News on Potato Defects and Diseases

Agriculture is growing in Canada’s North with new collaborations and technologies. AAFC scientist Dr. Julia Wheeler led research on season extension for potatoes and green beans in northern communities. The study focused on soil health, pest management, and improving food security.

The dwindling availability of insecticide seed treatment and nematicides has paved the way for pest control using entomopathogenic nematodes.

Andy Diercks, a fourth-generation potato farmer from the small village of Coloma in central Wisconsin, is blunt about the difficult realities facing family-owned farms today.

Potato farming in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Philippines, spans 11,000 hectares but struggles with limited high-quality seed potatoes. At the World Potato Congress (WPC) 2024 in Adelaide, Australia, experts highlighted Apical Rooted Cuttings (ARC) as a solution to improve yields.

Researchers at North Carolina State University identified the South American Andes as the origin of the Irish potato famine pathogen, Phytophthora infestans

Potatoes are increasingly traded globally, raising the risk of spreading quarantined pests and diseases. Organizations like EPPO and national bodies regulate many of these threats, necessitating a unified approach to pest and disease management.

Un nuevo sistema ha mejorado la conciencia de los productores sobre las condiciones que favorecen la enfermedad, reduciendo el uso de fungicidas y promoviendo prácticas agrícolas sostenibles.

The World Potato Congress has presented the upcoming webinar: Implementation of an Early Warning System for Sustainable Preventative Management of Potato Late Blight.

Madeleine Smith has joined North Dakota State University as an Extension pesticide specialist. Joining Oct. 2, Smith has been working on the NDSU campus in Fargo, North Dakota.

Fera scientists have made breakthrough progress with industry-steered wireworm research, highlighting where and when the pest is expected to pose the highest risk to arable and fresh produce crops over the next two decades. 

Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists are working on a new research project to fight plant diseases transmitted by psyllid insects — particularly the zebra chip disease, which has impacted potato production for decades.

In a world where almost half of potential crop production is lost due to diseases, pests, and extreme weather, addressing the challenges of food security and sustainable agriculture has never been more urgent.

Meeting the challenges will be the focus of the 26th annual gathering in Dundee of the country’s leading potato producers and the companies that support them.

The potatoes sector is to benefit from the delivery of seven industry projects funded by residual levy reserves, after a grant agreement was signed between AHDB and GB Potatoes.

Esta plaga, originaria de Norteamérica y de rápida reproducción, obliga a tomar medidas inmediatas para evitar su propagación y proteger la producción local de patata y otros cultivos afectados, como berenjena y tomate.

Agrico's annual Variety and Seedling Show 2024 on November 7 and 8 will showcase their latest 'Next Generation' potato varieties, featuring enhanced disease resistance, yield potential, and sustainability.

Researchers at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) have discovered a new gene that controls plants' sensitivity to threats like fungi and drought. The working of this gene was confirmed in potatoes and tobacco.

The ADAPT project, funded by the EU Horizon 2020 program, has concluded with significant advancements in developing climate-resilient potatoes, bringing together a multidisciplinary team to enhance stress resilience and breeding strategies for future potato crops.