News on Potato Varieties and Seed from the Americas

March 28, 2012

Investigación para evaluar el impacto de altas temperaturas sobre rendimiento, calidad y propiedades de papas nativas y comerciales

Evaluar el impacto de altas temperaturas sobre el rendimiento, calidad y propiedades saludables de papas nativas y comerciales, es uno de los focos centrales que guia el Fondecyt de iniciacion desarrollado por la
Dra. Carolina Lizana Campos de la Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias de la UACh.

March 22, 2012

Se inician preparativos para IV Congreso Nacional de Papa en Andahuaylas

Andahuaylas será sede de la actividad agrícola más importante del año, el IV Congreso Nacional de la Papa, que se llevará a cabo entre el 8 y 11 de agosto del presente año.

Russian Banana (Courtesy Idaho Potato Commission)

March 14, 2012

Idaho increases specialty potato market share

Russet potatoes still dominate markets, but specialties are gaining.

March 07, 2012

Idaho fresh-packers partner with fingerling farm

Recent growth at Southwind Farms in Heyburn, Idaho, should make it the nation's second largest supplier of fingerling potatoes this season.

March 04, 2012

Ecuador: El cultivo de papa nativa se duplicó en dos años

En Ecuador existen alrededor de 47 mil hectáreas sembradas de papa. De estas, alrededor de 4 mil corresponden a variedades nativas. Esto significa que apenas cerca del 10% del área cultivada produce papas originarias. Pero hace dos años apenas represe...

NPPGA President Chuck Gunnerson presents the 2012 NPPGA MSA to Susie Thompson

February 26, 2012

Susie Thompson Wins NPPGA Meritorious Service Award

Asunta (Susie) Thompson is the winner of the 2012 NPPGA Meritorious Service Award. It was presented to her at NPPGA's annual banquet. This comes on the heals of winning a Meritorious Service Award from the National Potato Council in January. Dr. Thom...

February 26, 2012

US Potato research threatened by budget cuts

President Obama's budget proposal for Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 proposes cutting $700 million in the USDA's spending levels.The amount represents a 3 percent cut from FY 2012 USDA spending levels.

February 19, 2012

Consiguen adaptar diez variedades de papa a calor extremo en Parú

La papa es un tubérculo serrano que se cultiva de manera óptima entre los 3 mil y 3 mil 800 metros sobre el nivel del mar, a temperaturas entre 15 y 25 grados centígrados. Sin embargo, estudios realizados por el Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agra...

February 19, 2012

Native potatoes get a clean start from repatriated in-vitro seedlings

Traditional potato farming practices in the Andes that once provided in situ conservation of the vast diversity of native varieties have been waning over the past decades. Roads now bring in truckloads of rice, pasta and other sources of convenient car...

February 14, 2012

MSU Potato Lab looks to new colorful spuds to boost seed potato industry

A potato that's purple on the outside and yellow on the inside is one of four new varieties coming to Montana to help attract new markets for the state's $40 million seed potato industry, says Nina Zidack, director of the Montana State University Potato Lab.

February 04, 2012

US spud industry eyes a better fry

Researchers hope to find potato varieties that form less acrylamide, a naturally occurring chemical compound, when cooked.

January 27, 2012

Ensayan con éxito papas transgénicas resistentes a virus

La papa es el cuarto cultivo alimenticio más importante en el mundo, con una producción anual de 300 millones de toneladas. En Argentina se producen 2 a 2,5 millones, las que se comercializan principalmente en el mercado interno. Las infecciones viral...

January 26, 2012

Lanzan en Colombia dos variedades de papa resistentes al tizón tardío

Con la v de victoria, presentaron el lunes las nuevas variedades de papas para Antioquia, con la ventaja de que vienen a prueba del tizón tardío o gota, que produce la destrucción o quemazón del follaje y la pudrición seca de la papa.

December 14, 2011

National Fry Processor Trials identify lower acrylamide clones

The first acrylamide test results have become available from the Washington and Idaho National Fry Processor Trials (NFPT).

Potato Variety Management Institute (PVMI)

December 12, 2011

Industry officials in the US tout benefits of colorful spuds

Potato industry officials are touting the health benefits of three colorful new varieties developed by the Tri-State Potato Research and Breeding Program in the US.

November 30, 2011

PVMI board contributes $300,000 to potato breeding program

The PVMI Board has agreed to a $300,000 contribution to the Tri-State University Research and Breeding Program. The money comes from royalties collected this year. Combined with two returns of $100,000 each for the previous two years PVMI has generated...

November 25, 2011

Ecuadorian Firm Inalprocess Cooks a Gourmet Snack for U.S. Market

Martín Acosta isn’t looking to take over the $7 billion U.S. market for potato chips. He’s just aiming for the slice of the U.S. market represented by the “elite group” of snackers who he is sure will be enticed by his chips from Ecuador. “The 5 or 10...

November 17, 2011

Organic potatoes conquer Peruvian supermarkets

The Peruvian farmers cooperative Coopain Cabana recently made a very lucrative deal that benefits the members and the cooperative itself. Their own brand of organic potatoes can now be found on the shelves of the supermarkets of Plaza Vea, one of the...