News on Research from Northern America

Understanding the physiology of seed potato aging and how it affects crop growth and yield can be vital to the industry. Such knowledge will allow growers to adopt management practices that control the aging process and optimize tuber set and size.

Preventing activity of a key enzyme in potatoes could help boost potato quality by putting an end to cold-induced sweetening, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists.

The process for preparing frozen, par-fried potato strips — distributed to some food outlets for making french fries — can influence the formation of acrylamide in the fries that people eat, a new study has found. Published in ACS’ Journal of Agricult...

USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) announced it has restored half of the FY 2012 potato research funding it originally cut as a way to meet its obligated savings requirements.

The Alliance for Potato Research and Education (APRE) today announced that it will receive additional funding from the United States Potato Board (USPB) to support nutrition science research and education on the white potato in all forms.

As the annual potato harvest begins, Wisconsin farmers continue to check their fields for late blight, the ferocious plant disease that caused the 1848 Irish potato famine and fueled massive emigration from Ireland.

The U.S. Potato Board has agreed to quadruple its annual contribution to a year-old organization charged with defending the french fry. Effective this crop year, USPB will increase its investment in the Alliance for Potato Research and Education (APRE...

The federal government is providing $109,000 for the University of Idaho to study an emerging plant disease the school says “poses a substantial threat to the state’s potato industry.” The money will be used to monitor potato fields for the presence o...

Canadian Potato producers received a boost from the federal Government, as Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz and Member of Parliament Mike Allen (Tobique–Mactaquac) attended the Centennial celebrations at the Potato Research Centre in Fredericton, NB.

While other potato growers use preventative insecticide applications to protect their crops from a new disease to the Pacific Northwest, called zebra chip, Fred Brossy can only wait and see if it hits him.

The University of Idaho extension today announced that the potato psyllids found last month in Idaho tentatively tested positive for Liberibacter, Zebra Chip disease.

Barcodes may bring to mind the sales tags and scanners found in supermarkets and other stores. But U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists are using 'DNA barcodes'to monitor insects that damage crops as diverse as wheat, barley and potatoes, and to make pest management decisions.

You say potato. I say Colorado. When First Lady Michelle Obama and a passel of schoolchildren recently planted vegetables in the White House kitchen garden, three of five potato varieties plunked into the soil were developed by Colorado State University.

A Florida potato grower and its labor contractor have been accused of labor trafficking and taking advantage of drug-addicted workers

Andrew Robinson is New Extension Potato Agronomist - The Extension Potato Agronomist position vacated by Nick David in January 2011 has been filled!  Idaho native Andrew "Andy"Robinson has been hired.  He has a Masters Degree in Agronomy and...

The PEI Potato Quality Institute (PQI) has expanded their facility in the West Royalty Industrial Park to offer local potato farmers more efficient disease testing, thanks to investments made by the federal and provincial governments and industry partners.

The U.S. Potato Board’s annual meeting March 15 started off on with some good news from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Bob Keeney, deputy administrator of fruit and vegetable programs for the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service gave the board, ...

Asunta (Susie) Thompson is the winner of the 2012 NPPGA Meritorious Service Award. It was presented to her at NPPGA's annual banquet. This comes on the heals of winning a Meritorious Service Award from the National Potato Council in January. Dr. Thom...