New book on potato storage management now available

This new publication on potato storage 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. The authors of the book are well known figures in the international potato industry: R T Pringle, Scottish Agricultural College, R C Clayton, Potato Council, and C F H Bishop, Writtle College in the UK.
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Interfarm to supply Rizolex potato seed treatment in UK and Ireland

Interfarm UK is now supplying the seed potato fungicide treatments Rizolex in the UK and Ireland.  Available as the 10%w/w Wettable Powder, Rizolex and as the 500g/l Suspension Concentrate Rizolex Flowable, these fungicides are used in seed potatoes for the control of black scurf and stem canker, caused by the pathogen Rhizoctonia solani. John Martin, Managing Director of Interfarm, explains that this arrangement is a direct consequence of being an affiliate company of the global giant Sumitomo Chemical Company Ltd.  “Tolclofos-methyl is a molecule developed by Sumitomo Chemical Company, who has a majority share in Interfarm UK.  This means that we benefit from this affiliation through accessing not only existing but also new crop protection products in the pipeline.  Growers of seed potatoes can access this effective seed treatment through any one of our distributors.” Dr. David Stormonth, Technical Manager for Interfarm explains that Rhizoctonia is a serious disease of potatoes, with the fungus damaging the yield and quality of seed potatoes.  “Rhizoctonia is a seed borne and soil borne disease with the symptoms being seen on the surface of the tuber as black scurf.  On seed potatoes it can attack sprouts and in some cases plants are prevented from emerging.  Based on the active ingredient tolclofos-methyl, Rizolex controls black scurf on tubers, the most important source of infection, and protects them against stem canker and black scurf in the daughter tubers. Dr. Stormonth explains that seed potatoes should be treated as they come out of store, pre-chitting or before shoots protrude and before planting.  “It is important that the fungicide is distributed evenly over all tubers.  For the WP formulation this is done on an automatic potato planter during hopper loading.  The hopper should be half filled with seed and the quantity of Rizolex, 2.5 kgs per tonne of seed potatoes, spread over the tubers.  The hopper is then filled with tubers and agitation in the planter will spread the fungicide uniformly.” For further comment and information, please contact Dr. David Stormonth, Technical Manager, Interfarm UK Ltd. on 01354 741414 or 07818 036506 (mobile) or via e-mail david.stormonth@interfarm.co.uk

New seed potato treatment approved on wireworm

Bayer CropScience has picked up registration for a new seed-piece treatment to suppress damage caused by wireworm in potato crops.  Bayer said in a release Wednesday that its Group 4 liquid clothiandin product Titan will be available for the 2009 season as the only seed-piece treatment registered for suppression of wireworm.
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Canadian farmers win 20-year settlement fight over virus decision

Almost 200 potato farmers in the New Brunswick province of Canada will receive a multimillion-dollar settlement from their Federal government after a court ruling ended a 20-year legal battle over a virus outbreak. The Supreme Court of Canada has decided not to hear an appeal from the federal government in a lawsuit over a virus that devastated the province’s potato farms. The government must now negotiate a fair settlement with 180 farmers or have the courts determine one. The farmers have asked for $75 million, plus interest, in damages. The United States closed its borders to New Brunswick potato seed imports in 1991 to shield itself from the PVY-n potato virus. New Brunswick potato farmers originally lost a 14-year court battle, but then launched an appeal. The New Brunswick Court of Appeal sided with the farmers and overruled a trial judge in September 2008, finding the government at fault for the way in which the Agriculture Department dealt with the outbreak  of PVY-n virus in 1989. The potato virus poses no risk to human health and it doesn’t seriously affect potatoes, but it can kill tobacco crops. An outbreak in a tobacco field at Port Bruce, Ont., in September 1989 was traced to an adjacent potato crop produced from seed from Prince Edward Island. The finding triggered years of border closures and the loss of key markets for many New Brunswick farmers. Lawyers for the farmers have argued that PVY-n spread to the Upper St. John Valley potato district because Agriculture Canada did not test P.E.I. seed.
Source: Canadian Press

Tri-state breeding program in the US releases new varieties

The University of Idaho in Moscow has released three russet potato varieties that are “definite improvements” over current varieties.
- Classic Russet: a high-yielding, early-maturing russet potato with attractive tubers and outstanding culinary qualities that could replace the Russet Norkotah.
- Alpine Russet: a late-season russet potato that can be successfully processed out of long-term storage, like Russet Burbank, but that exceeds it in yields and fry quality.
- Clearwater Russet: a late-maturing russet potato with a high percentage of U.S. No. 1s, resistance to low-temperature sweetening and exceptional processing quality.
Agronomist Jeff Stark, who coordinates the Tri-State Potato Variety Program, calls the trio of new russets “definite improvements over what’s available.” All are joint releases with the U.S. Deaprtment of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service, Oregon State University and Washington State University.
Source: The Grower Magazine
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