News on Research from Europe

The last potatoes were planted at the end of April at PotatoEurope’s demo site and until the end of May the participation demands continued to come in. With less than three weeks to go, time for an update!

Scientists discover wild potatoes key for stronger spuds.

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.

ILVO, HOGENT and TRIAS in Belgium are hosting a Peruvian delegation to the Food Pilot (ILVO, Melle, Belgium) to get the production of so-called “tuntas” (freeze dried potatoes) in a small cooperative factory in the Andes.

Scientists are creating a “super potato”, fortified with iron and zinc, in a bid to tackle malnutrition in developing countries.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) announced on 23 June 2019 that Qu Dongyu has been elected its new Director-General.

Recently, drones have been given what might just be their most important ever role: being deployed to protect Scottish potatoes.

This year Avebe is celebrating its hundredth anniversary! That means looking back, but also ahead.

If there’s one thing potato plants don’t like, it’s heat. If the temperature is too high, potato plants form significantly lower numbers of tubers or sometimes none at all. Biochemists at FAU have now discovered the reason why.

EuroBlight is continuously examining the ongoing evolution of the European population of the potato late blight pathogen and now reports on the 2018 results. Approximately 1000 samples were genotyped from 22 countries.

Last Friday, potato cooperative Agrico celebrated the official opening of its new quality centre. The centre was built last year behind the company's head office in Emmeloord.

From February 6 to 8, the FRUIT LOGISTICA will take over Messe Berlin. And though the focus of this trade show is primarily the Fresh Fruit industry, the potato sector and its suppliers are well represented too.

Hybrid Potato Breeding company Solynta announced today that it has appointed Charles Miller as its Commercial Director.

El curso es organizado por el Instituto de Divulgación de Biotecnología Vegetal (IPBO). Va dirigido a estudiantes, investigadores y profesionales del sector público e privado, que estén involucrados en programas locales de mejoramiento de cultivos (papa)

Scientists at The James Hutton Institute say discovery could help breed new colourful and improved potato varieties

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...

During the annual potato variety show at Agrico the topic of discussion was not limited to unique varieties on display. The impact of the excessive heat and drought this season on the seed potato market was also a hot topic.

As part of the potato variety presentations in the Netherlands later this week, Agrico highlights its late blight resistant varieties in a Ukraine themed show.