News on Research from the Americas

A new USDA-funded consortium will provide nationwide tracking of late blight infections of potato and tomato.  A web site currently under development will allow users to report where late blight has been found, and to sign up for automatic notifications by email or text message when late blight is found nearby.

Given that world potato production is about 320 million tons per year (20 million tons per year in the United States) and world tomato production is about 120 million tons per year (13 million tons per year in the U.S.), late blight is a major problem worldwide even today.

Phil Nolte, University of Idaho Extension professor and seed potato specialist, knows that potato growers face a lot of tough decisions when it comes time to plant

Functional Technologies Corp. (TSX-V: FEB) is pleased to announce that its subsidiary, Phyterra Yeast Inc., has been awarded $2.5 million from the Government of Canada's Atlantic Innovation Fund

Funcional Technologies Corp. (TSX-V: FEB) se complace en anunciar que su filial, Phyterra Yeast Inc. ha sido beneficiada con 2,5 millones de dólares del Fondo de Inversión del Canada (AIF). El proyecto desarrollará y comercializará una tecnología par...

Despite Prince Edward Island's position as Canada's top potato producer, the P.E.I. Potato Board says there needs to be more local research to help the industry.

Higher potato prices would probably be cause for celebration in Idaho this year if growers didn't also expect an increase in production costs. The cost of seed, fertilizer and some chemicals declined a bit last year, but growers won't be so lucky this...

The discolouration that blights cooked potatoes has plagued the potato industry for many years. This phenomenon, known as after-cooking darkening, is one of the most undesirable characteristics and has been reported from every potato-growing area in the world.

La decoloración que arruina las papas cocidas es un problema de la industria de la papa desde hace muchos años. Se produce, como el término lo indica, cuando al cocinar las papas estas quedan expuestas al aire y aparecen zonas de color que van desde el...

This morning, with its partners and several guests from the food and packaging fields in attendance, Polytechnique Montréal inaugurated the NSERC/Saputo/Excel Pac Industrial Research Chair in Materials and films for safe, smart and sustainable (3S) packaging.

Reflecting the company's strong cash flows and commitment to a top-tier dividend payout, the board of directors of ConAgra Foods, Inc., (NYSE: CAG) approved a dividend increase

ConAgra Foods, Inc. (NYSE: CAG) announced today that it has agreed to acquire the assets of American Pie, LLC, based in Woodbury, N.Y. American Pie manufactures frozen fruit pies, thaw and serve pies, fruit cobblers and pie crusts under the licensed Ma...

The Texas A&M University published research that breast cancer cells died after treatments with peach and plum extracts. The researchers identified chlorogenic acid and neochlorogenic acid as the components responsible for killing the cancer cells...

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) today reported record first quarter sales and earnings for the period ended April 30, 2010.Net sales for the first quarter of fiscal year 2011 were $99.1 billion, an increase of 6.0 percent from $93.5 billion in the fi...

ConAgra Foods, Inc. (NYSE: CAG) announced today that it has acquired Elan Nutrition, a privately-held formulator and manufacturer of snack and nutrition bars based in Grand Rapids, Mich. Financial terms of the transaction, which closed today, were not...