News on Potato Varieties and Seed from Idaho

The Northwest Potato Research Consortium recently approved a combined $1.5 million in grant funding to 37 research projects.

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.

University of Idaho has hired a new director for its nuclear seed potato program and plans to build additional facilities to help her expand production.

Do you know the Top 6 potato varieties grown in the United States? We created an overview based on the USDA data for the 2016 fall potato crop.

The Food and Drug Administration has completed its food and feed safety assessment of the J.R. Simplot Company’s second generation of Innate® potatoes. Simplot will still need to complete its registration with the Environmental Protection Agency for these potatoes before introducing them for sale in the U.S. marketplace.

The J.R. Simplot Company is pleased that the USDA has deregulated the Russet Burbank variety of the second generation of Innate™ potatoes. Simplot is looking forward to the completion of the EPA registration and FDA consultation before the second generation of Innate™ potatoes can be introduced into the marketplace.

The new season’s fingerling potato crop looks outstanding for Heyburn, Idaho’s Southwind Farms. The company reports excellent quality, consistent sizing, and good yields.

The blog FrankenFoodFacts recently published a review of the Innate potato of Simplot Plant Sciences. This blog by Layla Katiraee, who holds a Ph.D. in molecular genetics and is a senior scientist at a biotech company, offers the most insightful review of the Innate Potato PotatoPro has seen so far.

The first line of J.R. Simplot Co.'s genetically modified potatoes has been cleared by the Food and Drug Administration as safe for human consumption. The voluntary FDA safety review found that the potatoes are as safe and nutritious as conventional potatoes.

If the Innate GMO potato is going to take off, depends on Simplot winning over three major factions, Farmers, big buyers such as McDonald's and the Consumer

A potato genetically engineered to reduce the amounts of a potentially harmful ingredient in French fries and potato chips has been approved for commercial planting, the Department of Agriculture announced on Friday.

Joseph Pavek bred the popular potato variety Ranger Russet and developed much of the germplasm still used by breeders today, though he retired in 1999.

Scientists with the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service potato genetics program in Aberdeen, Idaho, were granted special permission to return to work during the US government shutdown, potentially preventing the loss of unique breeding material.

For decades, the Idaho Potato Commission has primarily promoted russet Burbank potatoes. In fact, when anyone says "potato,"everyone immediately thinks Idaho."And, the IPC works tirelessly to ensure that all consumers -- including FS professionals -- unde...