News on Crop Protection from Europe

Some 20 specialist exhibitors will show practical solutions for organic potato cultivation at Potato Europe 2018 exhibition – Demonstrations of mechanical weed control to feature at the event this year

PotatoEurope 2018, one of the top events for the international potato industry, returns to Germany on September 12 and 13.

AHDB secured nine emergency authorisations for potato, herb, celery, carrot, parsnip, cherry and plum for UK growers to protect their crops.

Bayer plans to complete the acquisition of Monsanto on June, 7, following the receipt of all required approvals from regulatory authorities.

Preparations for this year's PotatoEurope exhibition are progressing well, with planting now complete at the event venue, Rittergut Bockerode farm, near Hanover in Germany

The European Commission decided on Friday April, 27 2018 to impose a complete ban on neonicotinoids, referring to the risk they pose to wild bees and honeybees.

The EuroBlight project is examining the ongoing evolution of the potato late blight pathogen (Phytophthora infestans). In 2017, almost 1500 samples from 16 countries in Europe were genotyped. The results indicate that new clones continue to spread.

Late Blight control strategies in the United Kingdom will have to change this season if potato growers are to combat the spread of a new aggressive, fungicide-insensitive/ resistant strain of the disease, leading agronomy firm Hutchinsons says.

As a result of the uncertainty regarding the reapproval of the active ingredient Diquat the potato industry made an effort to identify alternative solutions for haulm desiccation. Haulm killing with high-voltage electrical current showed the greatest chances of success.

Although PCN testing of soil for seed potato cultivation is typically strictly regulated, different procedures are in use for the testing of soil for ware potatoes - and which one is used has huge consequences for the reliability.

Using sensors to determine the best time for harvesting and steering automated tractors across fields, the market for agricultural technology is growing worldwide. It is also a lucrative field for Bosch. 'Bosch can do more than cars and cordless screwdrivers. We are bringing high tech to farms, opening up a market worth billions.'

A genetically-modified (GM) Maris Piper designed to resist the devastating plant disease late blight has worked “brilliantly” during the first year of field trials, according to scientists of The Sainsbury Laboratory (TSL)

Check out the five products nominated for the Potato Europe 2017 Innovation Award. Until Monday September 11, noon, you can still vote for your favorite!

The breeders of Solynta have succeeded in making potato plants insusceptible to the dreaded potato disease Phytophthora infestans, using their revolutionary hybrid breeding technique.

In three weeks PotatoEurope 2017 opens its doors. Over 265 exhibitors (+8 %) from 16 countries will share their potato expertise with you in their booths and allow visitors a look in the potato chain of the future.

Anyone travelling to PotatoEurope in Emmeloord by car on 13 and 14 September 2017 will have much more convenient access to the event than in previous years.

Bayer and Monsanto today announced that they signed a definitive merger agreement under which Bayer will acquire Monsanto for USD 128 per share in an all-cash transaction.

Bayer AG raised its offer to buy Monsanto Co. and create a new global leader in seeds and pesticides, though the German firm said the higher price depended on achieving a 'negotiated transaction.'