News on Research from Oceania

The South Australian Potato Industry has received funding of $100,000 to enable a project to add value to potatoes which are graded-out due to size or shape and do not meet supermarket specifications.

Potatoes New Zealand Inc. has won funding from the Ministry of Primary Industries for a major research project aimed at improving crop yield, more specifically, the impact of crop rotations on soil borne diseases and soil quality.

During a quarantine survey on Norfolk Island, a small island between New Zealand and Australia, both the tomato-potato psyllid (Bactericera cockerelli) as well as the zebra chip causing bacterium Ca. Liberibacter solanacearum (Lso) have been detected.

In South Australia, McCain has sold its former potato processing factory at Penola to a meat processor, to the dismay of some local growers.

The first wave of results from the Australian industry-funded Potato Tracker project have been released, shedding encouraging new light on purchase triggers and consumption habits relating to fresh potatoes.

AUSVEG CEO Mr Richard Mulcahy has welcomed this afternoon’s announcement by the Federal Agriculture Minister, The Hon. Barnaby Joyce MP, of the composition of the Board that will head up the new research and development body for horticulture.

Predicta Pt, the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) soil testing service for the potato industry, has received the John Deere Productivity Partner Award at the 2014 AUSVEG Awards for Excellence in June.

Potatoes South Australia Incorporated, the peak industry body for the potato industry value chain, has been awarded funding of AU$409,800 (excl GST) through the Federal Department of Agriculture’s National Landcare Innovation Grants for a two year project which will help develop a more reliable soil Phosphorus test.

New research has been funded through the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, to help the potato industry reduce issues caused by an insect intruder – the tomato-potato psyllid.

A simple mesh cover could be the answer to halting New Zealand's most devastating tomato and potato pests, the tomato potato psyllid.

Research conducted by the Bio-Protection Research Centre at Lincoln University, using the southern ladybird as a biological control agent, has shown the predator to be voracious and effective at reducing tomato-potato psyllid (TPP) numbers.

Leading industry researchers will team-up with local Victorian agronomists at a Field Day event next month, to help raise awareness amongst potato growers and processors about key research and development (R&D) activities currently being undertaken...

Members of the Australian potato industry have shown strong support for the AUSVEG Potato Industry Extension Program over its first 12 months, with research and development (R&D) workshops held as part of the program proving a hit with both potato ...

Western Australian seed potato growers will today participate in a Field Walk event at the Vasse Research Station, located in the south west agricultural region of WA, to hear about current research into potato pests, diseases and viruses, and to take ...

Potatoes and other reportedly high-GI foods might not be the dietary villains that recent publicity, books and health-based programmes would claim them to be, a new University of Otago study suggests.

Potatoes New Zealand says the potato industry is struggling to deal with the tomato/potato psyllid, which spreads the damaging bacterium Liberibacter, and wants more help from the Government.

McCain Foods Australia will close its vegetable processing plant in Smithton (Tasmania) after completion of the coming processing season.Staff involved was informed earlier today. McCain Foods Managing Director Australia/New Zealand Steven Yung: "...

McCain Foods today announced the opening of a new cold-store facility built at a cost of NZ $6 million dollars in Hastings, New Zealand. The 1800 square metre cold store, which was designed to McCain Foods global standards, has the capacity to store u...