Potato Review

52 POTATO REVIEW SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2022 INTERNATIONAL NEWS 180 varieties at eld day GROWERS and suppliers in Texas recently saw 180 potato varieties on display at an annual field day. The annual Texas A&M Potato Breeding Program Field Day was hosted by Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Barrett Potato Farms at Springlake Potato Sales and a field between Littlefield and Springlake. The state’s growing season began with strong winds, and the crop experienced mild hail in the middle of the growing season but most Texas- released varieties and advanced selections are tolerant to heat stress, having been selected under high- temperature growing conditions, according to the joint organisers. Funding hits all-time high FUNDING for potato breeding research in the US has hit the highest level in history, according to the National Potato Council (NPC). The Senate Appropriations Committee released its version of the fiscal year 2023 Agriculture Appropriations Bill, detailed 4 million dollars for a potato breeding research program, which is administered by the National Institutes of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). The bill for agriculture, rural development, food and drug administration, and related agencies’ programmes, provides 27.2 billion dollars, an 8% increase. It also includes language that would prevent the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) from limiting potato access to the school breakfast program, funding from USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and waiver provisions that make the Specialty Crop Research Initiative more accessible for public institutions. Last year NIFA awarded four potato research grants as part of its Special Research Grants program. The institute states that it supports potato research that focuses on the development and testing of superior commercial potato varieties, using classical breeding and advanced molecular and biotechnological approaches. Smashed Potatoes double as entertainment MARTHA Stewart’s newly-opened Vegas restaurant features a potato dish that is smashed tableside. In addition to a replica of her “Martha-rita” and “Martha-tini” cocktails, and Oysters Rockefeller, The TV personality’s first restaurant serves a potato dish that is hand-smashed tableside. Award-winning crop specialist retires - but keeps spreading the knowledge A RETIRED potato crop specialist, who formerly worked with the US’s University of Maine Co-Operative Extension, is sharing his expertise globally, which includes helping the Australia seed industry this winter. Steve Johnson, who was based in Aroostook in the US, spent 34 years advising growers when to plant, how to treat diseases and pests, how to properly store crops and introduced technology to growers before he retired in June. His work has earned him awards from the National Safety Council, Potato Association of America and Maine Potato Board, among others. In 2000 he became an Extension professor and, in recognition of his career, UMaine named him Extension professor and crops specialist emeritus. He harvested 33 consecutive crops of research potatoes, and pioneered an “electronic potato” that became the industry standard for calibrating harvesters to reduce bruising the crop in the field. His expertise has been shared in the US, Australia, Guatemala and Macedonia. This winter he will return to Australia to work with the seed industry there, and is planning projects to help people learn more about the science of agriculture. Sustainable supplier happy with conditions A FRESH market grower, packer and shipper that devotes its acreage to sustainable farming in the US, said weather conditions were ‘nearly ideal’ for its first harvest. Yellow potato harvest got underway at Alsum Farms in Arena, Wisconsin, in the US, with the first potato loads being washed, graded and packed for fresh market delivery to distribution centres and retail grocers the first full week of August. President & CEO of Alsum Farms & Produce in Friesland, Larry Alsum, said: “We are having nearly ideal weather for the first harvest of yellow potatoes this summer.” Red potato harvest followed, with shipments starting on August 8th and the russet potato harvest beginning on August 18th with the Russet Caribou and Goldrush varieties. Alsum Farms utilises the Healthy Grown Program’s regenerative agriculture approach to farming that works to strengthen ecosystems and community resilience. The 50 acres have been dedicated to prairie restoration and pollinator habitat to cultivate a sustainably-grown food supply. Good prices driven by market demand GROWERS in Bangladesh are pleased with this year’s potato prices, which have been prompted by rising market demand. While some farmers say yields were low this year, most argue the opposite, claiming output has been the same as in previous years. Cultivation costs were higher this year but prices have been good owing to an increased demand for potatoes in local markets which growers say has been prompted by higher prices of other vegetables. Even though many potatoes remained unsold last year, none are left over this time. This year, potato has been cultivated on 98,458 hectares of land in five districts of Rangpur division, namely Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, Nilphamari, Gaibandha and Rangpur. The average annual demand of potato in the country is about 60-70 lakh tonnes, DAE data showed.