News on Potato Defects and Diseases from Canada

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

The Potato Leadership, Education, and Advancement Foundation (Potato LEAF) has announced Xiuyan Zhang, a Ph.D. student at the University of Maine, as the recipient of the organization’s 2024-25 Academic Scholarship. 

Después de años fuera de la escena mundial tras la detección de la sarna verrugosa en sus campos, la Isla Principe Eduardo se dispone a reclamar el podio como productora de elite.

Wireworms are a common potato plant predator, living in soil and feeding on roots. They are notoriously difficult to control, and populations are increasing in farm fields across Canada

In the fall of 2021, the detection of potato wart disrupted sales of Prince Edward Island (PEI) potatoes to the United States, threatening the livelihoods of thousands of Islanders.

Authorization from the PMRA, following a thorough review of the company’s extensive data dossier, indicates a mutual understanding of the composition, potential and low risk of the RNAi technology.

In 2014, Charlottetown-based research scientist Bourlaye Fofana was looking for a way to make plant products healthier by adding the antioxidant selenium.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has completed its 2022 national survey for potato wart and confirms that potato wart was not detected in the soil samples tested from the fields where the samples were collected.

The PEI potato industry welcomed the final report of the International Advisory Panel (IAP) on Potato Wart that was presented to industry and government on January 16, 2023.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) scientists have discovered that selenium, a micronutrient and anti-oxidant activates genes in potatoes that boosts the plant's immunity and helps in the prevention of late blight.

Renaissance BioScience Corp., a leader in bioengineering for the global agriculture and food industries, has retained the services of S. Brad Griffith to assist Renaissance in commercializing its RNA production

The minister of agriculture of Prince Edward Island (PEI), Canada has tabled legislation that would give the provincial government a lead role in trying to prevent the spread of potato wart in the province.

With testing completed on 5,000 Prince Edward Island (PEI) soil samples collected by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency from March to June no potato wart has been found.

Fields, where potato wart has been found, should be taken permanently out of any type of agricultural production, a P.E.I. legislative committee is recommending.

The P.E.I. Potato Board said it is 'no surprise' that there has been a third detection of potato wart, this one found in soil samples taken in October 2021.

The United States has agreed to let imports of Prince Edward Island table stock potatoes to Puerto Rico resume. United States Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack made the announcement in a news release last week.

The Government of Canada is committed to restoring market access for PEI fresh potatoes to the United States and supporting PEI farmers impacted by trade disruptions.