Summaries of stories appearing in this issue.

November 2006

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World Potato Leaders Gather in Boise

International and domestic poato industry executives, researchers and growers from around the world met Aug. 20-26 in Boise for the Sixth World Potato Congress. A separate farm show at Wilder, Idaho, was also associated with the event.

H. Lloyd Palmer, Charlottetown, Canada, president and CEO of World Potato Congress, Inc., officially welcome a packed audience in the Boise Convention Center.

Among those making appearances during the meetings were J.R. Simplot, the founder of J.R. Simplot Co.; Ron Offutt, founder and CEO of R.D. Offutt Company; Tim O'Conner and Randy Hardy of the U.S. Potato Board; John Keeling and Jim Wysocki of the National Potato Council; Tom Ford, chairman of the Board of Trustees of the National Potato Foundation; Mark Ricks, lieutenant governor, State of Idaho; Patrick Takasugi, director of the Idaho State Department fo Agriculture, and a long list of other distinguished state, community and potato industry leaders.

Scientiest Review Potato Tuber Moth Research

"Integrated Pest Management for the Potato Tuber Moth," a potato pest of global proportions, was the subject of a full day of scientific presenations and discussions at the 6th World Potato Congress, he;d Aug. 21 at the Boise Convention Center in Boise, Idaho.

Participating in the presenations were a select group of experts on PTM control from around the world. The PTM symposium was organized by resarchers at the USDA-ARS-Yakima Agricultural Research Laboratory in Wapato, Wash., and The International Potato Center (CIP) in Lima, Peru.

Purpose of the symposium was explained by Jurgen Kroschel, PTM expert with the International Potato Center in Lima, Peru. Lawrence Lacy of the USDA-ARS laboratory, Wapato, Wash., gave the welcoming address, delivered an overview presenation on microbial control of PTM and chaired multiple sessions.

Blazer Russet Potato Wins Top Reviews

By Marcia Wood

Versatile and delicious, Blzer Russet potato is one of the newest graduates of the potato-breeding program of university and Agricultural Research Service scientists int he Pacific and Intermountain West. This potato is well-suited for fresh-market sale or for potato processors to make into frozen potato products.

The oblong, medium-to-large Blzer Russet tubers each average about 7 to 8 ounces. They have the characteristic light netting, called russetting, on their brown-to-tan skin, with firm, cream-white or white flesh inside.

Four Brothers Dedicated to Delivering High Quality Seed

Using meristem selections from Montana State University, Dan, David, Pat and Time Lake have put together a certified seed potato operation in Ronan, Mont., that is first class in every respect.

"We generate the tissue cultured plantlet numbers of each variety we grow, using our on farm tissue culture facility to meet the needs or our seed increase program," explains Dan. "The small plantlets then go to the greenhouse where they are grown out for one season. This is our nuclear corp. We put a lot of effort into keeping this nuclear crop disease free. The greenhouses really help here because the environment can be controlled and monitored closely. The next year the seed goes to the field as Generation 1. The following year it is planted back as Generation II, grown out and then planted again as Generation III. The production from Generation III is them marketed to commercial growers."

Compost and Tea Applications Proving Beneficial for Foundation Seed Operation

Believing that healthy soil also boosts the health and vigor of their certifed seed potatoes, Bill and Scott Kimm are applying compost and biological teas to their field and are witnessing amazing results.

Operating under the name of Kimm Seed Potatoes, Manhattan, Mont., the growers have worked out a reciprocal arrangement with a nearby 700-cow dairy. The dairy sources most of its alfalfa hay needs and bedding materical from the Kimm farm. In return, the Kimms compost the manure which is put in rows on an eight-acre site on the dairy farm. This compost is used to enrich the soil prior to the upcoming potato crop.

The composting process takes approximately three and one-half months to complete, Bill explains. Once cured and ready to go, the material is hauled to the farm in gravel trucks and spread with a tandem spreader.

'One of the Best Production Seasons Ever'

With about a dozen varieties of certified seed potatoes under production each year, John Venhuizen, Manhattan, Mont., reports "one of the best crops and growing seasons ever."

The weather was great, the crops went in on time, there was adequate water available and a high quality crop was placed in storage well before the freezing weather arrived, he reports.

John and his sons, Eric, Nick and Tim, grow seed potatoes under the name of Venhuizen Seed Potatoes. John also partners with his brother, Dale, in antoher 150 acres of seed. Altogether, he involved in growing about 600 acres of certified seed potatoes each year, the mainstream varieties are Umatilla and Russet Burbank.

Colorado Certified Seed Program Adds to Its Popular Offerings

Rio Grande Russet continues to be one of the more popular new selections out of the Colorado Potato Breeding Program, according to David Holm, a Professor of Horticulture at Colorado State University's San Luis Valley Research Center in Center, Colo.

A total of 1860.9 acres of Rio Grande Russet seed was certifed this year and is available to interested commercial potato growers.

Canela Russet and Rio Colorado
Two other varieties in the process of being named, Canela Russet and Rio Colorado, also are drawing interest, Holm reports.

United Seed District Is Making a Difference

With 1,600 acres of certified seed potatoes and 10 different varieties, Bruce Arnold of Bruce Arnold Farms, Tetonia, Idaho, is a major player in the Teton Seed Marketing Associations and is firmly behind United Potato Growers of Idaho (UPGI) and its seed district.

In addition to Russet Burbank and Ranger Russet, he grows and markets six lines of Norkotah certified seed: standard Norkotah and Morkotah 112, 223, 278, 8 and 3. The seed grower also is experimenting with A93151-6LS, a new low sugar clone believed to have potential for the fry market.


New Heights Reached in U.S. Potato Exports

Exports of U.S. potatoes and potato products reached and all-time high in the 2005/2006 marketing year, totaling 1,049,147 metric tons, or 52,762,181 hundredweight (fresh weight equivalent), with a value fo $833 million. This is the third straight year for increased potato exports.

Several factors contributed to the increase, including continued depreciation of the U.S. dollar versus the currencies of major competitors—Canada and the E.U. Additionally, economic expansion in most target markets in Asia and Latin America ushered in opportunity for US potato exports. Over the past several years, market development work of the US Potato Boards (USPB), in conjunction with processors and shippers, helped position U.S. potatoes for this type of growth. Additionally, the market access work of the National Potato Council and the USPC, in coordiation with the American Potato Trade Alliance and state potato organizations, opened borders closed to US exports in the past.