News on Potato Defects and Diseases from United Kingdom

November 17, 2020

Wildflowers could control aphid-borne viruses in potatoes

Sowing wildflowers into potato crops could reduce aphid-carried viruses and offer an alternative to declining access to insecticides for growers.

January 17, 2020

Gowan acquires late blight, rhizoctonia protection agents from Bayer

Gowan Crop Protection Limited, an affiliate of Gowan Co. LLC., has entered into agreements with Bayer AG to acquire rights to the active ingredients fenamidone and pencycuron.

December 02, 2019

Extreme weather hits potato processors in the UK for the second year in a row

Potato processors in the United Kingdom and their growers express again extreme concern about the potato supply, due to wet weather and potato varieties grown for processing in particular affected.

Four 'resistancy' genes in current commercial potato varieties already defeated by Phytophthora Infestans

July 31, 2019

Four late blight 'resistancy' genes in current commercial potato varieties already defeated by Phytophthora Infestans

Recent research at the James Hutton Institute suggests that limited genetic differences in potato lineages has left British and American spuds vulnerable to late blight, the disease that caused the Irish potato famine.

December 11, 2018

AHDB Potato Specialist Mike Storey to retire

After some 36 years with AHDB and its predecessor organisations, Potato Specialist Mike Storey is going to retire at Christmas. His colleague Adrian Cunnington looks back...

October 18, 2018

Bill Watts joins AHDB as Knowledge Exchange Manager focused on Potatoes

Bill Watts has joined AHDB as Arable Knowledge Exchange Manager (Potatoes) for the West Midlands, South West and Wales.

August 03, 2018

UK potato processing companies say serious issues with potato supply 'extremely likely'

The Potato Processing companies in the United Kingdom have released a statement through the Potato Processors’ Association Ltd (PPA), expressing their concern for the impact of current weather conditions on UK potato processing sector.

June 21, 2018

AHDB secured emergency crop protection authorisations helping out UK potato farmers

AHDB secured nine emergency authorisations for potato, herb, celery, carrot, parsnip, cherry and plum for UK growers to protect their crops.

March 28, 2018

New Late Blight Strain in UK requires Fresh Approach to Control

Late Blight control strategies in the United Kingdom will have to change this season if potato growers are to combat the spread of a new aggressive, fungicide-insensitive/ resistant strain of the disease, leading agronomy firm Hutchinsons says.

March 18, 2018

How reliable are Potato Cyst Nematode (PCN) tests?

Although PCN testing of soil for seed potato cultivation is typically strictly regulated, different procedures are in use for the testing of soil for ware potatoes - and which one is used has huge consequences for the reliability.

AHDB PCN Calculator to be improved with new scenarios and more data on the resistance and tolerance of potato varieties

January 28, 2018

AHDB PCN Calculator to be improved with new scenarios and more data on resistance and tolerance of potato varieties

A research project aims to improve the accuracy of the ‘AHDB Potatoes potato cyst nematode (PCN) pallida calculator’ which is currently used as an educational forecasting tool for potato growers in the United Kingdom.

Ullucu import and cultivation poses biosecurity risk for potato: DEFRA advice

December 18, 2017

Ulluco import and cultivation poses biosecurity risk for potato: DEFRA advice

Following an investigation by the Animal and Plant Health Agency earlier this year, it has been confirmed that ulluco tubers imported into the UK from a number of different sources were infected by harmful viruses, highlighting that there is uncertainty about the disease status of this crop in general.

October 26, 2017

First field trial with GM Maris Piper resistant to late blight went brilliantly

A genetically-modified (GM) Maris Piper designed to resist the devastating plant disease late blight has worked “brilliantly” during the first year of field trials, according to scientists of The Sainsbury Laboratory (TSL)

Potato tuber with extensive blight infection

October 26, 2017

United Kingdom Potato Harvest 2017 without drama - but now the storage...

The potato harvest in the United Kingdom was mostly without drama. Hopefully this doesn't change during the storage season. But watch the changes in the CIPC regulation.

September 03, 2017

Increasing reports of widespread scab as United Kingdom potato harvest progresses

As the potato harvest in the United Kingdom progresses, there are increasing reports of widespread scab.

August 12, 2017

Scottish Potato Industry unites to fund major Blackleg Research project

In Scotland, a group of major potato businesses and public sector organisations have sponsored a £242,000 (USD 313,000) research project aimed at reducing the impact of potato disease blackleg on the Scottish seed potato industry.

August 05, 2017

Potatoes in Practice: Britain’s largest technical potato field event is this week

Potato industry representatives, growers and influencers from all over the UK and beyond are expected to descend on Dundee to take part in Potatoes in Practice 2017, a technical potato field event featuring a high-standard mix of science, technology and practical advice and the largest of its type in the UK.

June 22, 2017

Making a potato variety heat tolerant could be as simple as switching a single gene

Scientists have identified a version of a single gene involved in the heat stress response that is more active in potato types that can tolerate high temperature, potentially providing potato breeders a tool to make potato varieties less vulnerable to increased temperature.

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