News on Potato Defects and Diseases from the United States

At their 400-acre Othello research farm, Washington State University scientists study seed quality, new varieties, pests, and growing practices to help Northwest potatoes thrive

Humble potatoes are a rich source not only of dietary carbohydrates for humans, but also of starches for numerous industrial applications. Texas A&M AgriLife scientists are learning how to alter the ratio of potatoes’

The Colorado potato beetle has evolved resistance to more than 50 different kinds of insecticides, making the insect a 'super pest' that wreaks havoc on potatoes around the world.

The University of Idaho is close to opening a new Seed Potato Germplasm Laboratory, which is the place where most Idaho potatoes are 'born'.

In a new study, published in Crop Science, researchers describe genetic tools to develop potato varieties with improved natural resistance to the Colorado potato beetle

Aroostook County agricultural growers are predicting a higher quantity and quality of potato crop than was produced in 2020, due to the less severe weather this summer.

The toll that hot dry weather took on the Red River Valley 2021 potato crop won’t be visible until harvest begins in a few weeks, but it’s already clear it has affected yields and quality.

Greater understanding of the biology of one of the most destructive plant viruses to potato crops will be the focus of a research hub at the University of Maine.

Native to the Rocky Mountains, the Colorado potato beetle has now spread to many parts of the world and quickly overcoming almost every pesticide thrown in its way. A new UVM study sheds light on how these insects become resistant so fast.

In a recent study published in the MPMI journal, scientists from CSU revealed that metabolites from S. chacoense contribute to disease resistance by altering the pathogenic behavior of Pectobacterium brasiliense, rather than inhibiting its growth or killing it.

The United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed the detection of Ralstonia solanacearum race 3 biovar 2 (RSr3b2) in a single variety of geranium plants located in a Michigan greenhouse.

Potato virus Y is the most economically important and devastating aphid-transmitted virus, affecting both tuber yield and quality. The virus is also a major cause of seed potato degeneration, which leads to regular flushing out of seed potatoes.

The World Potato Congress (WPC) continues with its webinar series in its 2020 on January 24, with a webinar featuring Dr. David Douches of 'Feed the Future – Biotechnology Potato Partnership'

Scientists have developed a user-friendly online tool called Uniqprimer, which quickly and automatically designs species-specific DNA tags (also known as primers) for detecting pathogens such as Dickeya dianthicola using DNA testing.

A research team has identified a virus infecting Phytophthora infestans, the pathogen causing late blight in potatoes and tomatoes, that appears to increase the pathogen's ability to cause the disease.

Researchers in the WARF Accelerator program are using advanced imaging technology to detect late blight in potatoes, which famously led to the Irish potato famine in the mid-nineteenth century.

Its harvest time for many in the potato industry, and those not quite to that point, harvest will be here before you know it. Washington State University’s Tim Waters said growers need to continue to watch for pests.

The National Potato Council (NPC) has named University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate student Sofia Giron the winner of its annual $10,000 scholarship. Giron is a fourth-year grad student studying plant pathology.