News on Potato Defects and Diseases from the United States

April 23, 2017

Variety screening reveals potatoes with resistance to zebrachip disease

The Texas A&M AgriLife Research plant pathology team intentionally infected potato plants with psyllids positive with the bacterium that causes zebra chip disease, in order to identify promising germplasm in the battle against the disease plaguing the US potato industry for the past 15 years.

Efforts to eradicate damaging nematodes in infected Idaho potato fields progressing

April 22, 2017

Efforts to eradicate damaging nematodes in 27 infected Idaho potato fields progressing well

Progress is being made eradicating the microscopic potato cyst nematodes that have been threatening Idaho’s $900 million potato industry the last decade, according to the latest update by USDA-APHIS.

April 17, 2017

US Potato Growers offer Trump suggestions to improve NAFTA

The National Potato Council (NPC) has sent a letter to President Trump with suggestions how the NAFTA agreement can be improved to benefit the potato trade.

April 11, 2017

New Webcast helps Potato Growers avoid devastating Powdery Scab Outbreaks

Powdery scab is a potato disease that is difficult to manage and under certain environmental conditions powdery scab can be potentially devastating to susceptible potato varieties.

April 02, 2017

Neonicotinoid insecticides losing efficiency in potato psyllid control

The potato industry may be losing a mainstay in the battle against psyllids, according to a recent Texas A&M AgriLife Research study.

March 20, 2017

US government approved 3 more Simplot GMO potato types for cultivation and sale

The US federal government has given the final OK to three more types of potatoes genetically engineered by Boise’s J.R. Simplot Co. to resist Phytophthora - the pathogen that caused the Irish potato famine.

February 07, 2017

Potato growers in Maine apply soil fumigation in a trial of McCain Foods

French Fry manufacturer McCain Foods has started trials examining soil fumigation with several of its potato growers in Maine (United States) and New Brunswick (Canada).

January 04, 2017

Study Provides Evidence on Movement of Potato Famine Pathogen

North Carolina State University research delves into the movement and evolution of the pathogen that caused the Irish potato famine in the 1840's - Phytophthora infestans -, which set down roots in the United States before attacking Europe

December 06, 2016

Potato White Mold: how it spreads and how it can be managed

The Plant Management Network (PMN) has released a new presentation entitled 'Epidemiology and Management of Potato White Mold' to help growers, consultants and extension agents understand how white mold persists and spreads

October 26, 2016

USDA clears Calyxt potato modified to withstand bruising

A new potato variety that’s genetically modified to withstand bruising has been cleared for commercialization without undergoing USDA’s deregulatory process for biotech crops.

October 20, 2016

Cornell University receives state grant to upgrade Golden Nematode Lab

Cornell University receives $1.2 million of new state funding to upgrade the Federal Golden Nematode Lab

August 17, 2016

National Potato Council Awards Academic Scholarship for Potato Research to Justin Clements

Justin Clements, a fifth year doctoral student in the Molecular and Environmental Toxicology Center working in the Department of Entomology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is the recipient of the 2016-2017 NPC Academic Scholarship.

August 11, 2016

Potato Psyllid Alert for North Dakota

Potato psyllids have been reported in specific fields in western and central North Dakota. At this point populations are not widespread.

August 01, 2016

Harvest, psyllids & new varieties the hot topics at Texas potato field day

Participants at the 25th annual Texas Potato Breeding and Variety Development Program field day learned that the harvest is underway, that psyllids are threatening unharvested fields and that new varieties are showing lots of promise.

July 27, 2016

Weather Continues to Devastate Potato Crops in Northeast North Dakota

The heart of "Potato Country" in northeast North Dakota was devastated by baseball size hail that lasted up to 35 minutes last Tuesday night.

July 17, 2016

Dickeya Blackleg: New Potato Disease Causing Major Impact

Dickeya blackleg, often just called Dickeya, is a new disease in the United States. It was severe in 2015 at least partly reflecting hotter weather than previous 2 years when the pathogen likely was present and is developing again in 2016.

July 13, 2016

New Potato Virus Y strains very difficult to detect with the naked eye

Several newly evolved strains of the disease known as potato virus Y, or PVY, can render potatoes unmarketable and reduce crop yield. What’s worse is the new viruses are particularly difficult to detect with the naked eye.

July 02, 2016

Colorado Potato Beetles are munching on in the Red River Valley

According to the University of Minnesota Extension 'Spudbug' Newsletter, it is shaping up to be a Colorado Potato Beetle (CPB) year in the Red River Valley.