Nora Olsen unearths potato mysteries

Because of the research she does on many different issues important to the potato industry, University of Idaho potato specialist Nora Olsen is a rising star.

Her work on a new inhibitor that prevents potatoes from sprouting while in storage is the latest example of why.

Using previous research done by Washington State University researchers, Olsen and her UI colleagues have extensively tested the sprout inhibitor, which is created using a chemical that naturally occurs in potatoes, and brought it to the point where it is commercially viable.

"It turned out to be a fairly effective sprout inhibitor,"said Olsen, who has been with the university almost 13 years. "We have a lot of applied information on how to use it and ... I think it's going to be nicely integrated into the industry."