News on Research from Northern America

A partnership between Idaho State University and Boise State University has been awarded an Idaho Global Entrepreneurial Mission (IGEM) grant to research the application of the Humigator in potato storage.

Steve Gangwish of Watertown, South Dakota and Dan Moss of Declo, Idaho were appointed to the Potatoes USA Executive Committee on March 16, 2017

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.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) annually releases 10-15 potato selections. To show these to the Canadian industry, AAFC will hold a Potato Release Open House on February 15, 2017, simultaneously in Fredericton, NB; Guelph, ON; and Lethbridge, AB.

In the search for a third rotation crop for potatoes, trials at the Aroostook Research Farm in Presque Isle are showing some promise for field peas, a crop that once had a successful run in the region until the 1970s.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) today announced the availability of $1.85 million in funding for regional potato breeding research to support the development of superior-performing varieties that can be brought to market as soon as possible.

Earlier this month Amazon introduced its new grocery store concept Amazon Go. Amazon Go is a new kind of store with no checkout required.

In September, McDonald's approved two relatively new potato varieties for the production of their french Fries. They only allow seven varieties now, four of which were developed by the Tri-State Program

Un grupo de investigadores han descubierto a través de restos de almidones las pruebas botánicas que muestran cómo fue la evolución del cultivo de la patata en los Andes en la época precolombina, según un estudio publicado en el número de esta semana de la revista PNAS.

Scientists at Cornell University have developed an electric capacitance measurement that is able to predict the root mass of shrubs and trees. What's more, they hint it may helpful for tubers and root crops as well

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

Scientists have found evidence that humans can pick up a sixth taste associated with carbohydrate-rich foods. The findings might explain why we love such starchy foods so much.

Big data was something McCain Foods discovered by chance. 'What happened really was we have some research projects and those projects appeared to be in the realm of big data,' says Leclerc, who will be speaking at the Big Data Congress in Saint John, New Brunswick next month.

The Governments of Canada and Manitoba have invested more than $210,000 in a new vegetable research site near Winkler, focused on improving yields, developing new varieties and creating opportunities for potato, sweet potato and carrot growers.

During the Potatoes USA Summer Meeting held in Seattle August 10, it was announced that the Alliance for Potato Research and Education (APRE) has been restructured in an effort to minimize overhead costs and expand research on potato nutrition.

Earlier this year, Lamb Weston's opened its new Innovation Center in Richland, with co-creation spaces, fully functioning kitchens and a pilot line. The interior was designed by Lamb Westons design agency, Williams Murray Hamm brand agency (WMH), also responsible for Lamb Weston's new global branding

The Prince Edward Island Potato Board, Cavendish Farms, and the PEI Department of Agriculture and Fisheries have announced the creation of the 'Enhanced Agronomy Initiative'.

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.