News on Potato Defects and Diseases from Asia

Scientists in Bangladesh (BARI) have successfully field-tested a genetically modified (GMO) potato resistant to late blight, one of the most devastating potato diseases. Once the regulatory trial is over in February, they will apply for release of the variety.

Australian horticulture researcher and industry stalwart Dr Kevin Clayton-Greene has been honoured with a prestigious Industry Recognition Award at the 9th World Potato Congress in Beijing, China.

After several years of negotiations, Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF) has agreed to allow US chipping potatoes to be transported overland from an international port to an approved processing facility in Kagoshima.

Russia threatens to impose temporary restrictions on import of Indian potatoes.based on phytosanitary concerns (brown rot agent)

In the Indian State of Karnataka, the Department of Horticulture has decided to provide certified seed potatoes to 1,000 farmers for pre-monsoon cultivation on a pilot basis.

Domestic potato production in India in the present Rabi season is likely to be 25-30 per cent higher over last year on account of good weather conditions.

Primero fue Europa y los Estados Unidos. Le siguió Latinoamérica y el Caribe. Esta semana lo hizo Asia y próximamente África. Los investigadores de todo el mundo están formando redes para combatir al tizón tardío, una de las enfermedades más devastadoras de la papa. Conozca cuáles son y que están haciendo para liberar al mundo del flagelo.

The Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (Bari) and Peru-based International Potato Centre (CIP) will introduce a late blight resistant potato for use in next season: Bari Potato - 46

Azerbaijan and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) sign an agreement to develop the production of virus-free seed potatoes

Potato production in West Bengal is likely to be lower by 10-15 per cent on ‘late blight’ in a quarter of the growing districts.

For over 30 years, the International Potato Center (CIP) has played a significant role in developing Sino-Peruvian relations through the introduction and promotion of various varieties of drought and disease resistant potato and sweet potato to China.

Potato Tuber Moth (Phthorimaea operculella) populations are on the increase across southern Europe, particularly around Mediterranean basin, and are likely to lead to significant in-store losses and threaten the trade of infected tubers.

The horticulture department and Krishi Vignana Kendra had organised a demonstration of spraying pesticides in Narasipura in the wake of spread of blight disease for potato crop under Salagame hobli in the taluk recently.

Pakistani exporters of potato are facing a loss of millions of dollars as Russia has stopped clearance of consignments after complaining that the potatoes from Pakistan are infected with a disease.

Late blight, a fungal disease, has attacked the potato crop in Punjab, which is a major producer of tuber crop in the country, raising fear of damage to the crop.

Potato farmers have lost lakhs of rupees due to destruction of potato crop by a bout of blight, yet, they are yet to receive any relief money from the Agricultural Department.

Over 40,000 farmers in Munshiganj (District in Bangladesh , see map) have cultivated potatoes this year, beating all records of potato acreage in the alluvial floodplains of the district. But farmers are daunted by persistent foggy weather in the last...

Owing to the fear of blight, many farmers are shying away from cultivating potato. Last year, potato was grown on 50,000 hectares of land in the district, but the crop on 35,000 hectares was affected by blight, and farmers lost Rs. 300 crore as a res...