News on Potato Defects and Diseases from Canada

India’s potato industry needs a stronger seed ecosystem to close its productivity gap. Scientific seed multiplication, digital agronomy and market-aligned varieties can improve yields, reduce risks and build a profitable supply chain.

Global warming is accelerating, threatening potato production through heat, drought, pests, and storage challenges. Climate-smart farming, resilient varieties, and improved irrigation are essential to protect future yields and quality.

Renaissance BioScience has secured Genome BC funding to develop a yeast-based RNAi biopesticide targeting wireworms. The project aims to extend the company's RNAi platform to soil-dwelling pests, offering a potential new tool for potato growers.

Cellar Insights launched the Rotten Potato Data Project, inviting Canadian growers to share historical potato storage spoilage data. The project uses machine learning to improve early warning for rot and storage losses while paying participants.

Global seed potato trade is entering a new biosecurity era as countries tighten phytosanitary rules, expand digital ePhyto certification, and strengthen disease testing, making certified, traceable seed essential for global market access.

The National Potato Council and 13 state potato organizations in the United States have urged the USDA to reinstate a ban on fresh potato imports from Prince Edward Island following a new Potato Wart detection.

Royal HZPC Group continues growing its global seed potato volume above 1.1 million tonnes during the 2025/2026 financial year, despite global potato market pressure, lower prices, weaker demand and declining margins.

Researchers at Michigan State University have developed five new potato varieties designed to strengthen the United States potato chip supply through improved disease resistance, storage performance and processing reliability.

Researchers at Lethbridge Polytechnic, Alberta, Canada, potatoes are testing if short-wave infrared hyperspectral imaging can be used to assess Total GlycoAlkaloid (TGA) levels in potatoes.

The World Potato Congress will host a webinar on Dec 10, 2025, where Dr. Christine Noronha shares research showing how crop rotation reduces wireworm damage in potatoes, highlighting her innovative pest management advances and key field results.

World Potato Congress Inc. (WPC) will host a webinar, 'Biology and Integrated Management of Potato Common Scab,' October 20, 2025. The speaker is Amanda Gevens, PhD, Professor and Extension Plant Pathologist, University of Wisconsin–Madison.

A new webpage by the Michigan Potato Industry Commission offers growers tools to identify and manage late blight, featuring pathogen details, outbreak protocols, fungicide advice and links to monitoring organizations.

Renaissance BioScience Corp. secured an Australian patent on Sept 4, 2025, for its yeast-based RNA platform, targeting the Colorado Potato Beetle with eco-friendly biopesticides. It also eyes animal and human health markets.

P.E.I. launches a buy-back program for potato wart index fields to combat the fungal disease. It aids farmers, protects land, and boosts trade, with over USD 40M spent since 2021 on wart control efforts.

Agriculture is growing in Canada’s North with new collaborations and technologies. AAFC scientist Dr. Julia Wheeler led research on season extension for potatoes and green beans in northern communities. The study focused on soil health, pest management, and improving food security.

The World Potato Congress has presented the upcoming webinar: Implementation of an Early Warning System for Sustainable Preventative Management of Potato Late Blight.

The Potato Leadership, Education, and Advancement Foundation (Potato LEAF) has announced Xiuyan Zhang, a Ph.D. student at the University of Maine, as the recipient of the organization’s 2024-25 Academic Scholarship. 

Después de años fuera de la escena mundial tras la detección de la sarna verrugosa en sus campos, la Isla Principe Eduardo se dispone a reclamar el podio como productora de elite.