News on Research from the United States

The World Food Championships announced today that the United States Potato Board (USPB) has officially signed on as a partner for the 2014 competition, which will be held in Downtown Las Vegas, November 12-18.

Officials with the Maine Potato Board said Monday that weeks of heat and sunshine in July have done wonders for this year’s potato growing season.

Did you know one medium potato provides 6% of the recommended daily value of iron?

A decline in overall potato consumption has Texas A&M AgriLife Research breeders working on “designer” potatoes that meet the time constraints and unique tastes of a younger generation.

A potato disease known as Late blight is threatening some Wisconsin potato fields, but growers are well aware and making strides to prevent it from spreading.

The National Potato Council (NPC) and the United States Potato Board (USPB) are accepting applications for the Potato Industry Leadership Institute (PILI) class of 2015. The annual eight-day program, held Feb. 19-26, 2015, is designed to identify, develop, and cultivate new leaders within the U.S. potato industry.

Chris Voigt, executive director of the Washington State Potato Commission, Moses Lake, is the focal point of a Republican primary election controversy involving the race between Clint Didier and his opponent Dan Newhouse.

Today’s consumers desire to understand the health and nutritional benefits of the produce they buy. That’s why the Produce Traceability Initiative (PTI), an industry-wide effort aimed at creating a quick and efficient traceability process by electronically tracking produce from the farm fields to supermarket shelves, is vital.

As part of the second and final public environmental assessment comment period for the J.R. Simplot Company's petition to deregulate its biotech Innate™ 1.0 potatoes, the National Potato Council submitted comments to the Federal Register noting that the technology 'could effectively address key production and processing issues facing the potato industry.'

In this USDA research on soybean crops, researchers find a link between minimum winter temperature and pesticide use.

The Washington State Potato Commission (WSPC) has elected its new Executive Committee. Nelson Cox was named chair of the commission

President Obama signed into law revisions to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules that ease compliance for farms across Maine.

Riverland potato producer Justin Della Zoppa has been named the 2014 Rabobank Potatoes South Australia Industry Award winner.

A University of Florida scientist has pinpointed Mexico as the origin of the pathogen that caused the 1840s Irish Potato Famine, a finding that may help researchers solve the $6 billion-a-year disease that continues to evolve and torment potato and tomato growers around the world.

Hairy nightshade and potato tuberworm (or potato tuber moth) are two economically important inhibitors to potato production. Two of the latest ‘Focus on Potato’ webcasts focus on these economically important potato pests.

In response to member feedback and as part of its new strategic plan implementation, the Produce Marketing Association (PMA) unveiled its redesigned website http://www.pma.com on Tuesday, May 27.

Today, the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee approved a bipartisan agreement, authored by Senators Susan Collins (R-Me) and Mark Pryor (D-AR), that would allow families using the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program to purchase all fresh, healthy vegetables, including the white potato, which has been excluded from the program.

'Nacho Usual Breakfast' is the creative and catchy title of the Grand Prize winning recipe in the US Potato Board's Guilt-Free Potato Goodness consumer recipe contest, selected by 'Hungry Girl' Lisa Lillien.