Fianna grown for packing was seen. But in this case more tubers were produced, with them finishing around the desired 100mm size with less over- or under-sized tubers, he says. There have also been significant decreases in common scab and black scurf blemishes on tubers, particularly where higher doses of the microbial treatment were used. At the highest dose of 2litres/ha tubers from Maris Piper plots treated with bacillus had only 6% infection with common scab compared with 36% in the untreated controls and 3% black scurf compared with 15%. The effects from the microbes are enhanced when phosphite is also applied, he adds. "Foliar phosphites help promote root development, and are also linked with suppressing disease. We've found some good synergy between the two." The combination of microbes and conventional agronomy is an exciting development, he claims. "Integrating microbes with conventional fertilisers and agchem is setting new horizons for our crop production." Omex sold about 1000ha of Biomex last year, Gidon Bahiri, the firm's product development manager, says. "We hope to double, maybe even treble that this year." The firm obtains the product from the German manufacturer ABiTEP . A dry formulation is also available to be used as a seed treatment (see panel). "It doesn't appear to be more effective one way or the other, but it does need to go on at planting." Biomex costs £78/ha for a 0.5 litres/ha liquid application and about £25/ha for a 1kg/t seed treatment. Branston experience Potato packers Branston interest in exploring biocontrol options in potatoes has led them to trial the seed treatment version of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, confirms Andy Barker. "These products have often been given the muck and mystery label, but this doesn't fall into that category." He is confident enough in the results to recommend pre-pack growers test the product, which Branston is selling as Branston Fence, on half field comparisons, particularly on old potato ground where they are aiming for Class one product. "In trials we've seen anything up to a 15% increase in top marketable yields and improvements in skin finish. It seems to discourage tuber-harmful pathogens, such as rhizoctonia, in the first four to six weeks." The product shouldn't be seen as a replacement for pesticides, but it does negate the need for higher rates in some cases, Dr Barker suggests. "We recommend using it in combination with half rate Monceren as a seed treatment." Author: Mike Abram www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Potato herbicide timing to Defy dry soils Argenpapa . Gran Bretaña, 29 04 2009 Gran Bretaña. (FarmingUK Newsdesk).- Exceptional April weather conditions has seen potato planting continue almost uninterrupted by rain – with over 85% of the area now estimated to be in the ground and many crops already starting to emerge. But the record temperatures and warm winds have dried soil surfaces to the point where the full effect of all residual herbicides may be adversely affected, warns Jon Ogborn of Syngenta. "Growers experience and trials last year – when conditions were similarly dry after planting – highlighted the best results could be achieved with Defy applications at or as close to emergence as possible," he advises. "With crops emerging rapidly in the warm seedbeds, growers are going to have to be on the ball with application timing this year." Growers are reminded that Retro is the only contact herbicide option permitted once the crop has emerged. Mr Ogborn advocates that for early applications, soon after planting, growers should opt for Defy at 4.0 – 5.0 l/ha + metribuzin. Where linuron is used, the rates must be no more than the 1.2 l/ha of 50 % formulation (or 1.33l/ha of 45% formulation) now permitted, he adds. "Where early residual combinations have been used in the current dry conditions, growers must keep a watchful eye on crops and top up with a contact if they see weeds emerging. As this will be close to crop emergence, Retro is the only option." Rainfall of up to 10mm forecast for western counties of the UK over the coming days (25-27 April) will have a significant effect in enhancing the residual activity of Defy and partner products, with the real chance for growers to clean up this spring. But eastern counties are set to remain virtually dry for the foreseeable future. www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día NFU calls for PEI potato assistance Argenpapa. Canadá, 04 05 2009 Canada.(Grainews).-The National Farmers Union has called for federal assistance for potato and vegetable growers devastated by wet weather in Prince Edward Island last fall. In a letter to federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz, and copied to PEI's Agriculture Minister George Webster, NFU president Stewart Wells said, "Many acres were not harvested at all as farmers tried to avoid storage losses, especially with potatoes. Nevertheless, there were devastating losses that did occur in storage. Many farmers dumped and pumped out thousands of tonnes of potatoes from their warehouses over the winter. Wells said federal and provincial safety net programs have so far failed to deliver any meaningful assistance to PEI's affected farmers. "The costs associated with potato and vegetable growing are very high, and individual farmers cannot be expected to pick up the extra costs of weather-related disasters," said Wells. "It is time for the Government of Canada to act now, as spring planting bills are only a few weeks away." www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Late blight on potato in Algeria: update Argenpapa. Argelia, 06 05 2009 Argelia. (El-annabi, Le Quotidien dOran).- Fungal diseases of crop plants remain a topical issue in Algeria. Late blight, which in 2006 destroyed 75 per cent of the harvest of table potatoes in the provinces of Mostaganem, Chlef, and Ain Defla, continues to be an issue, even if in the last 2 years its toll on the potatoes was lower. The early planting of potatoes in Mostaganem is thought to have avoided disaster. "This region has a special microclimate for the cultivation of early potatoes," says the director of the regional station of the National Institute of Plant Protection (INPV). The weather of recent weeks has been conducive to the spread of the fungus. "The epidemic can spread very quickly in the field," he says. A threat to potato yield must be taken seriously. INPV warned farmers against this threat while providing them with a treatment schedule and the list of fungicides needed. So why does this disease continue to be an issue in Algeria? [The reason may be that] throughout the region, farmers remain skeptical. There are few who use preventative treatments on their plots, and this explains the prevalence of the disease. And yet, according to experts, fungicide treatments are enough to prevent the spread of this disease. The director of the regional INPV believes that if the advice had been strictly followed by farmers, the disease would never have taken hold in Algeria. In addition, the price for agricultural fungicides is being blamed which has been increasing in recent years. www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Creating the great American potato famine? By Dennis T. Avery Argenpapa . General, 11 05 2009 General.(ESR).-McDonald's just agreed to pursue pesticide-free potatoes for its restaurants. The anti-technology zealots pushing this organic move had better hope the company drags its feet—or we risk having the first McDonald's in history with no French fries. Less than a decade ago, the Danish government's high-level Bichel technical committee concluded that an organic-only mandate would cut Danish potato production by 80 percent. As for the published claim that French fried spuds are "bathed in pesticides," give me a break. The pesticides—including the organic ones—are used on the plant's leaves, while the potatoes grow underground. There's absolutely no documented danger from conventionally raised potatoes. We understand why McDonald's is retreating. The organic/hard-left/anti-corporate movement seems to be ruling the world right now. The Obama White House is planning an organic "First Lady" garden. Most important, non-profit institutional McDonald stockholders are threatening to stir investor turmoil. Potatoes, however, are a uniquely important crop for the world, especially the world's poor. They produce more food value per acre than any other crop, even in short growing seasons. That's why cool Ireland got so potato-dependent that the famine starved one million people in the 1840s, and drove another 1.5 million refugees out of the country. Unfortunately, potatoes are also particularly vulnerable to pests. Late blight is always a lurking disaster, and a more-aggressive new strain has recently presented itself in Europe. Organic farmers try to stave it off by dousing their fields with huge amounts of copper sulfate—which is highly toxic to virtually every mammal, bird and insect. The EU has tried to ban copper sulfate, but organic farmers say they can't survive without it. Will McDonald's growers be allowed to use copper sulfate? If so, why substitute toxic pesticides for less dangerous ones? Colorado potatoes beetles are another big threat, because they quickly develop resistance to most pesticides. Conventional growers have to keep constantly rotating their pest chemicals, though they still get close to 100 percent effectiveness. Staving off the beetles organically looks hopeless. The famous Bt toxin is only 50 percent effective—an invitation to crop collapse. Home gardeners are virtually helpless against the blight and the beetles because they can't move their plantings far enough from last year's. For McDonald's, the demand to grow pesticide-free potatoes means the commercial growers concentrated near their frozen French-fry plants would be constantly at risk of losing their entire production. That would shut down the processing plants and leaving the fast-food restaurants with hamburgers sans fries. How will that affect the stockholders as customers flock to Burger King? Ironically, there's already a biotech solution. Resistance to late blight was found many years ago in a wild relative of the domestic potato—but never successfully captured by cross-breeding. In 2003, BASF genetically engineered the resistance gene into a blight-resistant potato. However, they were denied permission for test-plantings in Ireland, where the memory of the potato famine should have made blight-resistant potatoes welcome. The anti-technology activists reject biotech too. BASF has now suspended its blight-resistance efforts. Is there hope for the future? Can a world that will need twice as much food and feed in the next few decades afford to pander to the relatively few voices that demand low yield farming? Will the activists finally embrace biotech? Or, will all avenues of high productivity and high sustainability be denied those who must feed the world? In the meantime, enjoy your fries while you can still get them. Dennis T. Avery is an environmental economist, and a senior fellow for the Hudson Institute in Washington, DC. He was formerly a senior analyst for the Department of State. He is co-author, with S. Fred Singer, of Unstoppable Global Warming Every 1500 Hundred Years, Readers may write him at PO Box 202, Churchville, VA 24421 or email to cgfi@hughes.net . www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Field demos for PotatoEurope 2009 planted in the Netherlands Argenpapa. Holanda, 11 05 2009 Holanda. (Potato Reporter).- The seed potato planting was done manually since each trial plot needed to get planted with several potato varieties. Machine planting would have been too complicated. Mr. Willy Schutte, the municipal councillor of economic affairs of the ‘Noordoostpolder' municipality (which includes the city of Emmeloord), was also present yesterday to witness the kick-off. With his presence he undersigned the importance of this event for his municipality. The trial plots are part of PotatoEurope, a cyclical event of great international importance for the potato sector. The event has always consisted of three components: an international exhibition, field demonstrations and an international congress. The exhibition and the field demonstrations will take place on 9 and 10 September next. The exhibition will be held in a, for the occasion, purpose-built hall of 10,000 m2 gross floor space. The organisation of PotatoEurope 2009, A.P.P. (Agricultural Promotion Projects) based in Zeist, the Netherlands, expects similar figures in terms of visitors compared to the 2005 edition. Over the two days A.P.P. expects about 15,000 visitors from 50 countries. The preparations for this event are well under way. www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Potato planting progress gathers pace around UK Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña, 17 04 2009 Gran Bretaña.(Farmers Guardian).-PROGRESS with potato planting continues apace with planting to April 3 put at 32,000 hectares, compared with 13,700ha last year and 41,600ha in 2007, according to the Potato Council. In the South some of the heavier soils have been slow to dry out but planting conditions have been generally very good. In Cornwall planting progress has been good although some growers are concerned about low soil temperatures and are not rushing to plant too soon. Early Cornish crops are showing better growth with the long periods of sunshine and more growers are starting to remove poly covers. In the West and Midlands dry conditions have allowed planting to proceed uninterrupted in most districts, although quite a few growers are being held up awaiting delivery of seed. In the East, growers on lighter land have progressed without interruption and even those on heavier soils have made a start, but some were preferring to wait until the beginning of this week. In the North and North West, rapid progress has been made under continued dry conditions, with seedbeds described as excellent. In Scotland, further progress was made in Lothians, Borders and Fife and more growers have started planting in Perth and Angus in almost ideal conditions, with a more general start planned in the next week or two. Noticias al día 2009 Spring Planting Outlook Argenpapa. EEUU, 20 04 2009 Fresh and Seed Potato Growers: EEUU.(United potato).- Before the planters get rolling I wanted to give you an update on the 2009 Spring Planting Outlook. You are all aware of the developments in the past few weeks in the Processing Industry. What promised to be an early and straight forward bargaining process has turned into the most chaotic and uncertain spring in recent history. Con Agra has finally settled acres and price with some Idaho growers, but many were significantly and severely cut; some were cut 100%. Contracts have been or are currently being renegotiated with the other processors now that the survivors and the carnage has been assessed. It now appears that the other major processors haven't reduced contracted acres. Growers….In the end, uncertainty has been the processors greatest weapon and he has used it brutally and with impunity. At least 10,000 PROCESS acres have been cut loose and conservative estimates are that PROBABLY some 5000 of those acres will likely be planted open. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that those extra potatoes will crash both the fresh and process open markets. On the Fresh side, we have just updated the planting intentions for members and non members alike. In 2008 we planted 153,000 acres for the combined fresh and dehy markets; Please, take a good look at the market today; the economy and a higher pack outs have turned what looked to be Idaho's most profitable crop into an average year. Today we are at a low $7.00 GRI, that's right at your 2008 cost of production. In short, we are struggling to profitably move this years crop while next year we INTEND to plant an INCREASE of 5000 acres. Does that make any sense? Gentlemen; those 158,000 acres next year will produce at least 4.5Million cwt MORE potatoes than fresh markets will need in 2009-2010. The wreck is right around the corner; you can clearly see it coming. Please STOP and take a good look at what you are going to do. With the high probability of 5000 open process acres (that will produce 2MM cwt of open potatoes) PLUS the 4.5M extra cwt in next year's Fresh pile, your GRI's will be almost certainly be BELOW cost of production. I implore every one of you; PLEASE re-evaluate your planting options and change your plans. IT IS NOT TOO LATE. EVERYONE, every process grower, dehy contract grower, fresh grower and seed grower alike, needs to take a deep breath and use some common sense. We need to reduce next year's fresh pile by a minimum of 4.5M cwt…not INCREASE it. That's almost 12,000 acres we need to reduce next year, NOT increase. I implore everyone of you…cut an additional 8% OFF OF YOUR 2009 PLANTING INTENTIONS. It doesn't matter what you think YOUR compelling reason or right is, EVERYONE NEEDS TO CUT AN ADDITIONAL 8%. Otherwise, you will most certainly get the market you have “sowed” and it will be a wreck! With that many extra potatoes next year, the $7.00 return we have today WILL BE A DREAM! Don't you remember 2004? Its coming again! Please, reduce you plantings by another 8% to AT LEAST a 35% or MORE reduction off your 2004 base. It is the only way for you to preserve your hard earned equity. UNCERTAINTY is NOT YOUR FRIEND. Be Smart; Be Safe. Cut an additional 8%. Jerry Wright CEO/President United Potato Growers of Idaho www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Pest-Resistant Potato on Tap Argenpapa. Información Técnica, 13 05 2009 By Jan Suszkiw (USDA).-A new russet potato germplasm line developed by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists and collaborators could help cut the cost of using chemical fumigants to fight Columbia root-knot nematodes (CRN). The wormlike pests are problematic in the Pacific Northwest, where two-thirds of America's potatoes are grown, as well as in Florida. Although fumigating the soil before planting time diminishes the pest's numbers, the practice isn't cheap, with some chemicals costing $300 per acre. Beneficial, soil-dwelling insects can also be harmed, according to geneticist Chuck Brown , with the ARS Vegetable and Forage Crops Research Unit in Prosser, Wash. Thanks to genetic resistance, the new russet potato, PA99N82-4, offers a way to naturally protect the roots and tubers against nematode feeding. Putting that resistance to work hasn't been easy, though. Brown and colleagues conducted painstaking screening of material from Solanum bulbocastanum and other wild species kept at the ARS U.S. Potato Genebank in Sturgeon Bay, Wis. Because wild and cultivated potatoes are chromosomally incompatible, the researchers resorted to bridging, a technique that fused S. bulbocastanum and domesticated potato cells together, which forced the DNA of both to combine. The cells were then stimulated to become plantlets. Later, "backcrossing" was used to eliminate unwanted traits (like tiny tubers and poor taste) from CRN-resistant plants that the researchers had created. They also used DNA marker technology to identify plants harboring the S. bulbocastanum gene for resistance, namely RMc1(blb). Normally, resistance levels are determined by inoculating potted plants with nematodes, waiting seven weeks and removing and washing the roots so the pests' eggs can be counted. Use of DNA marker streamlines this process and identifies resistant plants in one day, according to Brown. PA99N82-4 will undergo two more years of field-testing before it is released for use in developing commercial varieties. Read more about the research in the April 2009 issue of Agricultural Research magazine. ARS is the principal intramural scientific research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture . Noticias al día Potatoes Postharvest by R T Pringle, Scottish Agricultural College, UK; R C Clayton, The British Potato Council, UK; C F H Bishop, Writtle College, UK Argenpapa . Libro, 13 05 2009 Main Description The potato is an important world crop. This books brings together the various postharvest considerations, including principles of storage, store design, potato handling, quality control, and store management. It describes the different technical methods of potato storage used worldwide, for example box, bag and bulk storage. It is essential reading for researchers and potato growers, both large-scale commercial producers, and low-input tropical producers. Readership Horticulture, crop science, agricultural engineering View Sample Chapter Hardback Pub Date: February 2009 ISBN: 9780851995021 432 pages £85.00 / $170.00 / €135.00 ORDER NOW Save 10% Online Main Contents 1. Physiology 2. Harvesting and store loading systems 3. Store climate 4. Disease control in store 5. Store design and structure 6. Store ventilation 7. Store refrigeration 8. Store environment control 9. Store management 10. Seed grading and preparation for planting 11. Packhouse and processing facilities 12. Quality assurance 13. Marketing and costs Noticias al día Spud growers adjust expectations As demand has dropped, so have contracts with processors Dave Wilkins Capital Press Argenpapa . EEUU, 15 05 2009 Idaho farmers are planting the state's signature crop, and some are making changes based on reduced processing contracts. Processors that make french fries and other frozen potato products have reduced overall contracted potato acreage in the Northwest this year by an estimated 8 to 10 percent due to shrinking demand. Spud growers have been forced to lower their expectations in response. "We cut back about 300 acres this year because of the processors," farmer Rod Lake said April 30 as he prepared to plant a field of chipping stock potatoes near Paul, Idaho. Lake has grown for the fresh market and for major fry makers such as Simplot and McCain Foods for years. He's still growing for those markets, but has diversified his operation as the market has changed over the years. This year he landed a chipping contract after 20 years of trying. "This is our first year for chippers," Lake said as he prepared to plant a field to a Frito Lay variety. Lake started growing fingerling potatoes several years ago. He's up to about 200 acres of the specialty variety this year. Lake isn't the only spud grower making adjustments this year, and not all the changes have been voluntary. Some farmers who had previously grown for Lamb-Weston, a division of food giant ConAgra, were surprised to find out that they would not receive potato contracts this year, industry officials said. Many had already fumigated and prepared their ground for planting and were faced with some tough choices. Should they plant spuds in hopes of selling them on the open market, or switch to another crop? Industry leaders have warned that a wreck could be around the corner and have strongly urged growers to plant processing potatoes only if they have a contract. They fear a glut of open-market spuds if farmers go ahead with planting without one. Historically, potato growers have nearly always increased plantings after a good year, and the industry is coming off three consecutive good years. Jerry Wright, CEO of United Potato Growers of Idaho, warned co-op members this spring that it looked like 5,000 acres of open-market process potatoes would probably be planted in Idaho. He urged growers to reduce planting intentions by 8 percent. "Please stop and take a good look at what you are going to do," Wright told United members in his 2009 planting outlook message April 10. "Please re-evaluate your planting options, and change your plans. It is not too late." Bruce Huffaker, a consultant to United and publisher of the North American Potato Market News, projected that U.S. growers will plant 22,500 fewer acres to fall potatoes than they did in 2008. The 2 percent reduction will come almost entirely from the frozen processing sector, he said. The USDA will release its estimate of fall potato acreage in July. United will conduct its own acreage survey this month. www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Potato industry has tremendous effect on Wisconsin economy Argenpapa . EEUU, 18 05 2009 EEUU. (Potato News).- The Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association (WPVGA) reports that due to the nearly perfect planting weather, most potato farms have successfully gotten this year's crop in — encompassing more than 63,000 acres of different varieties of Wisconsin potatoes. According to the most recent USDA Census of Agriculture conducted in 2007, Wisconsin had 3,320 farms growing field vegetables — a statistic that includes potato growers. In 2008, Wisconsin ranked third in the nation with an astounding 25.7 billion pounds of potatoes produced and an average yield of 41,500 pounds per acre harvested. Last year's potato crop generated over $293,000,000 in production dollars for farmers and shippers. However, the impact on the State's economy reaches far beyond just farms and includes all agricultural businesses to generate more than $51.5 billion in economic activity and provide jobs for 420,000 people — about one out of every eight residents works in a job related to farming. The Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association represents an industry that has remained relatively stable in this challenging economy. Jeff Sommers, of Wysocki Produce Farms, a 3,400-acre farm in Plainfield, reports that employment levels are exactly the same as last year, and expects it to increase by 30% during peak season, just as it has in years past. Even smaller farms like Wallendahl Supply, a 265-acre farm in Grand Marsh, see employment at the same levels as last year. Sommers also believes that it's an exciting time to be an agricultural-based business as new technologies are changing farming practices to allow for efficiencies enabling farms to grow production by embracing new technologies. He adds, “as leaders in the industry, we are passionate about being quality employers, having a positive impact on our community, and we're committed to the growth of the potato industry in Wisconsin.” Andy Wallendahl, of Wallendahl Supply, Grand Marsh, says the Wisconsin Potato Industry is healthy and vibrant. He sees a lot of “excitement in the industry surrounding environmentally-friendly produce products and in the partnership between the WPVGA and the University of Wisconsin” — specifically the work UW researchers are doing to refine production techniques. For more information about the Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association, the growers of Wisconsin Home Grown and Healthy Grown Potatoes, and delicious potato recipe ideas, visit www.wisconsinpotatoes.com . www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día U.S. Potato Board Hosts Event for International Buyers USAgNet - Argenpapa . EEUU, 20 05 2009 EEUU.(Wisconsin Ag Connection).-For the third year running, the United States Potato Board hosted guests from select international private voluntary organizations (PVOs) for a workshop to introduce US dehydrated potatoes (dehy) as a sensible solution to food programming. The workshop started in Idaho Falls, Idaho, and finished with the 2009 United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and USDA sponsored International Food Aid Conference (IFAC) in Kansas City, Mo. T.K. Kuwahara, USPB international marketing manager of dehy, introduced the USPB and its programs designed to support PVOs in their food programming efforts. Dehydrated potatoes, a commodity available to PVO's through USDA and USAID programs, was also introduced. Dehy is often overlooked due to the fact PVO's are not aware of its benefits. "Dehy is convenient, nutritious, versatile, and economical for use in food programming," Kuwahara said. "You can't get all of benefits of dehy from a list of commodities, so we invite the PVO's to learn firsthand how they can incorporate dehy to support programs such as the health recovery of people living with HIV/AIDS, to school feeding programs with sustainability features of Parent Teacher Organizations (PTOs), to food aid for emergency relief work." Cade Fields-Gardner, a dietitian and nutrition consultant presented the various nutrition features of dehy and the role US dehy can play in maintaining and restoring nutritional health. Features of particular interest included US dehy's resistant starches, vitamin and mineral content -- especially potassium and vitamin C -- and versatility in meeting the specific consistency needs and preferences of all age groups. The PVO guests toured Rigby Produce, a fresh pack facility in Rigby, ID, where they learned about potato production including various aspects of soil conditions, planting, harvesting, storing and processing. They then toured Idaho Pacific, a dehydrated potato product producer, to learn how potatoes are processed into a wide range of dehydrated products. The group was extremely impressed to learn about the high food safety standards implemented in processing dehy. The fact that dehy is "made to order" once they request it, not sub-par product which has been sitting in a warehouse for years, was equally important to them. www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Psyllid threat costing potato growers thousands in revenue Argenpapa. Nueva Zelanda, 22 05 2009 Nueva Zelanda.(3News).-The New Zealand potato industry is exploring ways to fight off a new pest which has already cost it tens of thousands of dollars. In the last season the potato psyllid lowered yields by up to 20 percent. A psyllid is a small cicada-like insect that is estimated to have cost the industry $30,000 in revenue. "2008 it was discovered in a potato crop and 2009, one year later, it's quite widespread in the North Island," says Kevin Wilcox, potato grower. It's also present in the south island but as yet is inactive. Mr Wilcox is one grower who suffered a loss because of the bacterium spreading pest, and while he is not panicking just yet, he is aware of the threat it poses. "As a primary producer we accept that there's quite a production risk, and the psyllid's just added another dimension to that I suppose." It was first detected in New Zealand on tomatoes in 2006, believed to have originated in the United States. It also affects capsicums and tamarillos, but seems to be most devastating to potato crops. Consumers are being assured that the potato psyllid does not pose a food safety threat, but if the pest spreads as rapidly next season as the last, it could affect yields further. "It appears that some varieties may be more prone to it," says Terry Olsen of Horticulture NZ. "It seems to be related to later plantings, which the American experience suggests it's more active in warmer temps." For now there is no proven way to stop the pest spreading, but some growers are choosing to plant slightly earlier. Plant and Science New Zealand is studying its affects at the moment and is hopeful of eventually making New Zealand a world leader in psyllid control. www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día New treatment roller table applicator for potato seed tubers Argenpapa . Gran Bretaña, 27 05 2009 Gran Bretaña. (Potato News).- A new potato seed treatment roller table applicator from Team Sprayers promises to give more accurate and even coverage of liquid seed treatments, to achieve better results and with less waste than existing options. The machine features a unique rotating nozzle beneath the treatment hood, which directs the spray to give an all round coverage of the seed tuber. Air flow fans assist in delivering the spray pattern onto the tubers. The new Team liquid seed treater has been developed in conjunction with Syngenta Crop Protection. Combined with new roller table technology that ensure all tubers achieve at least three and half rotations under the spray pattern, seed is given effective all round coverage with the liquid seed treatment. A unique auto-feed hopper automatically creates a constant delivery of seed tubers across the treatment table. Mick Gathercole of Team Sprayers highlights the applicator is fitted with a patented new direct injection system. This adds the seed treatment chemical at the point of application, which avoids the need for pre-mixing and reduces chemical handling. The system spray output is fully adjustable to match the volume of tubers moving across the table, ensuring each potato receives the correct amount of liquid seed treatment. It also means the machine is simple to flush through with clean water at the end of each treatment session. Although virtually all the spray pattern is retained on the seed tubers, any drips and rinse liquid is captured and retained in a self-contained unit for safe disposal. Having been thoroughly tested and evaluated over the past year, the first production Team liquid seed treater machines are now available to order for next season's seed production. This will coincide with the planned launch of a new seed treatment from Syngenta, currently in the process of UK registration. “The new liquid seed treater will be a significant advance in potato seed treatment technology,” according to Mr Gathercole. “It can achieve far more consistent, even and accurate application of seed treatments to all tubers, enabling seed producers to assure the best possible results with the treatment offered.” The machine has a capacity to treat up to ten tonnes per hour. Output from the table can automatically feed to trays, boxes, bags or bulk store as required. Mr Gathercole believes it will prove an attractive option for seed producing companies, seed growing groups or contractors providing a seed treatment service for seed and ware growers. Stuart Wale of SAC reports that currently some applicators are achieving less than 50% of treatment retention on the seed tubers, which inevitably means a high level of waste. Coupled with this, uneven application means that many of the tubers are not receiving sufficient coverage or protection. “The seed growers' grading lines can be incredibly hectic to satisfy demand in the few weeks leading up to planting. With frequent changes in batches with different requirements, it's difficult to maintain an even throughput on the table to achieve good results,” he reports. “Developments that can improve the reliability and coverage of seed tubers, combined with the simplicity to produce consistent results under the pressure of the seed grading line, will be extremely welcome.” New seed treatments, with the potential to control a broader spectrum of seed-borne diseases, will be best placed to benefit from advances in seed treater technology. Dr Wale believes that, with the availability of more accurate seed treaters, an increasing number of ware growers may opt to take charge of the treatment on farm, possibly by ordering seed earlier and using a contractor to apply the most appropriate treatment for their own farm. For further Press Information please contact: Mick Gathercole Sales Director Team Sprayers Tel: 01353 661211 Email: sales@team-sprayers.com Noticias al día Boost for Kenyan potato farmers as charity chips in with £186,000 Argenpapa . Kenya-Escocia. 03-06-2009 Kenya. (Scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com).-SCOTTISH scientists have been given a £186,000 grant to help boost potato crops and incomes in Third World countries. Potato yields in countries such as Kenya are a quarter of those from the same amount of land in Britain, mainly because of insect-transmitted viruses which affect the tubers. Now scientists from the Scottish Crop Research Institute near Dundee areADVERTISEMENTworking with Kenyan farmers to boost the production of one of the country's staple foods. The potato is the second most important food crop in Kenya after maize, with 1.2 million tonnes grown every year. The aim of the two-year project is to increase yields and incomes by establishing techniques to support virus-free potato seed tuber production. Virus diseases, transmitted by aphids, cause degeneration of the seed potato stocks over time and are a major factor limiting potato production in Kenya. In sub-Saharan Africa, and Kenya in particular, the system of virus-free seed tuber production is not well developed and most farmers grow the main crop from home-saved seed, which is mostly diseased. The project will use the Scottish seed tuber production system as a model. SCRI's head of plant pathology, Dr Lesley Torrance, who will lead the project said: "There is massive scope for crop improvement by effective control of virus diseases and their aphid carriers. "We hope to increase potato yields and farmers' incomes on a sustainable basis by establishing systems to support virus-free seed tuber production." A spokesperson for the charitable Monsanto Fund, which provided the grant, said: "We are delighted to be able to support this project, which not only is very much in line with our focus on the area's nutrition but will also really benefit farmers, especially in the light of the challenges of ensuring food security and the need to boost farmers' productivity and income." Dr Wilson Songa, the agriculture secretary in the Kenyan Ministry of Agriculture, described Kenya's average potato yields as only five to ten tonnes per hectare compared to about 40 tonnes obtained in countries such as the UK. He said that every effort must be made to provide farmers with clean planting tubers and adequate training so that they can increase their yields, improve their income and contribute towards national food security. Noticias al día Idaho Potato growers adjust expectations Argenpapa . EEUU. 08-06-2009 EEUU. (Potato Pro).- Idaho potato farmers are planting the state's signature crop, and some are making changes based on reduced processing contracts. Processors that make french fries and other frozen potato products have reduced overall contracted potato acreage in the Northwest this year by an estimated 8 to 10 percent due to shrinking demand. Potato growers have been forced to lower their expectations in response. "We cut back about 300 acres this year because of the processors," farmer Rod Lake said April 30 as he prepared to plant a field of chipping stock potatoes near Paul, Idaho. Lake has grown for the fresh market and for major fry makers such as Simplot and McCain Foods for years. He's still growing for those markets, but has diversified his operation as the market has changed over the years. This year he landed a chipping contract after 20 years of trying. "This is our first year for chippers," Lake said as he prepared to plant a field to a Frito Lay variety. Lake started growing fingerling potatoes several years ago. He's up to about 200 acres of the specialty variety this year. Industry leaders have warned that a wreck could be around the corner and have strongly urged growers to plant processing potatoes only if they have a contract. They fear a glut of open-market spuds if farmers go ahead with planting without one. Historically, potato growers have nearly always increased plantings after a good year, and the industry is coming off three consecutive good years. Jerry Wright, CEO of United Potato Growers of Idaho, warned co-op members this spring that it looked like 5,000 acres of open-market process potatoes would probably be planted in Idaho. Bruce Huffaker, a consultant to United and publisher of the North American Potato Market News, projected that U.S. growers will plant 22,500 fewer acres to fall potatoes than they did in 2008. The 2 percent reduction will come almost entirely from the frozen processing sector, he said. Noticias al día Populatie phytophthora voor helft agressief type Argenpapa . Holanda. 24-06-2009 Holanda. (AGD).- De helft van de phytophthora-populatie bestaat inmiddels uit het agressieve genotype Blue 13. Dit maakt het tijdstip van de phytophthora-bespuiting steeds belangrijker. Het onderzoeksinstituut Plant Research International (PRI-WUR) houdt bij hoe phytophthora zich ontwikkelt, zegt onderzoeker Geert Kessel. "We kijken of de ziekteverwekker nieuwe eigenschappen krijgt en of die van invloed zijn op de aardappelteelt." Uit onderzoek blijkt dat de populatie nu wordt gedomineerd door het genotype Blue 13. Kessel: "Dit genotype is agressiever dan de andere. Zodra een phytophthora-spoor met dit agressieve genotype op een aardappelblad landt, ontstaat onder vochtige omstandigheden binnen een paar uur een infectie. De voortplantingscyclus van phytophthora is korter geworden. Voor de telers betekent dit dat het tijdstip van de preventieve bespuiting tegen phytophthora steeds nauwer luistert. Er zijn beslissingsondersteunende systemen die de telers helpen het beste spuitmoment te bepalen." Ondanks dat PRI constateert dat phytophthora steeds agressiever wordt, heeft dat geen effect op de werking van de gewasbeschermingsmiddelen. Kessel: "De akkerbouwers gebruiken een breed scala aan middelen. Dat voorkomt dat phytophthora resistent wordt tegen de middelen." PRI heeft ook gezien dat drie phytophthora-isolaten in het laboratorium het resistentiegen Blb2 kunnen doorbreken. Volgens Kessel staat dit los van de toename van het genotype Blue 13. "Agressiviteit is een andere eigenschap dan de eigenschap die bepaalt of phytophthora een resistentiegen kan doorbreken." Noticias al día Phytophthora infestans strains A2-Blue13 and A1- 6. Spread of new strains of Phytophthora infestans in England Argenpapa . Información Técnica. 24-06-2009 Información Técnica. (Pestalert.org).- Potato late blight, caused by Phytophthora infestans , is found in nearly all areas of the world where potatoes are grown. It is known as the most devastating disease of potatoes and one of the most devastating plant diseases of any crop. Phytophthora infestans is a heterothallic species with two mating types designated as A1 and A2. When both mating types are present sexual reproduction can occur leading to increased genetic variation from recombination and the formation long lived oospores. In North America both the A1 and A2 mating types are present. A new strain of the A2 mating type, A2-Blue13, was found near Ipswich, England, in 2005 where prevalence is now almost 80 percent and has been recorded as some of the worst known potato blight (Abel, 2009). The A2 mating type, rare in the United Kingdom until 2005, is now dominant (Abel, 2009; Bretaña, 2008). In the UK, A2-Blue13 causes larger blight lesions and produces spores faster than other strains. In addition, A2-Blue13 can produce spores at lower temperatures,and has a shorter latent period (Abel, 2009; Bretaña, 2008). Growers are finding that some previously resistant varieties of potato are susceptible to the new strain, and some of their commonly used blight fungicides are not effective (Sárvári Research Trust, 2009; Sykes, 2008). Also in England, a dominant strain of the A1 mating type is surfacing (Potato Council Ltd., 2009). This strain is called A1-6 or Pink 6. Potato researchers in the area report that regional differences in population diversity are no longer observed as strains like A2-Blue13 and A1- 6 continue to dominate. Use of clean planting stock and research aimed at resistance management strategies is critical to better control outbreaks. OTHER INFORMATION: References: Abel, C. 2009. New blight strain demands extra vigilance. Farmers Weekly Interactive. Last accessed April 9, 2009: http://www.fwi.co.uk/Articles/2009/04/05/114942/new-blight-strain-demands-extra-vigilance.html [Also reported by ProMED-mail ( http://www.promedmail.org ) titled “Late Blight, Potato – United Kingdom, Bangladesh”, published online April 06, 2009] Bretaña, G. 2008. Blight resistance - top of mind for potato growers. Argenpapa. Last accessed April 9, 2009, http://www.argenpapa.com.ar/default.asp?id=3038 . Potato Council Ltd. 2009. Growers adviced to keep tight control on blight. Global Potato News. Last accessed April 10, 2009, http://www.potatonews.com/pressreleases/press_detail.asp?id=1135 . Sárvári Research Trust. 2009. Know Your Enemy - Blight. Last accessed April 9, 2009, http://www.sarvari-trust.org/late-blight.html . Sykes, L. 2008. Rethink needed on control tactics. Pages 30-31 in Farmers Weekly Academy. Noticias al día USO DE ESPECIES SILVESTRES Y CULTIVADAS EN EL MEJORAMIENTO DE LA PAPA Argenpapa. Información Técnica. 26-06-2009 Autor: Dr. Andrés Contreras. Presentado en el Congreso Latinoamericano de la Papa en Argentina. (2008).- Información Técnica. (Scielo).- INTRODUCCION El género Solanum ofrece una gran riqueza de especies distribuidas, en 10.000 km de longitud, desde el sureste de Norteamérica, pasando por toda América Central y Sur, hasta llegar a latitudes más allá de los 50° Sur en el Archipiélago de los Chonos. En su amplitud crece desde el nivel del mar a cordillera, sobre 4.500 m de altitud y aún allende los Andes penetrando áreas de Venezuela, Brasil, Uruguay, Paraguay y Argentina. En toda esta vasta región, Estrada (2000) indica que crecen 226 especies silvestres y 8 cultivadas. El número cromosomal es x=12 y en estas el 74,6 % son diploides, el 3,8% son triploides, el 14,8% son tetraploides, el 1,6 % son pentaploides y el 5,5% son hexaploides La SERIES Tuberosa reúne las únicas especies cultivadas, con una data de alrededor los 10.000 años de antigüedad y que son: diploides: Solanum x ajanhuiri; S. goniocalix; S. phureja; S. stenotomum, triploides: S. x chaucha; S. x juzepczukii, tetraploides: S.tuberosum ssp. tuberosum y S. tuberosum ssp. andigena, pentaploide: S. x curtilobum. (Ochoa, 1972; Hawkes, 1990). La diversidad de climas, tipos de suelo, fotoperíodo, nos indica un tremendo y hermoso potencial de genes que nos permitiría abordar cualquier desafío de mejoramiento genético. Si bien la papa cultivada era común y connatural a los pueblos americanos, ésta por su diversidad natural ha ofrecido y ofrece su alimento enterrado a los seres humanos que acá crecen. Sin embargo cuando ésta fue llevada a Europa, en el siglo XVI, fue desconocida y demoró en ser sustento alimenticio de ellos, debido a prejuicios religiosos y a su parentesco con plantas maléficas como la belladona y mandrágora, entre otras. No fue hasta el siglo XVIII que tuvo su oportunidad, multiplicándose profusamente, a tal punto que pasó a constituirse en el principal cultivo europeo, y que por efecto de una epifitia de tizón entre 1846 50 provocó una devastadora catástrofe conocida como la gran Hambruna Europea . Esto ocurrió debido al monocultivo y a que se tenían pocas variedades muy emparentadas, que no ofrecían variabilidad genética, como ocurre en los lugares de domesticación primaria en Sudamérica, en donde cada agricultor cultiva múltiples variedades, siendo unas sensibles y otras resistentes a plagas y enfermedades, por lo tanto se aseguran productividad. Primeras introducciones a Europa La base genética de las actuales papas en el mundo, indudablemente se inicia con el encuentro de ésta por los europeos que descubrieron las Américas, siendo su primera referencia el año 1537 por Jiménez de Quesada en el Valle de la Grita, en la provincia de Vélez en Colombia (Imperial Bureau of Plant Genetics, 1936; Hawkes, 1967; Luján 1996), Juan Castellanos, miembro de la expedición de Quesada, la describe en los términos siguiente: Rodondillas raíces que se siembran y producen un tallo con sus ramas y hojas y unas flores aunque raras de purpúreo color amortiguado; y a las raíces de esta dicha hierba que será de tres palmas de altura, están asidas ellas sobre la tierra, del tamaño de un huevo más o menos, unas redondas y otras perlongadas; son blancas y moradas y amarillas, harinosas raíces de buen gusto, regalo de los indios bien acepto y aún de los españoles golosinas . De acuerdo a Imperial Bureau of Plant Genetics (1936); Salaman (1937); Hawkes (1967) y otros investigadores, el primer antecedente en Europa hace referencia a que el año 1565 se envían papas del Cuzco a Felipe II de España, el cual envía al Papa y este al herbolario Clusius, en Holanda, que las describe en su Historia Plantarun (1601). De allí es enviada a Viena y Frankfurt. Sin embargo nuevos estudios de Hawkes y Francisco Ortega (1993), señalan que la primera introducción de papa, fue la andina y que llegó a las Islas Canarias en 1562, y a Sevilla en 1573 (Hawkes y Francisco-Ortega, 1992). Spooner y Hetterscheid (2005) y Ríos et al., (2007) refutan esa hipótesis al estudiar el DNA de cloroplastos y microsatélite-nuclear de poblaciones de variedades antiguas de Islas Canarias, concluyendo que estas corresponden a múltiples introducciones de material andino y de germoplasma chilote-chileno. Estas introducciones tienen data muy anterior a 1840 s. Estas primeras introducciones se relacionan con la llegada temprana de Ipomoea batata, provocando confusión en nombre y origen que dificultó el trazado histórico de las primeras papas (Hawkes y Francisco.Ortega,1993; Burton, 1966; Luján, 1996). Notas de Drake (1578) y Cavendish (1587), señalan en sus bitácoras haberse abastecido de papas en Isla Mocha y Santa María en costas chilenas (Imperial Bureau of Plant Genetics,1936; Salaman,1937; Burton, 1948; Hawkes, 1966; Glendinnig,1983), y que parte de este material sería el inicial en costas de Irlanda. Este material sería el que Gerard menciona en su Catalogus Arborum (1596). Salaman (1937) discute esta posibilidad como muy remota, y que en 1570, la bitácora de compra del Hospital de la Sangre en Sevilla, se indica adquisición de estas en el mercado, y que este material sería el enviado a Felipe II desde el Cuzco. Siguiendo la especulación de este reputado investigador inglés, se sabe que tempranamente fue introducida a España, desde zonas tropicales la Ipomea batata, y que la papa habría tomado el nombre de patata por la similitud con aquella, (Burton 1966, Luján 1996), y también para no ofender con este nombre al Papa. Por otro lado no es posible desconocer que muchas plantas del Nuevo Mundo fueron llevadas a Europa como muestras vivas y también semilla sexual. Antes de 1840 s las pocas introducciones no fueron usadas en mejoramiento. Las primeras introducciones no pasaron de ser curiosidades botánicas (Salaman, 1926-37; Fuess, 1938, Imperial Bureau of Plant Genetics, 1936), y el uso en cultivo fue esporádico ya que durante casi dos siglos se la rehuía por ser pariente de la venenosa belladona (planta Nigthshade), el clero europeo la consideraba producto maléfico por incitar a la lujuria (forma fálica del tubérculo), provocaba tuberculosis, raquitismo, sífilis, obesidad y lepra (apariencia de la piel), y por último no era mencionada en la Biblia. En el mejor de los casos era alimento de cerdos y campesinos de subsistencia. Después de estas dos referencias, transcurren más de 185 años de oscuridad en cuanto a relatos de nuevos ingresos de papa a Europa. Solo el escritor irlandés Rye, en 1730 describe para Irlanda cinco tipos de papas the fat white kidney potato; the round white; the yellow; the round red and the black potato (Glendinning, 1983). El año 1765 John Howard of Cardington, Bedfordshire, introduce papas fresh from America , las que fueron ampliamente cultivadas a lo menos hasta 1840 con nombres como Howard, Cluster, Conglomerated, Suffolk y Surinam (Davidson, 1934). Glendinnig (1983), indica que dos introducciones ocurrieron en el siglo 16, y otras introducciones deben haber sucedido en el siglo XVII y XVIII, probablemente de Colombia. Ocasionales introducciones se habrían realizado de Sudamérica. Otros materiales fueron introducidos por Schlechtendal (1841) desde México, como S. verrucosum, S. stoloniferum y S. oxicarpum. Otros desde Argentina y Uruguay correspondiente a S. commersoni, y desde Chile a S. maglia. Lindley (1848) indica introducciones a Inglaterra de Perú y Colombia, entre las especies estaba Solanum goniocalix. Sin embargo este material no prosperó por problemas de enfermedades y bajo rendimiento debido a su respuesta a fotoperíodo. Ninguna de estas especies fue usada en mejoramiento y fueron considerados curiosidades o materiales muy silvestres. Sin embargo Klotzsch (1849-1852), introduce S. demissun de México, la que comenzó a usar en cruzas. A partir de ese material se origina en Europa la raza W alemana con resistencia a Phytopthora infestans. Glendinning (1983) cita a Knigth que escribe que alrededor de 1765, las papas eran desconocidas por los campesinos de Herefordshire, y que solo crecían pequeñas cantidades en los jardines, y se suponía que poseían propiedades deletéreas. Sin embargo 10 años después todos los prejuicios desaparecieron y las papas desplazaron a la cabbages from cottagers gardens . Con esta expansión, las enfermedades al cultivo se fueron intensificando. Entre estas el enrollamiento de la hoja se recuerda como una enfermedad severa en 1760. Cartwright (1806) citado por Salaman (1926) señala que una forma de corregir el constante deterioro de las variedades existentes fue la multiplicación sexual. Knight, (1814) indica la importancia de obtener nuevas variedades por semilla sexual para conseguir vigor en estas. Así la proliferación de variedades a fines del siglo XVIII y principios del XIX, aparentemente se debió a los logros de este sistema y no a las nuevas introducciones. De esta manera se aprecia un incipiente trabajo de mejoramiento vía siembra de semilla sexual y posterior selección para adaptación a días largos, tamaño y forma de tubérculos (Glendinnig, 1983). Hawkes (1967) cita a Millar el cual realiza selecciones para tuberización temprana. Al respecto toma bayas de floración temprana para esta selección. Desde el año 1800 en adelante, de acuerdo a antecedentes escritos, se inicia el mejoramiento, con métodos más científicos, presentándose un hito en esta actividad en 1846-50, que ocurre la gran Hambruna Europea, lo que hizo que científicos de aquellos tiempos buscasen el centro de origen de la papa e introdujeran, desde América, variedades nativas y especies silvestres para sus cruzamientos. Tomas Andrew Knight, considerado el primer mejorador de cualquier cultivo, que se aproxima a sistemas modernos, propone en 1807 la polinización cruzada para combinar caracteres, obteniendo éxito en esta metodología entre 1810 y 1831. Hizo interesantes observaciones en relación a la papa, como que las variedades de ciclo corto no florecen y describe métodos para estimular la floración. Además, indica, como producir papas muy precoces (Glendinnig, 1983). Durante el siglo XIX la frecuencia de introducciones a Europa aumentó, sin embargo la mayoría de estas fueron descartadas. Plaisted (1972) y Plaisted y Hoopes (1989), indican que entre 1848 al 1852 Goodrich recibió 12 clones, la mayoría descartado junto a sus progenies siendo la excepción la que llamó Rough Purple Chili (Púrpura Casposa de Chile). In 1851, I received 8 varieties from Panamá, supposed to have been brought from the coast of Chile& . One of these was exactly like the last sort above noticed. One other was afterwards extensively cultivated by me under the name of Rough Purple Chili. It was the parent of my seedling, the Garnet Chili. De la Garnet Chili , por autofecundación obtuvo la Early Rose, y este linaje se encuentra en casi todas las variedades modernas. Hawkes (1979), señala que las primeras variedades precoces derivan de la Early Rose. Sutton (1895) citado por Glendinning (1983) multiplicó por ocho años la Golden Potato de Perú, concluyendo que no tenía buen rendimiento y era sensible a enfermedades, por lo cual la descartó. Al parecer el material introducido en la segunda mitad del siglo XVIII a Europa, desde Sudamérica, era muy primitivo y por esa razón no tuvo éxito su uso. Solamente se indica como excepción a Daber y Rough Purple Chili (Púrpura Casposa de Chile), que fueron ampliamente usadas en mejoramiento de papa (van Rathlef, 1932; Fuess, 1938; Hougas y Ross, 1956; Ross, 1958; Glendinning, 1983; Plaisted y Hoopes,1989) . Uso variedades antiguas y especies silvestres en la creación de nuevos cultivares El linaje de este material inicial, en mayor o menor proporción se encuentra en la mayoría de los cultivares actuales en el mundo. Al estudiar el trabajo de van Rathlef (1932) Die Stammtaflen des Weltsortiments der Kartoffel und ihre generativ fruchtbaren Sorten curiosamente encontramos el uso de especies silvestres y nativas cultivadas como Cuzco, Daber, Paterson Victoria, Púrpura Casposa de Chile. Este último material excepto Cuzco corresponde a S. tuberosum del Sur de Chile. Este mismo autor indica más de 300 variedades en línea directa con la Púrpura Casposa de Chile. Cuadro 1. Variedades básicas iniciales en Europa. Table 1. Initial potato varieties used in Europe. Fuente: http://www.plantbreeding.wur.nl/potatopedigree/, Siebeneick (1948); Ross (1958); Hawkes (1979); Plaisted y Hoopes (1989); Van Rathlef (1932) A estos materiales iniciales se debe sumar, dentro de aquellos informados, la introducción en 1912 de Chilote Indianer que originó la línea 9089 con alta tolerancia a virus del Enrollamiento de la Hoja y resistente a virus Y, la variedad Villarroela con extrema resistencia al virus X (Ross, 1958), Bolera, Bandera y Cabrita Michuñez (van Rathlef,1933). En el catálogo Mundial de Variedades de Papa del 2007 (Hils y Pieterse 2007) que presenta más de 4.200, y en el Potato Pedigree Database de Wageningen (UR), que contiene 7.500 accesiones, (http://www.plantbreeding.wur.nl/potatopedigree/), nos encontramos que el panorama de base genética no varía mucho del señalado por van Rathlef en 1933. Las nuevas variedades provienen de otras europeas y que en su estudio en cuarta o quinta y sexta generación hacia atrás encontramos la estrecha base indicada por este autor. De las especies silvestres usadas, escasas son las variedades generadas y que estén vigentes. Ross (1966) señala la importancia que tuvo el uso de especies silvestres en el mejoramiento de la especie en Alemania, y en 1979 indica a 346 variedades que tienen genes de acl, and, dem, phu, spg, sto, tub (Chile), vrn. Todos estos materiales han sido cruzados con las variedades básicas señaladas anteriormente, y por tanto tienen estrecho vínculo a los materiales iniciales. Por otro lado, diversos informes anuales de CIP (1990,1992, 1995-1996), señalan la formación de set hybrid y líneas avanzadas de materiales con resistencia a diversos patógenos para distribución global a más de 70 países y que han permitido la liberación de variedades en Uganda (3), Camerun (4) y Burundi (4). Además han enviado la mayor parte ( bulk ) de semilla sexual a Asia, Indonesia, Egipto y Nicaragua. Cuadro 2.Uso de especies silvestres de Solanum en la creación de cultivares. Table 2. Wild species of Solanum breed used to produce potato cultivars. Fuente: 1 http://www.plantbreeding.wur.nl/potatopedigree/; 2 Plaisted y Hoopes (1989; 3 Plaisted y Hoopes (1989) - liberadas entre 1956-1985. Amplitud genética de los actuales cultivares De acuerdo a los antecedentes anteriores, se demuestra que las variedades señaladas en el catálogo Mundial 2007, como en otros anteriores tienen una base genética muy estrecha, es decir que el 80 y más por ciento de los genes de las modernas variedades provienen de las variedades que crecieron en los primeros años del siglo XX. Estas variedades, aunque numerosas, derivaron de algunas que sobrevivieron a la epidemia de P. infestans, junto a solo dos variedades primitivas usadas en mejoramiento en el siglo XIX. En cuanto al uso de especies silvestres, estas también han sido escasas en la contribución, observando el cuadro 4, se puede concluir que en relación a los materiales conservados en bancos genéticos en su totalidad, el porcentaje de estas es muy bajo. Esta estrechez genética de las papas presentes, se debe a diversos factores como: * la genética de S. tuberosum que es un auto-alotetraploide segmental, que ha permitido seguir generando variedades aprovechando la vasta variabilidad aún en cruces consanguíneos (Hawkes, 1956). * uso de la polonización abierta, cruzas con ausencia de especies silvestres y virtual ausencia de cultivares primitivos que no sean Rough Purple Chile y Daber (Glendinnig, 1979; Hawkes, 1979). * preferencia de algunos mejoradores por usar algunos materiales parentales, y estos usarlos intensamente. Findlay (1905) prefirió a Victory como progenitor masculino y femenino. Salaman (1926) indicaba que ninguna nueva variedad tendría merito si no tiene sangre de Paterson Victoria. * desconocimiento de la cruzabilidad de especies de distintas ploidías (Hawkes, 1979) * problemas de compatibilidad y fertilidad de polen (desconocida las causas en ese tiempo). Knight selecciono para tubérculo y no para flor, por tanto muchas de sus líneas eran estériles y sin flor (Glendinnig, 1979). * esterilidad de muchos clones obtenidos de cruzas con la ssp. tuberosum, que posee factores citoplasmáticos de esterilidad (Grun y Staub, 1979). * problemas de balance de endosperma (Hawkes, 1979). Métodos de mejoramiento: El proceso de mejoramiento de papa, o más bien en plantas de reproducción vegetativa, a diferencia de las de reproducción generativa, requieren de un cruzamiento y después solo vienen selecciones en el tiempo para encontrar él o los cultivares, ya que los caracteres son fijados inmediatamente y son estables vía la reproducción clonal. Es un esquema simple, pero exige una evaluación previa de los materiales parentales que posean los genes que deberemos amalgamar en una nueva variedad, aumentando la diversidad. Esta especie es altamente heterozigota, intolerante al imbreeding (problemas de autofecundación). Desde mediados del siglo XX el mejoramiento convencional ha seguido el sistema: introducción, selección progenitores a nivel 4x, cruzas intervarietales, autofecundación, cruzas entre hermanos, retrocruzar al padre original, cruzas interespecíficas (sp. cultivadas - sp. silvestres). Aquí rol importante juega la ploidía, compatibilidad, consanguinidad, balance de endosperma, ya que en muchos casos no se presenta la compatibilidad para efectuar con éxito la formación de un zigoto. Hawkes (1979), presenta una carta de cruzabilidad, producto de innumerables contribuciones de investigadores, que se ha ido ampliando para el uso de especies silvestres con materiales cultivados. Sin embargo el mejoramiento moderno nos ofrece herramientas para obviar lo anterior con nuevas metodologías no convencionales como: uso de especies puente, polinización in Vitro, duplicación cromosomal, reducción cromosomal (haploides), fusión protoplasmática, ingeniería genética (marcadores moleculares), biobalística, semilla sexual (Vayda y Park, 1990; International Potato Center 1991; Ritter, 2000; Bradshaw et al., 2006). Todos estos métodos serán efectivos en la medida que se tenga material, se evalúe y se use adecuadamente para los objetivos y fines de cada país. En este sentido rol importante ha jugado el fuerte impulso para hacer colectas, establecer bancos genéticos, evaluar las colecciones y transferirlas a los mejoradores. Recursos genéticos necesarios para el mejoramiento. Al respecto se han realizado: 1.- Amplias colectas durante muchos años. El cuadro 3 se indican las colectas realizadas entre 1930 y 1971. Se agrega gran cantidad de colectas realizadas por investigadores latinoamericanos: Carlos Ochoa, Cuadro 3. Colectas de Solanum entre 1930 y 1971. Table 3. Collections of Solanum plant material between 1930-1971. Cárdenas, Gandarillas, Huaman, Okada, Clausen, Estrada, Gabriel, Ortega, Contreras, entre otros. 2.- Gran número de bancos genéticos en países desarrollados y en centro de origen conocidos y desconocidos. (Cuadro 4) El resultado de un cuestionario para la Estrategia de Conservación Global de la Papa, presentado en "Workshop of Potato Ex situ Collection Curator to Develop a Global Potato Conservation Strategy. Lima - Perú -24 -25 -26 agosto 2005", señala lo siguiente : * 21 colecciones de papa mantienen cerca de 55.700 accesiones * En los últimos 10 años se introdujeron 13200 nuevas accesiones, sin embargo se reportan pérdidas en todos los bancos genéticos. * El germoplasma mantenido está razonablemente clasificado. * El nivel de caracterización es muy diverso y amplio. (Cuadro 5) 3.- Evaluaciones En el área centro de origen de la especie, es posible contar con más de 4.500 variedades nativas, y las especies silvestres. Este material genético ha sido evaluado y debido a su amplia dispersión en el área de origen, presenta valiosos genes de resistencia a enfermedades y plagas, condiciones de estrés abiótico (calor, frío, sequía, salinidad, aluminio etc.), contenido nutritivo en almidones, antioxidantes, vitamina C, aminoácidos etc., que ofrecen al mejoramiento un potencial de insospechados usos. Las especies fuente de resistencia se observan en cuadro 6 (Ross, 1958; Hannemann y Bamberg, 1986; Hannemann 1989; Vayda 1994; Estrada 2000; Contreras, 2005). Cuadro 4. Bancos genéticos de papa informados; composición y tamaño. Table 4. Composition and size of worldwide potato germoplasm in known genetic banks. FUENTE: Workshop of Potato Ex situ Collection Curator to Develop a Global Potato Conservation Strategy. Lima - Perú -24 -25 -26 agosto 2005. Contreras (2005). Surge una pregunta ¿se ha evaluado lo suficiente? Múltiples trabajos así lo indican, y por solo nombrar algunos están los de Bukasov (1933); Hawkes (1945, 1958); Ross (1958); Contreras (1987); Hannemann (1989); Hannemann y Bamberg (1986); Centro Internacional de la Papa (múltiples informes), Barandalla et al., (2008). ¿Se ha usado lo que se conserva en bancos genéticos? Hasta ahora si, pero en una mínima parte, bajo el sistema convencional de mejoramiento, y como se indicó anteriormente se está potenciando el uso de materiales diploides vía uso de especies puente, haploidía, fusión protoplasmática y transgenia. En relación al uso de especies silvestres, Hawkes (1979) indicaba que este era bajo esto es debido a la comprensible reserva de una parte de los mejoradores para embarcarse en el tormentoso mar del mejoramiento con especies silvestres . La transferencia de genes, vía mejoramiento convencional, toma muchos años, debido a las continuas retrocruzas para eliminar caracteres silvestres indeseables. Hoy con nuevas tecnologías es posible obviar muchos de los problemas de cruzabilidad. Cuadro 5. Bancos genéticos de papa; tipos de evaluación y uso de las colecciones. Table 5. Potato genetic banks; types of evaluation and use of collections. FUENTE: Workshop of Potato Ex situ collection curator to develop a Global potato Conservation Strategy. Lima - Perú -24 -25 -26 agosto 2005.Contreras (2005) 4.- Gran cantidad de publicaciones sobre sistemas y formas de realizar cruzamientos 5.- Múltiples congresos, simposios, talleres, focus group, seminarios, encuentros. En estos se han dado a conocer colectas, evaluaciones, caracterizaciones, metodologías de mejoramiento, distribuciones, usos, etc. Como resultado de ello tenemos especies silvestres y variedades conocidas y desconocidas, en gran cantidad y que hoy se encuentran disponibles para potenciar el mejoramiento en todo el mundo y con ello ayudar a combatir el hambre mundial. Creación de variedades en América Latina Es paradojal que en área latinoamericana (cuna de la papa), con existencia de una inmensa riqueza de variedades nativas (Cuadro 4), muchas de estas con información interesante sobre características genéticas, se observa que: Cuadro 6. Fuentes de genes de resistencia y otros caracteres deseables al mejoramiento en especies de Solanum. (1) Table 6. Sources of resistance genes and other desirable characteristics for Solanum species breeding. Fuente: 1 Datos obtenidos de Ross (1958), Hannemann y Bamberg (1986), Hannemann (1989), Ochoa (comunicaciones personales), Vayda (1994) Estrada (2000), Contreras (2005). 2 Se indica la abreviatura de la especie (ver anexo 1) a) En nuestra propia región dichos materiales tienen poco uso, uno porque al parecer nos gusta más lo extranjero que lo propio, y además que recursos públicos y/o privados no se destinan a proyectos de mejoramiento de largo aliento. a) A pesar de inmensos recursos para proyectos colaborativos, pocos van en la vía del trabajo compartido entre los países desarrollados con los en vías de desarrollo. b) Atenta a ello el derecho de propiedad impuesto por Unión Internacional para la Protección de las Obtenciones Vegetales (UPOV), en donde se usa material de centro de origen pero no se paga por ello ni tampoco se integra a investigadores de los países de donde están estos Recursos Fitogenéticos. c) Se agrega en que muchos breeders encuentran que más valioso es el paper que una creación de variedad incierta en su multiplicación y que les permitiría recibir royalties que los estimule a ello. Además esto de creación de variedades más le interesa a la empresa que vive para el negocio de semillas. d) Hoy con el Convenio de la Diversidad Biológica se impide con mayor fuerza trabajos colaborativos, ya que esta exige pago a pueblos originarios sustentadores de estos recursos. Los programas de mejoramiento son largos y esto para un mejorador investigador no es atractivo ya que lo aleja de las publicaciones que son el incentivo de ascenso, de mayor renta o bien de estar in en los congresos internacionales. Se agrega a esta problemática que cuando se usan parientes silvestres o ploidías distintas, se dificulta el progreso rápido& sin embargo existe la necesidad imperiosa de incluir los genes de estos maravillosos materiales de la familia Solanaceae, y no buscar vía trangenia genes de otros géneros y/o reinos, que hoy significa rechazo por parte importante de seres humanos y atenta a la diversidad biológica. Existen dos o tres vías en el mejoramiento: 1. Hacer cosas impactantes por el afán de notoriedad y dar a conocer que existe la posibilidad realizar cruces y trangenia rara& pero sin uso práctico 2. Pensar que podemos conseguir un mejoramiento sustancial para la alimentación mundial y que puede quedar disponible para muchos agricultores de autosustento o bien pequeños, de los cuales son más del 75% a nivel mundial con problemas de productividad. 3. Existe una tercera opción que hoy realizan las empresas semilleras, que es tener nuevas variedades para hacer su natural negocio y recibir los royalties correspondientes. La primera y última son las que hoy imperan. La segunda no interesa porque no implica reconocimiento ni negocio. Los desafíos actuales son inmensos, y estos van por la vía de la rusticidad que implica producir en condiciones subóptimas o bien con menor usos de agua y agroquímicos. Por otro lado el calentamiento global, la escasez de la energía y el alto precio de los fertilizantes deben estar en la mira del mejoramiento futuro, como también generar alimentos saludables. Cuadro 7. Estado del uso de variedades nativas e introducidas en países Latinoamericanos (en porcentaje). Table 7. Use of native and introduced cultivars of potato in Latin America (percentage). Fuente: Antecedentes aportados por diversos curadores en el Workshop of Potato Ex situ Collection Curator to Develop a Global Potato Conservation Strategy. Lima - Perú -24 -25 -26 agosto 2005. Es posible que se tenga menor rendimiento, pero habrá también un menor costo y un balance productivo positivo que permitirá producir mejor calidad que cantidad, mucha de la cual hoy se pierde. Ante la perspectiva de papas pigmentadas en su pulpa, con almidón resistente, alto en proteína, otros componentes que la trasformen más en gourmet , el rendimiento puede pasar a segundo o tercer plano. Con ello se puede conseguir variedades diploides o triploides& y en este sentido el mejorador debe atreverse a conseguir nuevos productos& y para ello se tiene un germoplasma maravilloso. BIBLIOGRAFÍA Barandalla, L.; R. López, J.; Ruiz de Galarreta y E. Ritter. 2008. Evaluación frente a diferentes patógenos de una colección de cultivares antiguos y germoplasma nativo de papa. In III Congreso Iberoamericano de investigación y desarrollo en patata. 5-10 Oct. Vitoria-Gasteiz, Euskadi, España. pp. 59 62. Bradshaw, J. E.; Bryan, G.J.; Ramsay, G. 2006. Genetic Resources (Incluiding Wild and Cultivates Solanum species) and Progress in their utilization in potato breeding. Potato Research 49: 49-65. Bukasov, 1933. The potato of South América and their breeding possibilities. Bull. Applied Botany, Leningrad Supplement Nº 58 192 p. Burton, W.G. 1948. The Potato. London. Chapman and Hall, 319 p. Burton, W.G. 1966. The Potato, 2nd edn. European Association for Potato Research. 382 p. Centro Internacional de la Papa. 1989. Informe Anual CIP 1989. 197 p. Centro Internacional de la Papa. 1990. Annual Report CIP 1990. 166 p. Centro Internacional de la Papa. 1991. Informe Anual CIP 1991. 194 p. Centro Internacional de la Papa. 1995 - 1996. International Potato Center Programm Report 1995-1996. 323 p. Contreras, A. 1987. Germoplasma chileno de papas. In Contreras y Esquinas-Alcazar.1984. Anales del Simposio de Recursos Genéticos. Valdivia 1984. UACH-IBPGR 1987 pp 43-75. Contreras, A. 2005. Recursos genéticos de la papa en América Latina: distribución, conservación y uso. Agrociencia 9(1-2): 93-103. Davison, W.D.1934.History of potato varieties. Journal of the Department of Agriculture of the Republic of Ireland. 33: 57-81. Estrada, N. 2000. La biodiversidad en el mejoramiento genético de la papa. CIP, IPGRI, PRACIPA, IBTA, PROINPA, COSUDE, CID. 372 p. Findlay, A. 1905. The potato: its history and culture. Cupar. Fife 88 p. Fuess, W. 1938. Die Geschichte der Kartoffel. Deutsche Zentralbrucherei Aktiengesellschaft. Berlin 95 p. Glendinning, D.R. 1979. Enriching the potato genepool using primitive cultivars. Conf. Broadening Genet. Base Crops, Wageningen, 1978. Pudoc. pp 39-45. Glendinning, D.R. 1983. Potato introductions and breeding up to the early 20th century. New Phytologist 94: 479-505. Grun, P. ; Staub. J 1979. Evolution of tetraploid cultigens from the view of cytoplasmatic inheritance. In: International Potato Center (ed.). Report of the planning conference on the Exploration, Taxonomy and Maintenance of Potato Germ Plasm III. Oct. 15-19. pp 141-152. Hannemann, R.E. 1989. The potato germplasm resource. Amer. Potato Jornal 66: 655-667. Hannemann, R. E. ; Bamberg. J.1986. Inventory of tuber-bearing Solanum species. Research Div. Coll. Agric. Life Sciences. Univ. Wisconsin. 216 p. Hawkes, J. 1945. The indigenous American potatoes and their value in plant breeding. 1. Resistance to disease. 2 Physiologycal propierties, chemical composition and breedind capabilities. Emp. J. Exp. Agric. 13: 11-40. Hawkes, J. 1956. Taxonomic studies on the tuber-bearing Solanums. 1: Solanum tuberosum and the tetraploid species complex. Proc. Linn. Soc. Lond. 166: 97-144. Hawkes, J. 1958.a I. Taxonomy, Cytology and Crossability. In: Kappert H.; Rudorf W. (eds.). Züchtung der Knollen und Wurzelfrucharten. Germany, Paul Parey: pp 1-43. Hawkes, J.,1958 b. Significance of wild potatoes and primitive forms for potato breeding. Euphytica 7: 257-270. Hawkes, J. 1967. The History of the Potato. Master Memorial, 1966. The Journal of the Royal Horticultural Society 92(5): 207-302. Hawkes, J. 1972. Evolution of the cultivated potato Solanum tuberosum L. Symp. Biol. Hung. 12: 183-188. Hawkes, J. 1979. Genetic poverty of the potato in Europe. Conf. Broadening Genet. Base Crops, Wageningen, 1978. Pudoc. pp 19-27 Hawkes, J,; Francisco-Ortega, J. 1992. The potato in Spain during the late 16th century. Economic Botany 46: 86-97. Hawkes, J.; Francisco-Ortega, J. 1993. The early history of the potato in Europe. Euphytica 70: 1-7. Hermsen, J. 1974. Utilization of non cultivated species. Report of the First Planning Conference on Utilization of Genetic Resources. 23-34. Lima, Perú. Hils, U.; L. Pieterse, L. 2007. World catalogue of Potato Varieties 2007. Germany. AgriMedia GmbH 253 p Hougas, R.; Ross, R.1956. The use of foreign introductions in breeding American potato varieties. Amer. Potato Journal 33: 328-339. Imperial Bureau of Plant Genetics, 1936. The South American Potatoes and Their Breeding Value. Cambridge, School of Agriculture. 15 p. International Potato Center. 1991. Molecular Methods for Potato Improvement. Report of the Plannig Conference on Application of Molecular Techniques to Potato Germplasm Enhancement . March 5-9 1990. 181 p. Klotzsch, J. F. 1849. Solanum utile, eine neue unserer Kartoffel ähnliche. Art nebst ihren Verbandschaften. All. Gärtnerztg 17: 313- 316. Klotzsch, J.F.1852. Über Solanum tuberoso-utile, eine neue bastardkartoffel. Ber. Königl. Preuss. Akad. Wiss. 1851. p 674-676. Knigth, T.A. 1814. On the beneficial results of planting potatoes which have grown late in the preceeding year. Transactions of the Horticultural Society of London 1: 244-247. Lindley, J. 1848. Notes on the wild potato. Journal of the Royal Horticultural Society. 3: 65-72. Luján, L. 1996. http://www.redepapa.org/lujan.pdf. Matsubayashi, M. 1991. Phylogenetic relationships in the potato and its related species. Chromosome engineering in plants: Genetic, Breeding, Evolution. Part B. Elsevier Science Publishers B.V. 93-118. Ochoa, C. 1972. Los Solanum tuberíferos silvestres del Perú (Secc. Tuberarium, Sub-secc. Hyperbasarthrum). Lima, Perú. 297 p. Plaisted, R.L.1972. Utilization of germplasm in breeding programm Use of cultivated tetraploid. In French, R. (ed.) Prospects for the Potato in the Developing World. E.R. Lima, Perú. pp 90-99 Plaisted, R.L.; Hoopes, R.W. 1989. The past record and futures prospects for the use of exotic potato germplasm. Amer. Potato Journal 66: 603-627. Ríos, D.; Guislain, M.; Rodriguez, F.; Spooner, D. 2007. What is the origin of the European potato? Evidense from Canary Island Landraces. Crops Science 47: 1271-1280. Ritter, E. 2000. Aplicación de la biotecnología a la mejora genética de la papa. Libro de Actas Congreso Iberoamericano de Investigación y Desarrollo en Patata. Vitoria Gasteiz 3-6 julio. pp 17-24. Ross, H. 1958. Ausgangmaterial für die Züchtung. In Kappert, H. ; Rudolf, W.(eds.) Handbuch der Pfanzenzüchtung. 3 Züchtung der Knollen und Wurzelfruchtarten, Paul Parey pp 43-59. Ross, H. 1966. The use of wild Solanum species in German potato breeding of the past and to day. Amer. Potato Journal. 43(3):63-80. Ross, H. 1979. Wild species and primitive cultivars as ancestors of potato varieties . Conf. Broadening Genet. Base Crops, Wageningen. pp 237-245 Salaman, R. 1926. Potato Varieties. Cambridge. University Press, Cambridge. 378 p. Salaman, R. 1937. The potato and its early home and its introduction in to Europe. The Journal of the Royal Horticultural Society. 62: 61-77; 112-23, 153-62, 253-66. Siebeneick, H. 1948. Die deutschen und auslandischen Kartoffelsorten 1947/48. Schriftenreihe für die Kartoffelwirtschaft. Heft 2 und 3. Schlechtendal, D.F.L. 1841. Observations de Solani tuberosi speciebus. Hortus Halensis 1:5. Spooner, D.; Hetterscheid, W. 2005. Origin, evolution, and group classification of cultivated potatoes. In Mottley, T.; Zerega, N.; Cross, H. (eds.). Darwin s Harvest. New Approaches to the Origin, Evolution, and Conservation of Crops. pp. 285-307. Van Rathlef, R. 1932. Die Stammtafeln des Weltsortiments der kartoffel und ihre generative fruchtbaren Sorten. Kühn Archiv 33: 296-431 Vayda, M. 1994. Enviromental stress and its impact in potato yield. In. Bradshaw, J.; Mackay G.R. (ed.) . 1994. Potato Genetics. Uk., CAB International pp 239-261. Vayda, M.; Park. W 1990. The molecular and cellular Biology of the Potato. U.k., CAB International. 269 p. ANEXOS Anexo 1 LISTADO DE ABREVIATURAS QUE DESIGNAN A LAS ESPECIES DE PAPA. 1 Especies cultivadas Fuente: Ochoa (1999- 2003), Estrada (2000), Contreras (2005) 1 Especies cultivadas Fuente: Ochoa (1999- 2003), Estrada (2000), Contreras (2005). Noticias al día In French fries Benguet potato growers trust Argenpapa . Filipinas. 26-06-2009 Filipinas. (Business.inquirer.net).- It is still an uphill climb for Benguet's potato growers who hope to clinch a niché in the lucrative French fries industry. The province produces most of the country's supply of potatoes. It is there where the best varieties are grown. And yet, up until now, orders for potatoes to be made into chips or fries are way below those imported by giant fast-food chains like Jollibee and McDonald's. Thanks to experts from the Benguet State University (BSU) here, the province's farms now boast of Igorota, Solibao, Ganza, and Bengueta potato varieties that possess the desired dry matter content for those yellow, crispy and tasty French fries. But according to the Northern Philippines Root Crops Research and Training Center (NPRCRTC) at BSU, the strict quality criteria of multinational food chains have kept the province's potato growers from carving a slice of the market. Apolinario Legaspi, a farmer from Camp 38 in Atok town, said he used to supply potatoes to a Metro Manila-based company for seven years. But that deal was cut short when the firm changed its mind. “I was told they processed my potatoes into fries. Later, they said they would import,” he said. Legaspi, 67, said the buyer wanted the potatoes to be of uniform size (extra large), clean and spotless. He said the company would pay P2 more than the market price at the vegetable trading post in La Trinidad. Doctor Johnny Dati, NPRCRTC director, said aside from quality, farmers have to grapple with other concerns. These are the high-end markets lukewarm attitude toward locally grown potatoes, the inability of farmers to sustain the volume of production needed for French fries, lack of technology to package the potatoes ready for frying, and the absence of a marketing arm that would seal supply agreements with institutional buyers. Lately, local processors have started noticing Benguet's potatoes, Dati said. Some local companies are now selling French fries and potato chips made from locally raised potatoes, he added. “But the big companies have yet to commit orders from Benguet farmers,” Dati said. He said he learned that a multinational fast-food chain branch operating in front of the La Trinidad Town Hall needs as much as 4,000 kilograms of fresh potatoes a week. A group of investors from Metro Manila, who met with La Trinidad Mayor Artemio Galwan and Benguet Truckers and Traders Association (BTTA) officials recently, said big French fries firms in Metro Manila needed at least five tons of potatoes per hour per machine to meet the demand of consumers. “Imagine, one company has around five processing machines,” said Renato Tongko, the group's spokesman. The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported in 2008, the International Year of Potato, that at least 12 companies produce chips and French fries in the Philippines. FAO said the demand for French fries in the country has grown at a rate of 23 percent a year. Dati said franchise holders of fast-food corporations did not have the liberty of securing their own sources of potatoes for French fries since supplies come from their parent companies. These companies are also bound to import potatoes under a purchase agreement with their foreign suppliers. “The import contract of big companies has definitely blocked the chances of local potato growers to corner a major portion of the market, though quality wise, they are not far behind,” Dati said. But even if big companies were to give local potato varieties a fighting chance, the ability of local farmers to package and supply the volume needed for French fries remains suspect. “Benguet farmers could not cope with the demand schedule for potatoes of fast-food chains,” said Loreto Buyan-an, a farmer from Mankayan town. Patricio Ananayo, the Department of Agriculture's marketing assistance division chief in the Cordillera, said the BSU varieties “were not yet widely accepted by farmers.” Jose Andiso of Benguet Federation of Farmers Inc. said the problem lies with the lack of planting materials. Records of the provincial agriculturist's office showed that the province produced 248,116.24 metric tons of potatoes in 2008. These were harvested by 39,977 farmers from 12,801.93 hectares of potato farms. This town is the province's potato capital. It produced 104,219 MT last year, followed by Mankayan with 100,406 MT, and Atok with 19,190 MT. Lolita Bentres, provincial agriculturist, said most of the harvests were the so-called table type potatoes, which are high in water content. “As of now, I am not aware of a farmer who supplies potatoes directly to a multinational company that produces French fries,” she said. According to the NPRCRTC, there are now 7,000 farmers who plant BSU's new potato varieties. But their annual production has yet to be evaluated. Dati said some farmers have tried to enter into a contract growing scheme with traders for potatoes to be processed. But the arrangements would often collapse, he said, because the farmers could not afford to be tied to the terms of a supply agreement. Traders' prices at the vegetable trading post here tend to increase, exceeding the contract price they agreed upon. Noticias al día Potato pickle due to wet weather Argenpapa . EEUU. 12-06-2009 EEUU. (Portagedailygraphic).- There is no doubt Manitoba has had a relatively wet spring, and with all that water, there exists the potential for delays in spring planting in this region. For instance, according to Tom Gonsalves, business development specialist for potatoes with Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives (MAFRI), all the moisture in the soil certainly has the potential to negatively affect potato crops. Specifically, more moisture means potato farmers have to wait to plant their crops. “In a perfect world, the best time to plant potatoes is either in late April or early May. But that depends on the area — generally for the Portage area, though, that is the best time,” explained Gonsalves. “Right now, in the Portage area and also running down into Carman and Winkler, there aren't a lot of potatoes that have gone in the ground. If we are talking about optimum times to plant potatoes, we have already passed the optimum time.” Part of the reason that it is so important to get the potatoes in the ground early in this area has a lot to do with the types of spuds that are planted. “In Manitoba, and certainly in the Portage area, the majority of potato crops are for processing — they either go to McCain or they go to Simplot. The variety that is used the most for processing is Russet Burbank, and this variety is a longer-season variety,” commented Gonsalves. “The later in the spring that you plant a potato, especially a longer-season potato, the more risk there is of not getting as much yield or as good of quality in your crop.” Brian Smith, owner of Grenville Farms Ltd., grows 720 hectares of potatoes north of Portage that he is currently planting his fields. “We are about 40 per cent done our planting now, which we have done over the last week," Smith said on May 25. “This rain should only hold us up a couple of days, then if the weather forecast is good for the remainder of the week, we should be able to begin planting again by mid-week. Hopefully, we will be able to wrap things up in a week's time.” Although, Gonsalves recognizes the "optimum" time to plant has passed, he isn't overly concerned that much will come of this delay. “One wants to plant as soon as it is feasible to get on the land and plant, so if the guys go hard, they can be done in another week or so. At the risk of sounding corny, you play the hand that you are dealt. No one can change the weather, so right now, all you can do is make the best of a less-than-ideal situation,” noted Gonsalves. Smith is also not concerned with the delay in planting this year. “I am not too concerned yet, we have planted a lot of potatoes in the later part of May. So I think we should be just fine, but really, it depends how the rest of the year shapes up,” stated Smith. “Everything has been a little delayed this year, but we are still optimistic that we will have a good year.” Noticias al día Northeast Florida's prized potatoes take a beating from Mother Nature Argenpapa . EEUU. 12-06-2009 HASTINGS. (Jacksonville).- For one month out of each year, potatoes grown in Northeast Florida are the majority of all potatoes served on American tables east of the Mississippi River. But last month's flooding rains were devastating to the farmers who harvest tons of the dietary staple from 18,000 acres at the confluence of St. Johns, Flagler and Putnam counties. Potatoes on about 35 farms were left underwater, causing as much as $45 million in damage, according to several estimates. Some farmers have abandoned this year's crop altogether, suffering substantial losses in an industry that employs 1,300 and has flourished in the same area for more than 100 years. About half of the farmers who grow potatoes for sale in grocery store produce sections were hit harder than the half who grow potatoes for use in potato chips, according to Mark Warren, an agent for the University of Florida's Flagler County Extension Service. That's because the damaged potatoes that are still edible have blemished appearances now. That's something picky grocery shoppers don't forgive, he said. “Some of our fresh market potato guys are losing 15 to 20 percent,” he said. One of those farmers is Danny Johns, owner of Blue Sky Farms in Hastings, and president of the North Florida Grower's Exchange. A fourth-generation potato farmer, he employs about 75. Since the flooding, they have been busy trying to filter good potatoes from the bad. To do that, the potatoes are being screened two or three times instead of the usual one, to make sure the potatoes that look good really are. In a normal year, it's not uncommon for Blue Sky potatoes to go from the field to the delivery truck in the same day, he said. It's taking longer to find the perfect potatoes in a number of varieties that usually constitute the vast majority of Blue Sky Farm's products, Johns said. He said he doesn't yet know how much he'll get back from the crops to pay off the $3 million in loans borrowed to finance the effort. He's gotten about half of that back so far, he said, and his crews are doggedly trying for more. “Right now, we're on schedule, but the yields are way down,” he said. Some of Johns' fields are producing passably while others have been virtually wiped out. Many potatoes that were underwater for days were left blackened and rotting, Johns said. Some were never dug from fields because they had weakened skin that invited insect attack. Of harvested potatoes, some have enlarged pores because they soaked up too much water, and others are left with weak skins, which can rub away easily, and won't pass the muster of the average grocery store shopper. Depending on the extent of the damage, some damaged potatoes are being used to feed cattle and some are being given to food banks. Others, which may only have a stray blemish here and there, are sold to restaurants for use in prepared foods, he said. Johns said he's one of the lucky ones. At least eight area potato farms whose fields were underwater for days have given up for the year, he said. The prices for potatoes are still stable, Johns said, because potatoes are being shipped in from growers in Western states. But he expects there will be a price increase soon, he said. Chad Hutchinson, University of Florida associate professor of horticultural science, said the Florida industry will recover because it's upheld a reputation for high quality. “Our growers have a lot of expenses, so our quality needs to be high,” he said. Between all the farmers, the industry generally harvests and sells $60-$70 million in potatoes each year between mid-May and mid-June, Hutchinson said. University of Florida's St. Johns extension director, David Dinkins, said the farms work year-round to prepare for the harvest month — preparing and planting. “They got all the way to the finish line and had a once-in-a-generation rain event,” he said. “A lot of them won't have any income this year. A lot won't get their investment back.” Johns, for one, said he's determined to make it. “You've got to be an optimist to farm. Plan for the worst and hope for the best,” he said. “We're going to persevere. I have no doubt about it.” kevin.turner@jacksonville.com , (904) 359-4609 Noticias al día Colorado Potato Beetles in Magic Valley Argenpapa . EEUU. 12-06-2009 EEUU. (Pnwpestalert).- Overwintering Colorado Potato Beetle adults are beginning to emerge in southcentral Idaho-- both Eastern and Western Magic Valley. Confirmed areas include Rupert, Minidoka, and Twin Falls. The overwintering adult stage does limited damage, however, females are beginning to lay eggs in potato fields. We could see the damaging larvae appear in about 7 to 10 days depending on temperatures. Growers that did not apply an effective systemic insecticide at planting should be watching for the egg hatch to time a foliar spray for the first generation of CPB larvae. Noticias al día Little change in US fall potato plantings, but more table potatoes planted - analyst Argenpapa . EEUU 15 06 2009 EEUU. (Potato News).- The editor of North American Potato Market News (NAPMN), Bruce Huffaker, believes believes that US growers planted 924,000 cwt to fall potatoes this year - only a 0.7% decline compared to 2008 plantings. Though strong prices for fresh potatoes, during the October-December quarter, favored a large increase in 2009 potato area, volume reductions in frozen processing contracts, along with the recent economic and market turmoil, have served to keep acreage in check, Mr Huffaker says in his latest weekly newsletter. Nevertheless, he says, there have been some last-minute acreage adjustments. In addition, planting decisions vary between industry sectors. Frozen processing contract volumes appear to be substantially lower than they were a year ago, in all US growing areas except Idaho. On the other hand, dehydrators have contracted for more field run potatoes than they did in 2008. Chip companies encouraged growers to expand production, but the growers had trouble fining enough seed, of acceptable varieties, to meet that demand. According to Mr Huffaker, 'educational' efforts have managed to hold down table potato area to some extent, it appears that growers planted more potatoes for that sector, and that some growers planted open potatoes that could be shipped fresh or sold for frozen processing, whichever offers the best return. Noticias al día Idaho spud growers adjust expectations - As demand has dropped, so have contracts with processors Argenpapa . EEUU 15 06 2009 EEUU. (Capital Press).- Idaho farmers are planting the state's signature crop, and some are making changes based on reduced processing contracts. Processors that make french fries and other frozen potato products have reduced overall contracted potato acreage in the Northwest this year by an estimated 8 to 10 percent due to shrinking demand. Spud growers have been forced to lower their expectations in response. "We cut back about 300 acres this year because of the processors," farmer Rod Lake said April 30 as he prepared to plant a field of chipping stock potatoes near Paul, Idaho. Noticias al día Idaho spud growers adjust expectations Argenpapa . EEUU 15 06 2009 EEUU. (Potato Grower).- Idaho potato farmers are planting the state's signature crop, and some are making changes based on reduced processing contracts. Processors that make french fries and other frozen potato products have reduced overall contracted potato acreage in the Northwest this year by an estimated 8 to 10 percent due to shrinking demand. Potato growers have been forced to lower their expectations in response. "We cut back about 300 acres this year because of the processors," farmer Rod Lake said April 30 as he prepared to plant a field of chipping stock potatoes near Paul, Idaho. Lake has grown for the fresh market and for major fry makers such as Simplot and McCain Foods for years. He's still growing for those markets, but has diversified his operation as the market has changed over the years. This year he landed a chipping contract after 20 years of trying. "This is our first year for chippers," Lake said as he prepared to plant a field to a Frito Lay variety. Lake started growing fingerling potatoes several years ago. He's up to about 200 acres of the specialty variety this year. Industry leaders have warned that a wreck could be around the corner and have strongly urged growers to plant processing potatoes only if they have a contract. They fear a glut of open-market spuds if farmers go ahead with planting without one. Historically, potato growers have nearly always increased plantings after a good year, and the industry is coming off three consecutive good years. Jerry Wright, CEO of United Potato Growers of Idaho, warned co-op members this spring that it looked like 5,000 acres of open-market process potatoes would probably be planted in Idaho. Bruce Huffaker, a consultant to United and publisher of the North American Potato Market News, projected that U.S. growers will plant 22,500 fewer acres to fall potatoes than they did in 2008. The two-percent reduction will come almost entirely from the frozen processing sector, he said. Noticias al día Sherman Mills grower named chairman of USPB Argenpapa . EEUU 15 06 2009 EEUU. (Potato Grower).- Spring is a busy time of year at Three Oaks Farm in Sherman Mills, Maine. There are storage potatoes to ship out and the fields and equipment have to be prepared for the start of planting, said Tom Qualey, who farms with his brother John. This season has started off with gorgeous weather, Qualey said, and some Maine growers were getting planted started early. The region was about a week ahead, and he had his planters lined up ready to go before Mother's Day. The Qualey's, the fifth generation of Irish immigrants, haven't always been potato farmers, despite the Irish connection. Tom and John took over the farm from their dad, and at the time it was a dairy farm. Their dad convinced them to get away from that business, so they moved into growing potatoes and canola. Last year they had about 340 acres of potatoes, and their highest acreage is about 550 acres. Qualey said he's not sure where they would fall this season, but it would probably be about the same as last year. Sherman Mills isn't the area most people think of when they hear about Maine potatoes. The town is about 75 miles south of Presque Isle, Maine, where most of the state's potato production is. The area doesn't look very agricultural, either, Qualey said. It's heavily forested and the good land is tucked away behind trees, so anyone driving through might not even know there are fields. That lack of available good land has limited the production in the area, so there aren't many large farms like those in other areas. Three Oaks Farm grows all processing potatoes - Frito Lay varieties - that are under contract. Although he hadn't seen the contracts as of early May, Qualey said he and other processing and chipstock growers were pleased with the price they'd been told. He said the McCain contracts should be up about $2.25 and other chip contracts were up about $2. Maine growers didn't receive an increase last year, so they're in pretty good spirits this season, Qualey said. Maine has always been an important potato growing region, but the number of growers has dropped considerably in the last 25 to 30 years. Qualey said when he was in high school there were probably 25 potato growers and 25 dairy farms in the Sherman Mills area. Now there are only three dairies and three potato farms, including his. "The last three of us picked up the good land," Qualey said. The same thing is happening throughout Aroostook County. "Agricultural opportunities in this area are dwindling," he said. But that hasn't deterred the Qualeys. They're hands-on farmers who don't have plans on quitting any time soon. Tom's wife, Linda, is the CEO of a nonprofit organization in the area and she does the books for the farm, and when they're really busy he'll talk her into running some of the equipment. John has kids that help out on the farm, too, but Qualey said so far none of them seem interested in taking over the farming operations. Qualey's been involved in the Maine potato industry and the national organizations for a number of years. He serves on the Maine Pesticide Board as an agricultural expert and has served on United States Potato Board committees for the last six years. At the 2009 annual meeting in Denver, Qualey was named chairman of the United States Potato Board, a spot vacated by Bart Connors of Pasco, Wash. There are many exciting things happening, but there's a lot of uncertainty in the market as well. Qualey said he has a good roadmap to follow and his job was to make sure USPB activities stick to it. "My goal is to really stay with the long range plan," he said. "If we stay on course with that then I'd be really, really excited." One of the bright spots is the export market. Although the strong dollar has slowed that down a bit recently, the board is working to open new markets. One of the most promising he's seen is Vietnam. John Toaspern, vice president of international marketing, visited the Asian country in April and made headway into opening the country. Qualey traveled with the potato board to Hong Kong and Singapore last year to participate in chef training programs, where he had the chance to meet two Vietnamese chefs. He said they were very excited about the potato products and Qualey said there could be a lot of opportunity for growth in that market. Maine growers don't typically export to the Pacific Rim, so other growers would ask why he would travel there with the board. He would tell them that it benefits all growers to open markets and increase exports, "because every potato that gets shipped over there is one fewer that comes over here." With federal programs being cut, Qualey said the USPB was watching the situation closely because the export programs could be affected. "We're hoping we're keeping our matching money for exports," he said. Another opportunity for growth is here in the United States. The board is developing innovative new products for U.S. consumers to increase the consumption of fresh potatoes and position them as healthful, convenient products. "We're working on some great things," Qualey said. Hopefully, the economy will pick back up this year, but Qualey is working with the board to ensure that money gets spent on the right things so growers can see a positive return on their investment. "We're in some tight budget times and since I've taken over we've been very careful about what we spend money on," he said. Qualey will host the USPB summer meeting Aug. 3-7 in Bangor, Maine. It will be held at the Hollywood Slots Hotel, a brand-new hotel. The location isn't near the big potato growing areas of Maine, but Qualey said the site will be easier to travel to for board members from out of town and would help keep costs down with a good rate and eliminating the need for rental cars. Board members can register for the event by e-mailing Robin Vest at rvest@uspotatoes.com Noticias al día Possible common scab defender outlined at Potato Council event Argenpapa . Burundi. 17 06 2009. Burundi. (Irinews).- Adequate rainfall between February and April resulted in a good crop yield across most of Burundi, with officials predicting improved food security in many parts of the country. "There is a significant improvement in the harvest for this season; and the main reason for the increase in agricultural production is [the] regularity of rains," said Reverien Nzigamasabo, agricultural director for the northern Kirundo Province, considered the country's bread basket, which has been hit by drought in recent years. He said the production of beans, one of the Burundi's staple foods, was progressing well, with the province continuing to receive rainfall. Sebatien Ndikumagenge, a senior official in the Ministry of Agriculture and Stockbreeding, told IRIN the good rains had greatly boosted agricultural production countrywide, with the rains continuing into June in areas such as Kirundo. As a result of the good crop yield, prices in some markets had significantly dropped. A kilogramme of beans in Kirundo now goes for 200 Burundian francs (US$0.16) from 600 francs ($0.40) previously. Gratien Ndururutse, agricultural director for the western Muyinga Province, said food shortages in the region were unlikely this year. In 2008, heavy rains fell in February, destroying crops, and then stopped earlier than farmers expected, resulting in food shortages in parts of the country. Ndikumagenge said the government and its partners, including the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and the Belgian Development Cooperation Agency, had made good-quality seeds, particularly beans, mosaic-resistant cassava cuttings and sweet potatoes available to farmers. The May issue of Système d'Alerte Précoce, Surveillance de la Securité Alimentaire - a monthly bulletin published by several UN agencies and the Ministry of Agriculture - reported that 93,866 households benefited from cassava seeds while 62,600 received sweet potato seeds. Farmers also received fertilizer. “Though not all farmers got fertilizers, a majority of them accessed the fertilizers funded this year by the government to make them affordable," Ndikumagenge said. Agriculture officials also attributed the good crop yield to sustained supervision of farmers by agricultural technicians at the grassroots level. Concerns However, agricultural officials are worried some farmers could sell all their harvest, leading to a shortage of seeds in the next planting season. Nzigamasabo said traders in Kirundo had started buying beans for strategic stocks to sell them at a higher price during the next planting season. "Farmers might end up buying the seeds at 600 Burundi francs [$0.40] or more, whereas they are given for less than half [this price] now," Nzigamasabo said. To prevent the shortage of seeds, agricultural officials are sensitising farmers to avoid selling their entire yield. Agricultural officials have also provided storehouses to help farmers store their yield. "Any farmer willing to keep his yield can bring it to a managing committee and can collect it for future use later on," Nzigamasabo said. www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Possible common scab defender outlined at Potato Council event Argenpapa . Gran Bretaña. 17 06 2009. A promising new seed treatment was among technical topics covered at last week's West Midlands Potato Day. Andrew Blake reports Gran Bretaña. (Fwi).- A liquid potato seed treatment, which seems to offer useful control of common scab and help guard against seed-borne diseases, was highlighted by Syngenta's John Ogborn at the Potato Council day sponsored by Greenvale AP , McCain and the NFU . Coded product A8348G, based on fludioxonil as in cereal seed treatment Beret Gold , was active against seed-borne rhizoctonia, silver scurf and, uniquely for a potato seed treatment, black dot, Mr Ogborn explained. "But the interesting thing is its activity against common scab." The treatment was already approved in Australia for reducing that disease in the crop, and he hoped it might become UK-approved in time for next season's plantings. In an SAC trial last season against Amistar (azoxystrobin) and RhiNo (flutolanil) , neither of which had significant effect on common scab, A8348 had usefully suppressed it, he noted. As a liquid it would clearly involve a change of practice for growers used to applying dusts, and the company was working closely with Team Sprayers to develop a table applicator as part of an overall package. "We'll launch the machinery alongside it, and we won't allow it to be used unless that's been through an MOT and the guys applying it have had proper training." There was growing interest in biocontrol products to replace the dwindling numbers of agrochemical options for controlling potato diseases lurking in seed and soil, noted independent consultant Andy Barker. Although many were once viewed by many growers as "snake oil", the more modern materials had plenty of first-class science behind them and were well worth a try in preparation for even tighter chemical restrictions, he believed. They included bacteria-based products such as Biomex and Fence , mycorrhizal types, and activators intended to stimulate the crop's natural defences. "The easiest to use are the seed treatments as they can just be tipped into the hopper. Buy an acre's worth and give it a go." He foresaw a good future for biofumigation by sowing "hot" mustard crops. "Done properly it can give very good suppression of rhizoctonia, though we've yet to see any effect on black dot. But a lot of people have jumped on this bandwagon, and you must use specific mustard species," warned Mr Barker. Reduced can tillage can work for some Potatoes can be produced satisfactorily without ploughing, and increasing fuel costs meant there was much more interest among growers in doing so, noted independent consultant Fraser Milne. But they had to understand their soils and should think carefully about what they were trying to achieve, he cautioned. A reduced cultivation system at Chasepool Farm has helped reduce a compaction layer that had previously built up under repeated ploughing, Fraser Milne said. For event host, Chasepool Farm near Dudley where the soil was sandy, the main reason for switching to a Shakaerator -based system was not fuel saving. "It gives a better entry for the separator," Mr Milne explained. "The plough leaves straw in a layer and the separator then just bulldozes." The farm's reduced cultivation system, with the Shakaerator legs set relatively shallow, had also partially helped reduce a compaction layer that had built up under repeated ploughing. Deeper subsoiling, though, was clearly required to eliminate it. However some growers were still doing far too much cultivation, using separators and bed-tillers unnecessarily, he believed. "Destoning? If you don't have a lot of stones or clods, why do it? Soil analysis essential Despite recent slips in fertiliser prices soil analysis to guide nutrient inputs remained "crucial" and was highly cost-effective, according to ADAS's Ken Smith. "When you could be spending £800/ha it really does make sense," he said. Outlining trials confirming that potatoes do not respond to applying phosphate fertiliser when grown in soils at index 3 or above, Mr Smith acknowledged that some growers were unhappy unless they did so. "OK, go ahead and do it; but then you can afford to take a holiday on the following cereals and oilseed rape." Livestock manures were increasingly valuable and using typical analysis figures was fine for potash and phosphorus, but their nitrogen content had to be individually assessed, he stressed. "You could be 300% out if you use standard figures." Testing for the N content of slurry was relatively straightforward, but assessing farmyard manures was trickier. However, recent LINK work using the NIR technique developed from that used to analyse silage and grain was proving promising, perhaps slightly under-estimating the actual N content. "But it's all very well analysing it - you've also got to spread it evenly." A recent tray calibration exercise showed how a faulty spread pattern could be easily corrected by adjusting the bout width, he explained. by Andrew Blake www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Potato late blight alert for the Midwest Argenpapa . Información Técnica. 29-06-2009 EEUU. (Información Técnica).- Potato late blight has been confirmed in potato crops in the Midwest in recent days. During the past year, potato seed has been in short supply. This shortage has resulted in growers procuring their seed from unusual sources. Potatoes from these sources (as well as all other fields) should be regularly scouted throughout the season. These crops should be treated with a systemic fungicide with a residual mixing partner immediately (see recommendations included in this article) and applications should continue regularly through the season. Growers with potatoes close to crops grown from seed that may be infected should also follow these protection practices. Growers wishing to view daily late blight risk for Michigan potato growing areas can access information at www.lateblight.org . Also on this site are full current recommendations for late blight control that can be downloaded in convenient Acrobat pdf files. Introduction Late blight of potato, caused by the water mold Phytophthora infestans , has the potential to be a very destructive disease of potato in Michigan. The pathogen favors wet weather with moderate temperatures (60 to 80°F), high humidity and frequent rainfall. Under such conditions, the disease can spread extremely rapidly and has the potential to completely defoliate fields within three weeks of the first visible infections if no control measures are taken. In addition to attacking foliage, P. infestans can infect tubers at any stage of development before or after harvest and soft rot of tubers often occurs in storage following tuber infections. Symptoms The first symptoms of late blight in the field are small, light-to-dark green, circular-to irregularly-shaped, water-soaked lesions (Figure 1). These usually first appear on the lower leaves where the microclimate is more humid. However, they may occur on upper leaves if weather conditions are favorable and the pathogen has been carried into the field by air currents. Lesions often begin to develop on the compound leaf near the point of attachment to the petiole (which is often cupped) or edges, where dew is retained longest. During cool, moist weather, lesions expand rapidly into large, dark brown or black spots, often appearing greasy. Leaf veins do not limit lesions, and if formed at leaf tips or edges, they can cause young expanding leaves to be misshapen. As new infections occur, and existing lesions coalesce, entire leaves may become blighted and killed within a few days. On stems, lesions are often initiated at the point of attachment to the stem and leaves become detached shortly after infection. The lesions continue to develop along the length of the stem and even in hot, dry weather can remain active. First symptoms of potato late blight. In the early morning or during cool, damp weather, a white velvety growth may be seen on the underside of infected leaves. This white velvety growth distinguishes late blight from several other foliar diseases of potato. A pale green-to-yellow border is also often present around lesions. Plants severely affected by late blight also have a distinctive odor resulting from the rapid breakdown of potato tissue. This odor is similar to that produced by chemical vine-kill or after severe frost. Late blight infection of tubers is characterized by irregularly shaped, slightly depressed brown to purplish areas on the skin. These symptoms may be less obvious on russet and red-skinned cultivars. A tan to reddish-brown, dry, granular rot is found under the skin in the discolored area, extending into the tuber usually less than half an inch. The extent of rotting in a tuber depends on the susceptibility of the cultivar, temperature, and length of time after the initial infection. The margin of diseased tissue is not distinct and is marked by brown finger-like extensions into the healthy tissue of the tuber. In time, the entire tuber becomes blighted and discolored. Late blight rot of tubers is often accompanied by soft rot. Positive identification of late blight can be made by microscopic examination of lesions from infected leaves or tubers collected when the fungus is producing spores. The water mold can be quickly identified by the distinctive size and shape of the spores and spore bearing stalks. Disease cycle Phytophthora infestans , the causal agent of late blight is not a true fungus, but a water mold belonging to the phylum Oomycetes. Oomycetes like P. infestans form large, clear lemon-shaped spores called sporangia on stalks called sporangiophores. Though they are relatively large in comparison to those of true fungi, they cannot be seen without the aid of a microscope that can magnify at least 100 times. The sporangiophores have distinct periodic swellings at points where sporangia were produced. Sporangia may germinate at temperatures between 44 to 55°F when free water is present on leaves and form 8 to 12 motile zoospores per sporangium. These swim freely in water films, attach to the leaf surface (encyst), and infect the plant. Encysted zoospores infect leaves by penetrating the leaf surface with a germ tube, either through stomata (breathing pores) or by means of direct penetration. At temperatures of 55 to 70°F, sporangia germinate by means of a single germ tube. Night temperatures of 50 to 60°F accompanied by light rain, fog, or heavy dew, followed by days of 60 to 75°F with high relative humidity, are ideal for late blight infection and development. Tubers may become infected if sporangia produced on the foliage are washed down into the soil by rain or irrigation water. Water-borne spores appear to follow stems and stolons in a water film into the soil, reach tubers, and cause infection. Tubers near the soil surface are thus more likely to be infected. Phytophthora infestans can only survive in living potato tissue, and usually survives from year-to-year in infected tubers placed in storage, in piles of cull potatoes or infected tubers missed during harvest that remain unfrozen over the winter (volunteer potatoes). In the spring, the pathogen can be transmitted from infected tubers in cull piles or volunteers to potato foliage by airborne spores. Infected seed potatoes are also an important source of disease. Some infected tubers may rot in the soil before emergence, and not every potato that emerges from an infected tuber will contract late blight. Sporangia of Phytophthora infestans may be spread from infected plants in one field to healthy plants in surrounding fields by wind, splashed rain, mechanical transport and animals thereby continuing the disease cycle. Many reproductive cycles are possible within a season that accounts for the rapid increase in disease once it becomes established in a field. Monitoring and disease forecasting Efforts must be made to closely monitor crops for the incidence of disease. Scouting for signs of late blight should begin as soon as green tissue emerges. When a canopy develops, look for late blight in the lower portions of the plant where the foliage stays wet longer. Scouting efforts should also be concentrated in areas of the field most likely to have high moisture, dew, or relative humidity for the greatest length of time or areas missed by fungicide applicators. Low spots where soil moisture is highest and parts of the field shaded by windbreaks are examples of areas where scouting should be intensified. Care should be taken not to spread late blight from field-to-field when scouting. Rubber boots, which can be washed after leaving a field, should be used if disease is present. Late blight inoculum can also be spread from field to field on equipment, so this should also be washed after leaving the field. As the risk of disease becomes greater, crop monitoring should be intensified. As soon as the disease is detected, other chemical interventive control measures should be used. Computer based programs (e.g. Blightcast) are available to track weather conditions and help predict or forecast when the disease may occur. Disease forecasting programs predict when environmental conditions are most favorable for disease and recommend when fungicide applications should be applied. Disease forecasting systems express the effects of temperature and relative humidity on disease development as “severity values”. Local late blight forecasts are available for many potato production areas in Michigan from www.lateblight.org . However, accurate weather data are required for accurate disease prediction, and this is best achieved with weather monitoring machines in each field, especially if fields vary greatly in a specific location and topography. Unless you know that the forecast information is appropriate for your fields, the forecasts should only be used as a general indication of how favorable weather has been for late blight. Resistant cultivars No potato cultivars are immune to late blight and most cultivars planted in Michigan are susceptible. The MSU-bred cultivar Jacqueline Lee (table stock) is highly resistant to the US-8 genotype of late blight and is currently being used as a parent for the production of new chip and processing cultivars. However, several moderately susceptible cultivars (e.g. some FritoLay varieties) are available and could be planted if late blight is expected to be a problem. Cultural control Cultural practices are the first line of defense against late blight. Before planting, growers should take several measures to control late blight. Firstly, it is important to eliminate sources of inoculum. The initial sources of inoculum are likely to be infected potatoes in cull piles, infected volunteer potato plants that have survived the winter, and infected seed tubers. Therefore, it is important to keep a clean operation by destroying all cull and volunteer potatoes. Cull piles should be kept to as small as possible as piles of about 500 cwt do not freeze throughout the pile. Piles should be covered with plastic tarpaulins to increase the temperature within the piles in the fall and accelerate breakdown. Waste potatoes can be spread onto fields in the fall at a rate of about 400 cwt/A as supplemental fertilizer and after spreading the tubers should be pulverized and left near or on the surface of the field to allow them to freeze. Rock piles that are deposited after planting contain rocks and potato seed pieces and should also be monitored carefully throughout the growing season. Emerging plants should be killed off with Roundup. It is also very important to make sure that you only plant certified seed. Use of seed saved from local crops may increase the risk of late blight. Seed sources should be selected carefully to avoid bringing in late blight on seed, especially new strains of the pathogen. Look for characteristic brown discoloration of the potato flesh under the skin of seed tubers. Any tubers suspected of being infected with late blight should be tested to confirm its presence. Contaminated loads of seed should be rejected. Secondly, avoid conditions that favor late blight. Weather conditions strongly influence the incidence and severity of late blight. Although weather conditions are beyond control, field selection and carefully managed irrigation practices can help reduce the extent of periods favorable for disease development. Fields with good water infiltration and drainage characteristics are desirable for planting potatoes. If irrigation is applied, try to apply water during the hours of midnight to 8 am to avoid prolonging the length of time leaves are wet. Leaves are often wet with dew during these hours anyway, so irrigation during this period does not unduly prolong the leaf wetness period. Alternatively, apply irrigation during daylight hours, beginning after leaves have been dry for at least two hours and ending two hours before dark, again so leaves have a dry period before and after irrigation. Most disease-causing spores are released into the air between the hours of 9:00AM and 1:00 PM. After planting and early in the season, it is important to get rid of cull potatoes and potato pieces resulting from seed cutting operations or left after loading or unloading at storage facilities as these may support the production of inoculum whether or not the pieces are sprouting. It is also beneficial to control weeds and alternative late blight hosts such as hairy nightshade, which may contribute to disease spread under some conditions. Although weed species are not late blight hosts, they can contribute to conditions that favor disease development by restricting air movement within the canopy. Heavy weed infestations also prevent adequate coverage of potato foliage with fungicides. Late in the season it is advisable to avoid excessive irrigation as tubers become infected with late blight when spores wash down through the soil from infected leaves. Late season fertilizer applications should also be limited as although they will maintain green vines and promote tuber bulking, green and vigorous vines can also be difficult to kill with desiccants and immature tubers are more prone to skinning and therefore infection at harvest. Green vines may also harbor inoculum that can infect tubers during harvest. At the end of the season, petiole nitrate levels should drop down to levels that encourage vine senescence. Vines should also be killed at least two weeks before harvest, especially in blight-infected fields. This interval minimizes the chance of tubers getting contaminated with late blight inoculum during harvest, and allows previously infected tubers to decompose in the field. If blight is present in the field or in the vicinity of the field at harvest, it may also be beneficial to spray foliage after vine killing with labeled fungicides to kill living late blight spores on the foliage. Finally, after harvest if tubers are stored, they should be dry when placed in storage, and the storage air temperature and humidity should be managed so that the tubers remain dry. Condensation of moisture on tubers, resulting from air circulating through the tubers that is warmer than the temperature of the tubers, will cause any late blight present to form spores, and late blight may spread in the pile. Potatoes should be held at the lowest temperature possible consistent with their ultimate use (table stock or chipping). Most fungi do not grow much at temperatures of 38°F or lower, but some development will occur at higher temperatures. Chemical control Under high disease pressure situations the programs incorporating Revus products, Forum, Curzate 60DF, Ranman, Tanos, Gavel or Previcur Flex should be used. In Michigan both Headline and Quadris have given very useful late blight control but these products should be used in strict adherence with anti-resistance development strategies i.e. always mix with a protectant fungicide and never apply consecutive treatments. Consult your local advisor for appropriate rates and additional combinations. These products must be used in combination with protectant materials such as EBDC or chlorothalonil-based products. New products of note include Tanos [Group 11, duPont, 25% cymoxanil (as in Curzate) + 25% famoxadone)] which should be applied at 6.0 oz/A (no more than 6 applications per year and mixture with Manzate or chlorothalonil recommended; do not mix or follow with a Group 11 fungicide e.g. Quadris, 14 day PHI); and for early blight and white mold, Endura (Group 7, BASF, 70% Boscalid, no more than 4 applications per season maximum of 20.5 oz/A/season, 30 day PHI). Other new very effective products include Revus (Group 40, mandipropamid) and Ranman (Group 21, cyazofamid). Applied within a protectant program all of these products give excellent late blight control. In addition, trials over several years at MSU have shown that Quadris and Headline are still moderately effective for early blight control and Omega for white mold control. Gavel (zoxamide + mancozeb, Gowan) is also best used as a protectant and has been reported to reduce tuber blight. Destruction of areas within crops with late blight should follow the rules that 30 rows either side of the newest lesions at the border of the late blight locus and 100 feet along the row (either side) are killed with Reglone. Although harsh, trials at MSU have shown that the latent period between infection and symptom development is about seven days and although not visible plants within this area are already infected. In seasons when the severity of weather conditions would not favor severe late blight development, programs based on chlorothalonil [e.g. Bravo WS 6SC, Echo 6SC, Equus 6SC or other formulations], EBDC (e.g. Dithane 75DF, Manzate 75DF, Manex 4FL, Penncozeb 75DF, Polyram 80WP) will reduce the risk of the establishment of the disease. The addition of TPTH 80WP to any of the protectant programs would enhance disease control particularly towards the end of the growing season. (TPTH 80WP has a seven-day pre-harvest interval, also note maximum use rate since 2002 is 11.25 oz per season). Fixed copper-based products (such as Champ and Kocide) can also be used in protectant programs. These products are best used early in programs or immediate post-harvest for killing spores perhaps from adjacent crops and should always be applied at the full recommended rate of application. The observations of individuals responsible for implementing programs should determine when best to change from one product to another. Of major note, is that the Fungicide Resistance Action Committee (FRAC) have specific recommendations for mixing fungicides with high risk of resistance development. Fungicides are now labeled with a Group number e.g. Headline, Tanos, Quadris, Gem are all Group 11; these fungicides should be not mixed or immediately alternated in a fungicide-based protectant program. The application of these fungicides as stand-alone products has never been recommended by MSU for late blight control. They should always be mixed with a protectant surface residual fungicide. The appropriate placement of translaminar and other systemic products within programs is determined by the mode of action of the product in relation to host and disease development) but all products are best used within a preventative protectant program. For example, Previcur, Acrobat, Quadris, Headline, Gem, Gavel or Curzate may be applied to protect new growth early in development. Curzate and Previcur Flex may be applied while the canopy is expanding but before senescence and Forum is most effective during canopy expansion and as a post-senescence product and can be applied up to late crop senescence. Recommended programs for late blight control are not straightforward. The product of choice may well depend on how and from where the disease has developed. Some possible scenarios are shown in Table 1 where a range of containment procedures is described for susceptible varieties and different levels of disease in the field. Table 1. Suggestions for appropriate fungicides for late blight control including semi-systemic fungicides under different late blight conditions in susceptible potato varieties. Disease category Late maturing especially storage varieties No senescence - early senescence Mid - late senescence a) None Curzate or Tanos or Forum or Previcur Flex or Revus or Ranman + EBDC or chlorothalonil Quadris or Headline or Gem + EBDC or Gavel Omega Champ or Kocide can be added to enhance activity Curzate or Tanos or Forum or Previcur Flex or Revus or Ranman + EBDC or chlorothalonil+ Supertin/Agritin+ EBDC or chlorothalonil Chlorothalonil or Gavel (various + ZN) Omega Champ or Kocide can be added to enhance activity b) Few random lesions even distribution throughout field (0 - 1% foliar infection) Curzate or Tanos or Forum or Previcur Flex or Revus or Ranman + EBDC or chlorothalonil +TPTH or Chlorothalonil fb EBDC+TPTH or Chlorothalonil + TPTH 5day fb Chlorothalonil (various + ZN) or Gavel Curzate or Tanos or Forum or Previcur Flex or Revus or Ranman + EBDC or chlorothalonil +TPTH or Chlorothalonil fb EBDC+TPTH or Chlorothalonil + TPTH 5 day fb Chlorothalonil various + ZN) or Gavel c) One or more (up to 5) loci spreading from the edge of the field or from several centers within the field (1% overall field infection but locally heavily infected plants 5 - 10%) Curzate or Tanos or Forum or Previcur Flex or Revus or Ranman + EBDC or chlorothalonil +TPTH kill infected area with Reglone**** fb EBDC+TPTH or Chlorothalonil + TPTH every 5 days until vines dead Curzate or Tanos or Forum or Previcur Flex or Revus or Ranman + EBDC or chlorothalonil +TPTH kill infected area with Reglone fb EBDC+TPTH or Chlorothalonil + TPTH every 5 days until vines dead d) Partial crop infection large areas infected with up to 20% loss of GLA evenly distributed throughout the field or large areas of the field Curzate or Tanos or Forum or Previcur Flex or Revus or Ranman + EBDC or chlorothalonil +TPTH Chlorothalonil (various + ZN) + TPTH kill infected area with Reglone fb EBDC+TPTH or Chlorothalonil + TPTH every 5 days until vines dead Curzate or Tanos or Forum or Previcur Flex or Revus or Ranman + EBDC or chlorothalonil + TPTH Chlorothalonil (various + ZN) +TPTH kill infected area with Reglone fb EBDC+TPTH or Chlorothalonil + TPTH every 5 days until vines dead e) 20-100% crop infection with large loss of GLA*** kill infected area with Reglone fb EBDC+TPTH or Chlorothalonil + TPTH every 5 days until vines dead kill infected area with Reglone fb EBDC+TPTH or Chlorothalonil + TPTH every 5 days until vines dead fb followed by; GLA Green Leaf Area * TPTH has 7-day post harvest interval (max 11.25 oz/Acre/season); ** Chlorothalonil has 7-day post harvest interval; *** Protectant applications of an EBDC or chlorothalonil-based fungicide should be maintained on a 5-day schedule until the vines are completely dead; **** Infected areas should be treated last and a fungicide should be applied during the exit from the field. Symptoms of potato late blight. Potato late blight disease cycle www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Green manure healthy for organic and conventional potatoes Argenpapa. Canadá. 01-07-2009 Canadá. ( Buckwheat is highly competitive and is noted for improving soil structure. All photos courtesy of Dr. A. Hammermeister, OACC. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Topcropmanager).- Even though it is a dominant crop in eastern Canada, potatoes are grown on a limited land base and recent economic pressures have forced growers towards more intensive production with unfortunate consequences. Soil degradation and nitrogen losses to the environment as a result of intense production mean alternate crops and production methods need to be introduced in order to maintain the viability of the production system. Researchers are suggesting that adding a green manure, a crop used primarily as a soil amendment and nutrient source for subsequent crops, in a rotation can increase nitrogen availability in the potato crops, improve yield and tuber quality, and improve the soil’s physical properties and suppress soilborne potato diseases. Examined by the researchers as a nutrition source for organic potatoes, green manure also offers some benefits in conventional potato production. The issue that arises in organic production is how to get nutrients, especially nitrogen, to the crop while avoiding commercial fertilizer products. In conventional potato production, particularly in eastern Canada, having another crop in the rotation has many beneficial results besides the nutritional aspect. “Our work translates well to conventional production,” says Dr. Mehdi Sharifi, a researcher at the Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada (OACC) in Truro, Nova Scotia. However, the focus of the research done at OACC is to assist organic growers and those making the transition to organic production. “With conventional production, growers can supplement nutrition with commercial fertilizer, but in organic production, nitrogen has to be added through green manure or organic amendments, such as compost or manure.” The essence of the work completed at the Centre suggests that growing green manure prior to potatoes will improve soil nutrient bio-availability, reduce the risk of nitrogen losses into the environment, and sustain or improve soil quality. The researchers also report that, by adding green manure into the rotation in an organic system, crop yields will be comparable to those attained under conventional cropping systems. “Green manure will build soil organic matter and provide nitrogen for the crop,” explains Dr. Andrew Hammermeister, OACC manager. “In our case, we had high background fertility, so the impact of the forages was not as obvious as we may have expected. Unfortunately, the forages also actually reduced potato yield to some extent, because soil conditions were too wet to allow for early spring ploughing and the sod from the green manure had not decomposed before potato planting. The latter resulted in poor seed bed condition. We also saw that including forage in the rotation may encourage wireworm populations to increase.” Nevertheless, the researchers believe that under good conditions, the addition of green manure will benefit organic production and certainly assist in conventional production. “Green manure could work in conventional systems providing suitable timing for incorporation could be worked out,” Hammermeister continues. “Legume/forage plough downs can provide 30 to 100-plus kg/ha (27 to 89 lbs/ac) of nitrogen depending on the conditions.” Adjustments may have to be made in order to begin reaping the benefits of green manure. In eastern Canada where two-year rotations are not uncommon, adding a forage into the rotation would move the rotation to three years, a plan encouraged by most researchers, but it would mean including another lower value crop in the rotation. Access to a livestock market would be ideal, but this is not always possible for every potato producer. In western Canada the options for including green manure in either conventional or organic systems are greater as markets are often more accessible. “We encourage conventional growers to move to three-year rotations because it will improve soil fertility and productivity, “ Sharifi says. “In organic rotations, growers need to have a four- or five- year rotation that might include another vegetable crop, such as carrots, and a cereal to help break up the disease cycle. With green manure, growers can sometimes get one or two cuts, if red clover is grown, which can be a profit generator.” Sharifi says both intensive production systems deplete soil of organic matter causing potato yields to decline. Therefore, he says, growers need to consider green manure in order to maintain the sustainability of their production systems. In long-term research conducted in Maine, he says, “we replaced the cereal crop in the rotation with green manure and got good results, particularly with a white clover/bean/pea mix.” He adds: “The following year, in which potatoes were grown, significantly less nitrogen fertilizer for optimal yield was required.” In this case, the researchers believe the savings realized by reducing commercial fertilizer made up for the reduction in profit from the green manure compared to cereals in the previous year. Red clover is a common forage legume used in rotations in Eastern Canada. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- According to Hammermeister, in any system, green manures grown as annuals or forages can break up the disease and insect cycles, suppress weeds, provide soil nitrogen, build soil organic matter, increase availability of nutrients, such as phosphorus, and improve soil biology. He says that growers can adjust their production systems to include green manures by analyzing their operation. Selecting a green manure that suits the needs of the farm and its circumstances is the first step. “It helps to have a good plan for when and how to incorporate the forage or green manure, then plan to underseed a perennial forage as a green manure, such as alfalfa or red clover or, if you are growing a perennial legume crop, consider leaving at least one or two cuts in the year prior to potatoes to allow more buildup of organic matter and nitrogen,” he explains. “Of course so much depends on the climate of where the potatoes are being grown,” adds Sharifi. “But, it is wise to move to green manure and reduce reliance on commercial fertilizer. By combining your high nutrient demanding potato crop with a less nutrient demanding crop and a green manure, your soils have a chance to recover. It’s not just the nutrient that you are getting, but also you are improving soil biological, chemical and physical conditions.” Not without its concerns green manure can increase pressure from some diseases while minimizing pressure from others, it can also increase the nematode pressure. However, Hammermeister and Sharifi believe these are issues that can be managed and that the long term benefits outweigh the challenges. “Growers might be unwilling to include a green manure in their rotation because of the disease and nematode issues,” comments Sharifi, But, he adds, the benefits from adding green manure are much greater. While the greatest value of adding green manure into a potato rotation may be recognized by organic growers, conventional growers will see benefits as well. The challenge lies in reorganizing the operation to include a green manure, such as moving to a longer rotation and finding a market for the forage if it is to be cut. While the researchers proved that sustainable crop production is possible with a combination of organic practices that include organic amendments and crop rotations with a green manure crop, conventional operations can benefit as well. In the long term, with the addition of a green manure crop into a conventional rotation, the legume nitrogen contribution to the subsequent potato crop can be taken into account in nitrogen recommendations to realize potential reductions in commercial fertilizer nitrogen requirements. www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Export | Firm helps N.B. farmers test seeds for viruses Argenpapa . Canadá. 01 07 2009. Canadá. (nbbusinessjournal).- Mathuresh Singh says New Brunswick's potato growers need a speedier way to test their seeds for viruses in order to make a dent in the international market. Stephen MacGillivray Photo Keeping an eye on potatoes: Mathuresh Singh, director of Agricultural Certification Services Inc., displays a graph showing real-time detection of a potato virus. The director of Agricultural Certification Services Inc., which is operated by Potatoes NB, has done just that, by developing a virus test that takes days rather than months. "By the time our growers wait three months for (conventional test) results, they lose many of their markets," he said. "Brazil, Indonesia and Thailand all need potatoes before November and we want to ensure ours are disease-free after the September harvest, before we ship to them." In an age where food recalls have become close to commonplace, disease-free guarantees have become essential. But traditionally it took considerable time to guarantee seed potatoes, because they had to be grown before viral infections could be detected. Many growers couldn't afford to wait six to eight weeks without missing markets such as South America, because its planting time is so close to the end of local harvests. Rather than risk selling virally infected spuds to meet those deadlines, Mathuresh and his team at Agricultural Certification Services developed a much quicker DNA-based screening and certification process. The key is genetic primers and molecules that latch onto distinctive regions of viral genes, which let scientists identify them quickly and easily. Singh developed primers to pinpoint the potato mosaic and potato leafroll viruses, among several others. Potato farmers can send the company samples of their seeds and receive results in about four days - ensuring their spuds aren't duds in plenty of time to meet shipping deadlines. Mathuresh said more than half of the province's potato farmers' business depends on exports and the industry generates $1.3 billion annually. They can't afford to have their reputations ruined by selling diseased products. He said a test with such a quick turnaround can prevent that problem and help make New Brunswick renowned as a safe source for spuds. Mathuresh said that could make all the difference in making a dent in the Chinese market, which is wary of tainted imports. "They're one of the biggest markets in the world right now," he said, adding the company is working with the National Research Council and International Science and Technology Partnership Canada to share its potato testing technology with their Chinese peers. "They don't have too much clean seed of their own, so by using this technology we can open that door for them and for our local farmers." www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día NEPG estimates a higher ware potato area for coming European potato season Argenpapa . CEE. 10-07-2009 CEE. (Euro Potato).- According to information published in the latest Euro Potato report (issued by Potato Council Ltd in the UK), the North-western European Potato Growers (NEPG) estimates a higher ware potato area in the 5 North Western countries in 2009, compared with 2008. These first estimates indicate an increase of plantings by 1,7%, compared to last year. Most of the extra plantings can be found in Belgium and the Netherlands. In Belgium the main increase is for the early processing crop of which the harvest recently started. This crop will all be utilised mainly in July and the beginning of August. GB is the only country where the planting estimate shows a decrease of potato area. So far maincrop varieties are growing well in most countries. However, the NEPG stresses that dry soil conditions are reported in many regions, tuber development in some cases has only recently started, yields have yet to develop and the crop still has to be harvested. The NEPG therefore is not at this time able to estimate yields or total production for 2009. Nevertheless any potential rise in the crop amongst the 5 North West European Countries could provide supplies for the rapidly growing processing capacity within North West Europe, particularly Belgium and for export trade from NEPG countries, particularly France, which has increased in recent seasons. www.argenpapa.com.ar Noticias al día Wet Weather May Affect Management of Potato Crop Argenpapa . Gran Bretaña. 13-07-2009 Gran Bretaña. (Agweekly).- When it rained after cutting the alfalfa, my grandfather used to say - I'm sure he didn't originate the saying - “it's raining oats into the hay.” Although the rain wasn't good for the cut hay crop, it was providing moisture for the oats that were used to feed the horses that were then used for farming. The wet June weather provided moisture for many crops eliminating the need to irrigate. However, these same weather conditions may have a pronounced effect on the potato crop. Producers may see an increase in the incidence of diseases such as Fusarium dry rot, stem blackleg and seed piece decay, Rhizoctonia stem canker, and late blight, as well as loss of nitrogen due to excessive rain. The latter two will need the attention of potato producers. Even healthy seed treated with a fungicide may succumb to seed piece decay with an extended period of wet weather. Poor and uneven plant stands are typical symptoms of seed piece decay and sprout rot caused by Fusarium species. Fusarium sambucinum is the most common pathogen causing dry rot in stored seed potatoes and may be effectively controlled by fungicidal seed treatments. However, there is another species of Fusarium that can cause seed piece decay, Fusarium solani var. coeruleum. In Idaho, F. solani var. coeruleum is more commonly found in the field and causes disease after planting. Although slow growing, the cold, waterlogged soil conditions that were prevalent in potato fields provided an ideal environment for the growth and spread of this pathogen. The waterlogged soils caused enlarged lenticels on the surface of seed pieces pro-viding entry points for the pathogen. Seed piece decay may also be caused by the bacterial pathogen Erwinia carotov-ora ssp. atroseptica (Eca), which is the same pathogen causing post-emergence blackleg. Eca can usually be found on all potato tuber surfaces, but problems develop only after infection occurs following wounding, frosting or other physical damage. The bacterium is a facultative anaerobe meaning it lives with or without oxygen. Oxygen deprivation is a common occurrence in waterlogged soils, which can enhance this disease. Once Eca infects a sprout, it develops rapidly following emer-gence resulting in rotting of the lower stems and roots. The stems are left without anchoring so easily pull out of the ground. Typically, plants affected by Eca are stunted with yellow, necrotic leaves and black stems. Other sprouts from a seed piece may compensate for those that are infected if the seed piece is still intact and healthy. A third, and maybe more commonly occurring disease even in a year with more normal precipitation levels, is Rhizoctonia stem canker caused by the fungus Rhizoc-tonia solani. High disease pressure from Rhizoctonia results in poor stands, stunted plants, reduced tuber number and size, and misshapen tubers. Disease development is positively correlated with soil temperature. When soil temperatures are in the range of 41 to 77°F, plants are more susceptible to infection from R. solani. Wet soils warm up more slowly than dry soils, and this slow warming exacerbates damage because plant development is delayed and the cool, wet conditions favor fungal growth. Dam-age is most severe at cool temperatures because of reduced rates of plant emergence and slow growth of stems and sto-lons relative to growth of the fungus. Plants become more resistant to infection after emerging and developing green plant ma-terial above ground. One last weather-related disease is late blight caused by the water mold Phytophthora infestans. Late blight is favored by moderate temperatures of 59 to 78°F, high relative humidity, and frequent rainfall or wet conditions. With confirmed findings of late blight in 2008 and the favorable conditions this year - cool temperatures and frequent thunderstorms - the probability of late blight occurring is high. Phytophthora infestans inoculum can come from many sources. In the spring, the pathogen can be transmitted from infected tubers found in cull piles or volunteers and transmitted to potato foliage by airborne spores. Infected seed potatoes are also a source of disease. However, some infected tubers may rot in the soil before emergence, and not every plant that emerges from an infected tuber will be infested with late blight. Late blight can be termed a “community disease” because spores from infected plants may spread from plant to plant with-in a field or to healthy plants in neighboring fields by thunderstorms. With the in-creased risk for late blight, efforts must be made to monitor crops closely for the incidence of this disease. Particularly after plants close across the rows, look for late blight in the lower portions of the plant where the foliage stays wet longer. Scouting should be concentrated in areas of the field most likely to remain wet for the longest period of time, such as the center tower of pivot irrigation system. If a field is thought to have late blight, care should be taken not to spread the disease from field to field when scouting. Disposable pants and rubber boots that can be washed after leaving a field should be worn if late blight is suspected or was found in a field. Late blight inoculum can also be spread from field to field on equipment, so this should also be washed after leaving the field. As the risk of late blight becomes greater, crop monitoring should be intensified. Late blight lesions may be confused with those of early blight (Alternaria sola-ni) and gray mold (Botrytis cinerea), which are less severe diseases. Thus, it is important that an accurate identification of the disease symptoms is made and late blight is confirmed by a qualified diagnostician. If you think late blight is in your field, you should contact University of Idaho for instructions on how to submit a disease sample, or contact your local crop consultant. With optimal weather conditions for a potential late blight outbreak, all growing regions in Idaho should be considered at risk with regard to this disease. A protectant spray should be applied before row closure followed by another application 10 to 14 days later, and then make fungicide applications based on current environmental conditions. Programs based on chlorothalonil (e.g. Bravo® WS, Echo® 90 DF, Equus® DF) or EBDC-containing products (e.g. Dithane®, Manzate®, Manex®, Penncozeb®) will reduce the risk of disease development. Consult your local advisor for additional combinations and the label for appropriate rates. To keep updated on the threat of late blight, call the late blight hot line at 800-791-7195. Unfortunately, there's not a lot that can be done to change the outcome from weather, but producers should scout for late blight and keep their crop protected from this disease. Additionally, producers need to carefully manage nitrogen for the remainder of the season. The high amount of rain may have, in some fields, leached a significant quantity of the nitrogen below the potato root zone making it unavailable to the plants. Although weekly petiole nitrate-nitrogen (NO3N) monitoring can be used to determine crop N status, it's important to know the amount of nitrogen in the top 18 inches of soil. For Russet Burbank potatoes during the tuber-bulking growth stage, the petiole NO3N levels should be 15,000 to 20,000 ppm and the NO3N in the upper 18 inches of soil should be 15 to 20 ppm. In some fields, it may be necessary to begin applying nitrogen through an irrigation system sooner than what would be done in a year with more normal rainfall. Also, be sure to closely monitor irrigation amounts to match crop-water use. About the Authors: Phillip Wharton is Assistant Professor of Potato Pathology with University of Idaho located at the Aberdeen R & E Center and can be reached at (208) 397-4181 or pwharton@uidaho.edu . The Spudvine newsletter is published 9 times a year by UI Bingham County Extension Office, 583 W. Sexton St., Blackfoot, ID 83221, (208)785-8060. Also available on the Internet at http://extension.ag.uidaho.edu/bingham/ spudvine/htm Noticias al día East Midlands Potato Day: Autosteer holds promise for growers Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña. 15-07-2009 Noticias al día National potato acreage up Argenpapa. EEUU. 27-07-2009 Noticias al día Prize-winning potato farmer taking over the family farm Argenpapa. Australia. 27-07-2009 Noticias al día Spud acres grow 5% Argenpapa. EEUU. 27-07-2009 Idaho. (Capital Press).- Idaho farmers planted an estimated 320,000 acres of potatoes this year, a 5 percent increase from 2008, according to projections released July 10 by the National Agricultural Statistics Service. Noticias al día Aggressive potato blight is proving difficult to control Argenpapa . Irlanda. 03-08-2009 Disease Threat: Tramline conditions in potaotes in Meath Irlanda. (independent).- Over the course of last week I travelled from Cork to Donegal looking at potato crops. It's clear the huge variation in crops, arising from planting date and sowing conditions, and the difficulties many growers are having in controlling blight will have an effect on the eventual yields of these crops -- especially if the current weather conditions prevail. Controlling blight is of paramount importance to all potato growers, whether big or small. Research over the past two years by Dr Stephen Kildea and others in Teagasc Oak Park has shown the type of blight we are getting now is changing compared to the type (A1) we had to deal with for the past 100 years or so. This change has been tracked in recent years across Europe and more recently in Britain . Noticias al día North Florida Growers Battle Cold, Drought, Flood Argenpapa. EEUU. 14-08-2009. (Spudman ). Potato growers in northeast Florida's Flagler, Putnam and St. Johns counties have battled an unholy triumvirate of weather issues this winter and spring. First, cold weather killed back plants that were just out of the ground. Then, severe drought in the area meant lots of irrigation to keep crops alive. And then, just as growers were harvesting - two to three weeks late because of the early season cold weather - unseasonable flooding left potato fields under water. Butch Calhoun, director of government affairs for the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association, said growers were in the peak of harvest when the rains hit. "They were anywhere from just getting started to half done," he said. "Depending on the area, the least amount of rain that I heard anyone received was 12 inches, and some of them got close to 30 inches. That was something none of them had ever had before. As I talked to people, they told me that 9 inches of rain was the most they'd ever had during a harvest in a week's time before. So they had twice to three times as much rain as they'd ever experienced." Calhoun said the late cold weather hurt growers more than the subsequent drought because most of the growers irrigate. "The cold set back the harvest a couple of weeks, and some growers actually got burned back," he said. "I'm speculating, but that probably delayed the harvest by two weeks." Without that delay, many growers would have been nearly done harvesting before the flooding rains hit. Calhoun said that, prior to the rain, the season looked like it was going to be slightly better than average. "The yield was good and the price was fair." That all changed when the heavens opened. Of course, yield and quality went down. In addition, the rain caused harvest expenses to go up because it changed what growers had to do. "Some growers had to rent four-wheel-drive tractors to pull the carts by the harvester, when normally they just have a truck going beside the harvester," Calhoun said. "They burned more fuel as a result. And some growers couldn't harvest at all. I heard growers say everything from 15 percent to 75 percent loss, and it depended on whether you had chip potatoes or table stock. Some growers have both, and some have just one." One grower Calhoun talked to was a chipper whose yield was down because he couldn't harvest everything, but quality wasn't a concern for him. "The day he dug them, they went to the chip plant," he said. "They were chipped the next day, so they weren't worried about the shelf life." Growers with table stock, however, had a harder time. Danny Johns, owner of Blue Sky Farms, graded his potatoes three times instead of the normal once. "We had 20.2 inches of rain in a 10-day period, with some heavy downpours," he said. "Even so, I consider us lucky. Down in Bunnell, the growers got so much rain they didn't have a chance. The weatherman called this a 100-year storm." When those rains occurred, Johns said, he had about a third of his crop out of the ground. Everything he harvested after that was a challenge. "The problem is that when you harvest them, they can look real good the first day but then, two days later, they'll have bad potatoes in them," he said. "We do a lot of small packs, so we wanted to make sure we had a good product for the consumer." Besides the production he lost out of the field - Johns left un-harvested about 50 acres out of the 600 he had planted - he incurred a lot of extra cost after he got them harvested. "We graded them, put them in totes coming out of the field and put them in the cooler," he said. "Then we pulled them out two days later, graded them again and put them back in totes in the cooler. Then we'd pull them out after another two days, regrade them and put them in the small pack bags. So our grading costs were three times as much as they are normally." The worst part of it all, Johns said, was that all of this came on top of the most expensive crop he's ever put into the ground. "Our seed prices were way up this year," he said. "All our input costs were way up there, too. Everyone, such as the fertilizer companies, had increased costs last year and they had to pass those on, so we had to absorb them. So, we were already in a little riskier situation than we're accustomed to. Plus, we've had extra wear and tear on manpower and equipment as a result of all of it. This has the potential to be the worst year I've ever had, although we're still trying to feel our way through everything. It's been one of those years for the record books." With production down, growers hoped the price might go up to compensate just a little. However, because the potato is a nationally grown crop, that didn't happen. "Red River Valley had a big crop of reds, so that really put a lid on our red deal," Johns said. "And California filled in the void. So we didn't realize any uptick in price that would help us." The ultimate outcome of this for the growers has yet to be determined. "Most growers were hurt, and depending on the timing of their planting and harvest, some were hurt worse than others," said Chad Hutchinson, a University of Florida professor specializing in potato research. "I haven't heard of anyone going out of business, but I think some will have to carry debt into next year, which isn't uncommon in farming - but it also isn't something you like to see." As of late June, growers hadn't yet received any federal assistance. The problem, Calhoun said, wasn't from a lack of concern on the part of state officials, but rather the process that must be followed to receive help. "The commissioner of agriculture has to request that the governor make a declaration," Calhoun said. "That happened on June 11. The governor sent a letter to the secretary of agriculture on June 19. But the feds haven't adopted all the rules and regulations, so we still don't know what the outcome will be." In the long term, however, Florida potato growers have reason to be optimistic. "The demand for potatoes from Florida is on the rise for a number of reasons," Hutchinson said. "Market potential is good for next year, and if weather conditions are normal, there's good potential for farmers to make back any losses they incurred this year." Noticias al día Potato crop update for Great Britain Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña . 14-08-2009. (Potato News). The weather was mixed in most regions last week, with sunny, warm, humid days as well as periods of high rainfall, according to Potato Council's Potato Weekly report, issued earlier today. The report says that ground conditions became wet and some heavy soils were unsuitable for harvesting at times last week. In some Eastern and Northern areas water-logging was reported in low parts of odd fields, and a few crops were starting to look yellow in the top. Total clearance remains behind last year, although in some regions, where salad plantings have increased and crops were well advanced, growers estimate higher clearance than in 2008. Yields are a major talking point at present with wide variability reported but, the higher estimates, a few up to 60 t/ha, are having a depressing effect on market prospects. Tuber size in many crops is bold, with the prospect that in those cases supplies of medium size samples may become short, compared with Bakers. In Scotland crops have had enough rain and are looking well, particularly following recent warmer and sunnier weather. Yields are increasing with many crops estimated at 42-55 t/ha. Noticias al día Late Blight of Potatoes in Ontario Argenpapa. EEUU . 17-08-2009. ( Omafra ). Author: Eugenia Banks - Potato Specialist Background Late blight, caused by the fungus Phytophthora infestans, is a devastating disease of tomatoes and potatoes. If the weather is wet and no effective control methods are applied, late blight can completely destroy the canopy of potato field in a week. Tubers may become infected if spores are washed into cracks in the soil and come in contact with tubers. 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 Organic production still gaining ground Argenpapa. EEUU. 07-08-2009. (Agweekly). Tour goers learn about University of Idaho Potato Specialist Nora Olsen's study on the performance of 10 different potato varieties grown under certified organic conditions at the organic research site. Nora Olsen described the emergence rates and defoliation by Colorado potato beetles on the 10 different varieties. Photo courtesy of the Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides. Tucked in among the conventional research plots, a certified organic field is allowing researchers and producers to explore how to make organic production work for southern Idaho producers. While the economic downturn has slowed the growth of the organic food market, the market segment continues to grow. “There is a growing consumer base that wants food grown in this way,” said Jennifer Miller, ag program coordinator for the Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides. “And Idaho farmers are trying to meet that demand.” The non-profit group partnered with the University of Idaho to host an organic production field day at the Kimberly research farm in mid-July. Researchers have dedicated an 11-acre field to study organic production of potatoes, beans and wheat. Weed and insect control were among the hot topics discussed by the approximately 90 farmers, consultants, researchers and agency people who attended the tour; but cover crops and crop rotation were also important. Nora Olsen, UI potato specialist at Kimberly, said the objective of the organic field is to study the entire cropping system to examine issues growers will have to tackle as they transition from conventional to organic production. Noticias al día £700,000 probe into potato blight threat Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña . 07-08-2009. (The Courier). LATE BLIGHT has posed a major risk to the potato crop for 170 years, by Ewan Pate, farming editor. Ever since the potato famine, which hit both Ireland and Scotland in the 1840s, researchers have looked for ways to control the devastating disease. There has been some success, not least in the development of effective fungicides, but it is now certain that the blight genotypes are altering at alarming speed. Noticias al día Potato plantings up 5 percent from '08 Argenpapa. EEUU. 05-08-2009. (Record Eagle) Potato plantings in Michigan are up this year, according to the Michigan Field Office of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Michigan potato growers planted 45,000 acres this year, up five percent from 2008. Harvested acreage is forecast at 44,500 acres. Potato acreage by type is 80 percent white, 17 percent russet, two percent red and one percent yellow. Certified seed acreage is estimated at 2,240 acres, also up from last year. Noticias al día German growers nervous in fresh markets Argenpapa. Alemania. 10-08-2009. (Euro Potato). Provisional planting estimates for the total 2009 crop in Germany have been released during the last week of July and is officially pegged at 264,292 ha. This represents an increase of 1.3%, and includes the area of table potatoes at 87,488 ha (down 8%) and Industry potatoes, including Starch, at 162,553 ha (up 7.4%). Noticias al día Dutch potato growers prefer sandy soils for 2009 crop Argenpapa. CEE. 10-08-2009. (Potato News). Some EU 5 countries have amended their estimates of planted area for the 2009 crop over the last month. In Holland the Dutch Statistical Office published results of its May survey of growers which shows Ware plantings at 68,800 ha, which is now slightly lower (- 0.72%) than the 69,300 ha in 2008. Within the figures there appears to be a shift from the heavier soils to lighter land. Noticias al día Water order takes effect at critical harvest time Argenpapa. EEUU. 10-08-2009. (Capital Press). A long-running water dispute in south-central Idaho's high desert heated up just as summer temperatures inched toward the century mark. Temperatures were in the high 90s in early August, just days after Gary Spackman, interim director of the Idaho Department of Water Resources, ordered the curtailment of 315 junior groundwater rights. Noticias al día Ways mooted to grow potato better Argenpapa. India. 26-08-2009. ( Timesofindia ). Confronted with fragile food security, leading potato scientists of the country have suggested the need for research on shift in planting season of this important food crop in view of the perceptible drift in climatic conditions due to global warming. Participants in the 27th group meeting of all-India coordinated research project on potatoes, held at the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS) in Dharwad last week, also highlighted the need for making available healthy seed material to all farmers through government agencies. Nearly 80 scientists working on potato from across the country, farmers' representatives from different states and industry stakeholders participated in three-day meeting organized jointly by UAS and Central Potato Research Institute (Shimla). UAS director of research, Dr P M Salimath, told `TOI' that the meet also recommended the release of new potato varieties, MP/98-71 for French fries an OS/93-D-204 for cultivation in the Nilgiries, and speedy breeding of potato varieties for south Indian climatic conditions. Deputy director general (horticulture) H P Singh suggested taking up of seed production activities in Karnataka. For Dharwad and adjoining areas, kharif potato-sorghum/ wheat cropping sequence was recommended for higher productivity and suitability, without adding additional inputs for Rabi crops. He said survey work on occurrence of late blight on potato in Hassan should be taken up immediately and reasons for its occurrence, as also the remedial measures, should be worked out. His deputy suggested development of region-specific late-blight forecasting model. The interaction between farmers and industry representatives revealed that disease-free seeds of potato should be made available to farmers of the state. They underlined the need for proper MoU with private companies for contract farming. Measures for export of potato from Karnataka were also suggested. Noticias al día International project on potato diseases Argenpapa. Reino Unido. 04-09-2009. (Fwi). New international work is under way to help potato growers assess the risk, before planting, of their crops getting powdery scab and rhizoctonia. The Potato Council -funded £430,000 three-year study involves SCRI , SAC and the Food and Environment Research Agency (formerly CSL) with partners in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. It follows the success of earlier UK work which led to the DNA -based black dot prediction scheme now available as a commercial testing service. Black dot is well suited to such diagnostic techniques, says the Potato Council's Sue Cowgill. "The test will give you valuable information about how the disease will develop - whether you are looking for just an indication of how much of the pathogen is present or management advice based on the results." That advice was summarised in the council's guide Managing the risk of black dot sent to levy-payers. But getting to grips with other diseases, such as powdery scab and rhizoctonia, to allow similar reliable tests to be developed is a tougher challenge, which Dr Cowgill hopes the international collaboration will help overcome. Predicting powdery scab is particularly tricky, she says. "Both seed and soil-borne inoculum can cause the disease, but this isn't the problem when it comes to determining its extent on progeny crops. Environmental conditions, such as wet summers, have much more influence." Forecasting rhizoctonia, which causes black scurf, is also far from straightforward in that it has developed on plants grown from disease-free mini-tubers even in soil where no inoculum has been detected. "We think this comes down to how it's distributed in the field. Its spread is probably patchier than black dot, which makes getting a representative sample more difficult." The international consortium aims to improve detection of such soil-borne pathogens through standardised testing, says colleague Mike Storey. "We initially identified research synergies through discussions with our counterparts at Horticulture Australia." The non-competitive project has several benefits. "It's a great opportunity to extend limited resources, gives a larger pool of research data, and we can share knowledge with leading international experts. "By conducting trials in both the southern and northern hemisphere we can maximise seasons and study two crops a year, gaining data much faster." The research will evaluate the causes, distribution and control of soil-disease populations using the latest laboratory real-time PCR assays to test for pathogen presence, says Dr Storey. "At the end of the study we hope to develop pre-planting tests that give you a quick, accurate assessment of disease risk of powdery scab and rhizoctonia in field conditions." The findings will be made available to levy-payers for disease risk assessment and decision-making purposes, along with disease control advice at the end of the study. Noticias al día Colorful spuds brighten marketplace Argenpapa. EEUU. 07-09-2009. ( Capital Press). Mike Heath tends his organic produce booth Aug. 29 at the Twin Falls Farmers' Market. At the local farmers' market, organic grower Mike Heath displays an array of colorful spuds, including the Red Lady, All Blue and Yukon Gold varieties. Customers won't find a Russet Burbank anywhere in the mix. It's been years since Heath grew the variety that made Idaho famous. "The packout just isn't there," Heath said while tending his booth at the Twin Falls Farmers' Market. Experts agree that the Burbank is still one of the best potatoes in terms of flavor and culinary quality for both the fresh and processing markets. Unfortunately, it isn't always pretty. Burbank tubers can turn out gnarly and misshapen when water-stressed and are susceptible to some internal defects, experts said. Typically, a smaller percentage of the crop makes U.S. No. 1 grade compared with some of the newer Russet varieties. The lower Burbank packout rate often means lower returns to growers because more of the crop is diverted to the process-grade market or cull pile. Heath planted 38 acres of potatoes this year, mostly specialty colored varieties. "Reds and Yukons are our biggest plantings," he said. Heath planted just 5 acres of Russets this year. Most were newer varieties such as Defender, Premier and Alturas Russets. In the new spud marketplace, big isn't always beautiful. Heath's best-selling spud at farmers' markets is Annabelle, a small yellow tuber. "It's really popular," he said. "We're selling more of these than anything." Heath's Annabelle spuds averaged about 2 to 3 ounces each, compared with the Defender Russet, which weighed in about 11 ounces. Researchers have known for several years that the dark pigments in red and purple potatoes contain more important phytonutrients, including cancer-fighting antioxidants, than white-fleshed Russet potatoes. Now they're finding that smaller spuds may contain more phytonutrients than larger spuds. In preliminary trials this year near Othello, Wash., USDA researchers harvested 71 different varieties of potatoes between seven and 10 weeks of growth. Phytonutrients such as folate, or Vitamin B9, and other antioxidants appeared in much higher levels in baby tubers weighing around an ounce. Roy Navarre, a USDA Agricultural Research Service research geneticist and adjunct professor with Washington State University, said the results could provide a much-needed boost to the stagnant fresh potato market. "As consumers become aware of the phytonutrient advantage of small potatoes, it could help drive growth and create more demand," he said. Potatoes are the fourth-largest crop in the world, and it's hard to imagine a better crop for improving the overall health of consumers, Navarre said. The research, partially funded by the Washington State Potato Commission, will continue this winter as scientists complete the tuber evaluations. "Ideally we would like to find something that is high in phytonutrients and that has a high yield of small tubers," Navarre said. Researchers aren't sure why smaller spuds pack more of a nutritional punch than larger potatoes, but it could be that some of the phytonutrients get diluted as the tubers grow. "When the tubers are smaller, the nutrients are more concentrated," Navarre said. "That's probably part of it." It's also possible that some specific cultivars synthesize higher amounts of the phytonutrients when the tubers are at a younger development stage, he said. Navarre said the baby potato research will likely continue for another year. "We're excited about it," he said. "Once we get the results this winter, we'll decide how we want to tweak it or what we want to do differently next year." 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 Virus infects arboretum's Tlingit potato crop Noticias al día Quality Seeds Needed For High-Yield Agriculture Noticias al día Idaho 2008 Potato Crop Revised Up; Idaho 2009 Sugarbeet Production Up Argenpapa. EEUU. 16-09-2009. (Agweekly). Final disposition numbers show Idaho's 2008 potato crop totalling 116 million cwt, an increase of 1.5 percent from earlier estimates, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service. Field run yield of 383 cwt is 5 cwt more than the previous estimate and 10 cwt more than the 2007 crop's yield. Harvested area for the 2008 crop was 304,000 acres, unchanged from the previous estimate. For the 2009 potato Noticias al día Making organic pay Noticias al día BRITAIN DONATING MILLIONS FOR BIOTECH CROPS Noticias al día Burbank remains industry stalwart Noticias al día Global warming threats agriculture- with special reference to India Noticias al día Rolling contract for a high specification Noticias al día Fertiliser shortage plagues potato farmers in UP Noticias al día Bacterium Identified as Prime Suspect in Zebra Chip Case Noticias al día Problem avoidance: Potato early-dying disease Noticias al día US fresh and seed potatoes gain access to Thailand Noticias al día Standen-Pearson shows two new potato harvesters Noticias al día Potato Council calls for greater support for its schools growing project Noticias al día Responses of potato cultivars to the psyllid (Bactericera cockerelli) under greenhouse conditions Noticias al día Potato farmers fight pests with hot mustard Noticias al día Idaho potato production up 12 percent from 2008 Noticias al día Highest potato yield in history for US and Idaho? Noticias al día Aeroponic farming speeds production Noticias al día Drought stress Noticias al día Growers and packers - Are you passionate about potatoes? Noticias al día PRODUCING HEALTHY SEED POTATO TUBERS Noticias al día The chips are down for Christmas Noticias al día Spud growers say prices too low for profitability Noticias al día Potatoes Marketing: Specialties, value-added experience slow growth Noticias al día Potatoes Marketing: Increases in yields, acreage depress markets Noticias al día Potato production in North Dakota down this year Noticias al día Using seeds to guarantee food security and preserve biodiversity Noticias al día Firm to develop non-GMO spuds Noticias al día Cool, wet summer and backyard gardens blamed for late blight Noticias al día Agriculture and Soil Carbon: A Critical Part of Climate Change Mitigation Noticias al día Estudio de la composición de calibres en variedades de papa (Solanum tuberosum, L.) para la producción nacional de tubérculos-semilla en Cuba Noticias al día 2010 Idaho Potato Conference and Ag Expo: Putting Sustainability into Practice Noticias al día Production estimates for ware potatoes in EU 5 countries released Noticias al día Growers Will Learn How to Put Sustainability into Practice at Potato Conference Noticias al día EVALUATION OF POTATO SEEDPIECE TREATMENTS Noticias al día Idaho Dry Edible Bean Production Up From Last Year Noticias al día Natural insecticide killed by the Australian heat Noticias al día 2010 Spud Outlook Noticias al día AgriLife researcher studies chemical control of potato psyllid Noticias al día Spud co-op urges acreage cuts Noticias al día Recession catches up with Idaho farm sector Noticias al día 'Yukon Gem' improves on well-known potato Noticias al día Weather woes continue for beet and potato growers Noticias al día Harvesting fears as frost lingers Noticias al día Potato production in northern Bangladesh hampered by late blight outbreak Noticias al día Local engineer produces 2-in-1 ‘tomato potato plant’ Noticias al día Centro Internacional de la Papa (CIP): Beating the heat of global warming Noticias al día 'Grow your own potatoes' - over 10.000 British primary schools have signed up Noticias al día Trends worry spud industry Noticias al día Trends worry spud industry Noticias al día Potato planting now delayed by rain Noticias al día Punjab farmers advised to sell potato harvest in March Noticias al día Argenpapa. Resumen de Noticias Nº 651 Noticias al día Late blight in tomatoes, potatoes Noticias al día Wisconsin Whole-Farm Potato Growers Make Strides in Conservation and Sustainability Noticias al día 2009 US potato exports down Noticias al día Professional potato growers of Ukraine are rapidly expanding planting area for 2010 Noticias al día Argenpapa. Resumen de Noticias 655 Noticias al día Growers tend to over-water at the start of the season Noticias al día GM potato cleared for EU farming Noticias al día Amistar for season long green growth in potatoes Noticias al día New Actara in-furrow treatment targets early aphid activity Noticias al día Beating the blight: how to grow healthy potatoes Noticias al día In-furrow treatment targets early aphid activity Noticias al día Slow start to potatoes after harsh winter Noticias al día McCain and Cavendish Farms trim orders as recession crimps demand for French fries Noticias al día EU approves biotech spud Noticias al día Machinery ends Jersey Royal potato tradition Noticias al día UK potato planting makes good progress Noticias al día McCain Food launches potato pops at Aahar Noticias al día Noticias al día Washington prime spot for potatoes Noticias al día Spud Special: Potato planting progress good Noticias al día Argenpapa. Resumen de Noticias Nº 666 Noticias al día Planning vital for potato industry planting Noticias al día Potato glut sees price fall 13% Noticias al día Argenpapa. Resumen de Noticias Nº 667 Noticias al día Potato project tells kids where food comes from Noticias al día Potatoes a priority for top leaders in Mozambique Noticias al día Maximizing Potato Seed Performance Noticias al día Dry weather helps progress potato plantings Noticias al día Mc Cain: Potato contract negotiations underway Noticias al día P.E.I. farmers start planting early Noticias al día What the approval of GM potato Amflora in Europe means to growers Noticias al día Fiji in bid to start potato production Noticias al día Potatoes a priority for top leaders in Mozambique Noticias al día Argenpapa. Resumen de Noticias Nº 670 Noticias al día No Small Potatoes Noticias al día Excess supply hits potato prices Noticias al día Flex potatoes kill process markets too Noticias al día Yanqing builds China's first potato museum Noticias al día CO bill would require planting of certified seed potatoes Noticias al día Argenpapa. Resumen de Noticias Nº 674 Noticias al día European potato planting update Noticias al día Potato contracts for area not sprouting yet this season Noticias al día Spud growers plant without deal Noticias al día Argenpapa. Resumen de Noticias Nº 676 Noticias al día Noticias al día Nutrient-Packed and Pest-Resistant. Potatoes From ARS Research Noticias al día DATCP warns farmers as deadline approaches Noticias al día Low seed movement reported Noticias al día Market Report: Potato prices jump as imports fall Noticias al día Northwoods potato farm target of U.S. probe Noticias al día New Methods Developed to Detect, Measure Potato Phytonutrients Noticias al día Peking presumably planning to plant potatoes Noticias al día Potato growers' pain is consumers' gain Noticias al día New test will help potato growers tackle disease Noticias al día China pins foodsecurity hopes on humble potato Noticias al día Flooded fields frustrate farmers in southern Alberta Noticias al día USDA ARS scientists seek blight-resistant potatoes Noticias al día Innovator: Potato disease report Noticias al día Cold spell reduces aphid risk for potatoes Noticias al día Leading Norfolk scientists plea over GM technology Noticias al día A Potato Remade for Industry Has Some Swedes Frowning Noticias al día To reduce potato imports Noticias al día Argenpapa. Resumen de Noticias No 695 Noticias al día Grow potatoes in your own backyard Noticias al día Dickeya Solani potato disease prompts tough controls Noticias al día Market report: Potato plantings forecast to hit five-year low Noticias al día ADAPTAÇÃO DE UMA PLANTADORA DE BATATA PARA TRABALHAR EM SISTEMAS DE PLANTIO DIRETO E CULTIVO MÍNIMO1 Noticias al día Idaho Potato Acreage Lowest Since 1980 Noticias al día Michigan Potato Acreage Dips Slightly From 2009 Totals Noticias al día Red, yellow potato production grows Noticias al día Potato cultivation nothing new for farmers Noticias al día Potato Board courts Algerian industry leaders Noticias al día Late blight on potato Noticias al día Huntsinger Farms introduces consumer packs Noticias al día Biosecurity takes centre stage at potato event Noticias al día Idaho lawmakers urge action on U.S.-Mexico truck dispute Noticias al día Seth Pascoe delighted with his potatoes Noticias al día Farmers look to cash in on potato shortage Noticias al día Weather to delay the start of 2010 Northwest potato season Noticias al día Potato Market Noticias al día Opperdoezer Round available at Freshweb.nl Noticias al día State partners with farmers to produce potato seeds Noticias al día Dalat plants potatoes without use of soil Noticias al día Western flower thrips common in potatoes Noticias al día Humble potato gaining popularity worldwide Noticias al día State partners with farmers to produce potato seeds Noticias al día PEI Potato board welcomes decision Tribunal in potato contracts appeal Noticias al día Potatoes in practice: Soil test tools essential Noticias al día Management of potato tuber moth Noticias al día Season starts out rough for Skagit produce suppliers Noticias al día Potato the new NZ biosecurity battleground Noticias al día Argenpapa. Resumen de Noticias 712 Noticias al día Potato plantings at five year low Noticias al día What the approval of GM potato Amflora in Europe means to growers Noticias al día Potato Europe 2010 offers 186 exhibitors from 16 countries Noticias al día Bad results for European potato production in 2010 Noticias al día Cut costs, East Anglian potato growers urged Noticias al día Grimme shows off new equipment at PotatoEurope Noticias al día Late blight found in some Alberta crops Noticias al día Idaho 2009 potato crop revised up Noticias al día Colorado’s fresh potato industry set for rebound Noticias al día POTATO EUROPE SHOWCASES NEW PRODUCTS Noticias al día Still too early for nitrogen Noticias al día Fertilizer phosphorus and potassium Noticias al día P.E.I. expects average potato crop Noticias al día Growing potatoes for seed a growing business Noticias al día Cooperative to boost potato seeds Noticias al día Scottish potato crops at risk from Dickeya to be processed in England Noticias al día Potato farms on the move Noticias al día Cuts continue to potato contracts - this time Tassie Noticias al día Spud prices advance on smaller crop Noticias al día Spud prices advance on smaller crop Noticias al día For the love of potatoes Noticias al día Potato crop hit by price war, poor weather Noticias al día Pakistan recovering from floods, but potatoes would help Noticias al día Three row potato harvesting surges ahead Noticias al día Local crops devastated by wet autumn weather Noticias al día Potato shortage to reverse rise in EU exports Noticias al día Snack firms join hands with Kari to raise potato supply Noticias al día Potato traders see a price collapse Noticias al día New Brunswick introduced mandatory testing of PVY in seed potatoes as part of a commission to improve quality Noticias al día Storage Science Noticias al día Potato shortage fuels bumper prices Noticias al día Potato shortage fuels bumper prices Noticias al día New Brunswick’s 2010 potato crop should be profitable Noticias al día N.B. to order post-harvest testing on seed potatoes Noticias al día Potato: But concern expressed that prices don't reflect crop's value Noticias al día Spud growers push for Mexico access Noticias al día ISAR to increase seed production Noticias al día New Brunswick 2010 potato crop summary Noticias al día Department offers new seed testing service for potato growers Noticias al día Symposium tackles potato virus issues Noticias al día Futurist weighs potato plight Noticias al día Argenpapa. Resumen de Noticias No 751 Noticias al día Wet start to early potato planting Noticias al día BASF Plant Science set to cultivate Amflora potatoes in Germany and Sweden in 2011 Noticias al día Potato buyers competing for supply Noticias al día Potato switch pays for Hawkes Noticias al día New strain of old potato virus has industry’s attention Noticias al día Fucino potatoes exceeded 30 €/quintal Noticias al día Potatoes 'drowning' in floodwater Noticias al día Potato exports to Russia will recover as back log clears Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU: Grocers allege potato group pumped up spud prices Noticias al día Argenpapa. Resumen de Noticias Nº 867 Noticias al día Argenpapa. Resumen de Noticias Nº 868 Noticias al día Argenpapa. Resumen de Noticias No 873 Noticias al día Argenpapa. Resumen de Noticias No 874 Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU (Idaho): Potato researchers press on despite budget cuts Noticias al día Argenpapa. Kenia: The shop that potatoes builtn Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU: Costs exceed price as spud growers harvest bigger crop Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU: State leads surge in spud production Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU: Colorado continues to increase seed potato production Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU: Firms show interest in red spud Noticias al día Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña: Potato estimate 25% down Noticias al día Argenpapa. NEPG: North European potato harvest possibly 17% less Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU: Soft Rot and Blackleg Diseases of Potato Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU: Grocers say potato group illegally boosted spud prices, spied on farmers to enforce limits Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU: Grant pays for PVY testing Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU: Eastern Shore producing another pretty potato crop this season Noticias al día EEUU: Seed Treatments Noticias al día Canadá: HEADS-UP ON THE TOP SIX Noticias al día EEUU: US fall potato production up 6 percent Noticias al día Gran Bretaña: Water shortage prompting irrigation availability concerns Noticias al día Gran Bretaña: Greenvale AP Vales Sovereign available to open market Noticias al día Uzbekistan: Seed potato multiplication receives new support Noticias al día EEUU: Combatting PVY Noticias al día Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña: Jersey Royals potato planting 'helped by dry weather' Noticias al día Argenpapa. Australia: McCain denies NZ move. Pressure mounts on Ballarat growers Noticias al día Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña: Turning potato boxes can increase seed yields Noticias al día Argenpapa. España: La patata, ni crisis ni calorías de más Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU: Research could quell zebra stripe fears Noticias al día Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña: Adopting new techniques when growing potatoes Noticias al día Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña: Modern diets could spell end for the Great British spud Noticias al día Argenpapa. Escocia: Practical solutions for powdery scab control Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU: MSU Potato Lab looks to new colorful spuds, home gardeners to boost seed potato industry Noticias al día Argenpapa. Fiji: Plans to move potato production to high ground Noticias al día Argenpapa. Kenia: Seed import plan becomes a hot potato Noticias al día Argenpapa. Ucrania: potato prices to remain low for a year and a half Noticias al día Argenpapa. Ucrania: Storage construction to slow down sharply in Ukraine Noticias al día Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña: Potato prices hold steady as planting gets under way Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU: Protecting tuber quality: Potato seed treatments set solid foundation for successful season Noticias al día Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña: Decision time on potato plantings as questions remain over water supplies Noticias al día Argenpapa. Resumen de Noticias No 812 Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU: Potato virus rates up in winter seed test Noticias al día Argenpapa. Australia: WA potato laws embroiled in controversy Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU: Idaho lays out zebra chip strategy Noticias al día Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña: Business as usual despite drought Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU: Zebra chip strategy formed Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU: Eye on psyllids Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU (Idaho): Five Potato Varieties planted in White House Kitchen Garden Noticias al día Argenpapa. Europa: Northern European potato market current status Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU: Science of psyllid biology Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU (Maine): Potato growers apply for unregistered treatment Noticias al día Argenpapa. Kenia: Sh5m project to boost potato yields launched Noticias al día Argenpapa. Bélgica: First new potatoes put up for auction much earlier Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU (Maine): State looks to fungicide to protect the potato crop Noticias al día Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña: Potato weed control in drier conditions Noticias al día Argenpapa. Perú: Climate Change Takes a Toll on Andean Potato Farming Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU: Selecting specialty spuds Noticias al día Argenpapa. Resumen de Noticias No 819 Noticias al día Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña: Potato prices at eight-month high Noticias al día Argenpapa. Kenia: Potato boosting project launched Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU-Canadá: United Potato Growers of Canada discusses planting intentions for 2012 Noticias al día Argenpapa. Resumen de Noticias No 820 Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU: Idaho crop plantings far ahead of 2011 pace Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU: Will US Growers Plant Too Many Potatoes in 2012? Noticias al día Argenpapa. Canadá: United developing acreage recommendations for 2012 crop Noticias al día Argenpapa. Resumen de Noticias No 821 Noticias al día Argenpapa. Escocia: Pause in potato planting prompts rethink Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU (Nebraska): Expect Potato/Tomato Psyllids Earlier Than Normal Noticias al día Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña: Price of potatoes to soar after wet season wipes out crops and delays planting Noticias al día Argenpapa. Resumen de Noticias No 822 Noticias al día Argenpapa. Canadá (Manitoba): Potato Planting Moving Along Noticias al día Argenpapa. Resumen de Noticias No 823 Noticias al día Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña: Rhizoctonia hits in cold wet potato seedbeds in Britain Noticias al día Argenpapa. Inglaterra: Heavy rain hampers potato planting Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU: Not-so-dud spuds brighten potatoes appeal Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU: Fingerling potatoes see growth in varieties, acres Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU: Looking back: 50 years in potato production Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU: Taking stock: A community of potato growers Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU: Emesto silver potato treatment for Rhizoctonia Noticias al día Argenpapa. Perú: High in the Andes, poor farmer is 'dirt rich' in potato diversity Noticias al día Argenpapa. Alemania: Early potatoes from North Rhine-Westfalia Noticias al día Argenpapa. Perú: High in the Andes, poor farmer is “dirt rich” in potato diversity Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU: Potato blight in NY could be traced back to Maine Noticias al día Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña: Wet weather heightens slug risk in potato crops Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU/Egipto: Spud leader tapping world's largest seed market Noticias al día Argenpapa. Resumen de Noticias No 832 Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU: Rains leave north Florida potato production unscathed Noticias al día Argenpapa. Alemania: Firm skin potatoes the norm in 2012 Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU: Seed spud crop gets good start Noticias al día Argenpapa. Georgia: Potato farms sprout up here Noticias al día Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña: Potato crops under pressure from ongoing erratic weather Noticias al día Argenpapa. Canadá: Potato pests can vary across Canada's potato-growing regions. Noticias al día Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña: Advice for British growers to cover challenging blight conditions Noticias al día Argenpapa. India: Potato farmer rues decision to reduce cultivation Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU: Spud growers ponder impact of big potato crop Noticias al día Argenpapa. Resumen de Noticias No 830 Noticias al día Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña: First estimate potato plantings in Great Britain 2012 Noticias al día Argenpapa. Colombia: Battling hunger and malnutrition with potatoes Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU: The Identification and Management of Silver Scurf Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU: New biocontrol for potato virus Y Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU: North Dakota potato cultivation increased Noticias al día Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña: Britse aardappeloogst lijdt onder hevige regen Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU: Farmers adjust irrigation to deal with hot, dry weather Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU: Potato plantings top 1 million acres Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU: Potato industry discussing ways to deal with big crop Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU: New spud variety gaining interest despite seed shortage Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU: New spud gaining interest despite seed shortage Noticias al día Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña: Protect valuable potatoes in store this year and reduce volunteers Noticias al día Argenpapa. Canadá: Canadian government invests in potato research Noticias al día Argenpapa. Reino Unido: Dundee conference hears potato farmers harvest fears Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU (WI): World's potato varieties stored in bank Noticias al día Argenpapa. Fiji will never be potato self sufficient Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU: Spud growers say harvest shaping to be mixed bag Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU: Potato crops up 3% Noticias al día Argenpapa. Francia: Blight pressure strong; lower potato yields predicted Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU (Wisconsin): Late blight confirmed in five counties Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU: Heat stunts Idaho potato yields Noticias al día Argenpapa. Canadá: Manitoba expects above average potato yields Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU (Maine): Potato crops hurt by dry weather Noticias al día Argenpapa. Noruega: Potato Yields in Norway lower Noticias al día Argenpapa. Europa: Delay of potato harvest in all NEPG countries Noticias al día Argenpapa. Canadá: Dry harvest conditions preferable for Delta potato farmers Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU: Washington potatoes to struggle against Idaho glut Noticias al día Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña: 2012 - a watershed year for the UK potato industry. Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU: Rains end long dry spell for many Washington growers Noticias al día Argenpapa. Fiji: New potatoes developed to decrease imports Noticias al día Argenpapa. Fiji: Storage poses difficulties for farmers Noticias al día Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña: Fish & Chips Battered in U.K. as Deluge Slashes Potato Crop Noticias al día Argenpapa. UK: Potato growers face further difficulties Noticias al día Argenpapa. An Ounce of Prevention: Potato Seed treatments can be a cure for healthy yields Noticias al día Argenpapa. Potato Seed : Nutritional guidelines help determine ‘just right’ rates Noticias al día Argenpapa. Potatoes South Africa: The way forward Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU: Genetic modification likely for potatoes, researcher says Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU: More efficient potato varieties knock on door of quick-serve restaurants Noticias al día Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña: Potato stocks drop 20% year on year Noticias al día Argenpapa. Irlanda: Famine potato to make historic comeback Noticias al día Argenpapa. Francia: Nouveautés et évolutions pour la filière pomme de terre Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU: Grower uses cover crops to reduce input costs for spuds Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU: Florida potato season opens with higher prices Noticias al día Argenpapa. Irlanda: Potato volumes unlikely to recover this year Noticias al día Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña: Farmers concerned about snow on Jersey Royal potato crop Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU: Washington farmer leads U.S. Potato Board Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU: UPGI, officers sue insurer to cover price fixing case costs Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU: Farmers prepare soil for planting season Noticias al día Argenpapa. Irlanda: Can a genetically modified potato can fight off blight? Noticias al día Argenpapa. Uganda: Scientists work to save the Irish potato in Kabale Noticias al día Argenpapa. Australia: Collaborative approach extending the reach of potato industry R&D Noticias al día Argenpapa. Holanda: 'Potato market, planting behind schedule' Noticias al día Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña: Potato planting lags behind due to bad weather Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU: Idaho Potato Processors cut acreage by 3 percent Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU: Spring Conditions on the Northern Plains in Sharp Contrast to One Year Agor Noticias al día Argenpapa. Evapotranspiration and crop coefficient for potato in organic farming Noticias al día Argenpapa. CIP: Potatoes: The Seeds of Development – Interview Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU: Water issues pushing Weld's last large-scale potato grower out of the state Noticias al día Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña : Grower risk means potential switch from potatoes Noticias al día Argenpapa. Gran Bretaña : Potato prices will continue to be high through 2013 season Noticias al día Argenpapa. Potato planting underway across North-Western Europe Noticias al día Argenpapa. Canadá: It's potato planting time on Prince Edward Island Noticias al día Argenpapa. IPHD plants five containers of U.S. seed potatoes in the Congo Noticias al día Argenpapa. Be aware of glyphosate exposure to nearby potato fields Noticias al día Argenpapa. Canadá: Griffin brothers combine diverse talents in achieving spud success in Elmsdale Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU: Potato farmers innovate to find new markets Noticias al día Argenpapa. Paraguay: Potato growers threaten to paralyze the country to get State subsidy Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU: Market looks strong for California potato deal Noticias al día Argenpapa. India: Potato farmers asked to store harvested produce till July Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU: Manitoba processing potato growers settle contracts Noticias al día Argenpapa. Potato: Oft-maligned; Seldom Appreciated Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU (WI): Late Spring delays vegetables Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU: Idaho potato crop revised Noticias al día Argenpapa. Potato may help feed Ethiopia in era of climate change Noticias al día Argenpapa. CIP: Increasing Water Efficiency for Potato Production Noticias al día Argenpapa. EEUU: Potato Diseases in Cool and Wet Soils Noticias al día Argenpapa. CIP's Seed Link to the Value Chain in Kenya |
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