Late blight can effect all areas of a potato; leaves, stem and tubers.

Late blight in potatoes detected in Norfolk County

Harvest of potatoes will begin in earnest soon, but vigilance is still necessary

Near the end of August, late blight was detected in one Norfolk county farmer’s potato field within a few Envol plants. The disease is under control as the affected plants were destroyed and the field was sprayed with Ridomil and Bravo. Why it matters: Late blight, caused by the fungus-like pathogen Phytophthora infestnas, is one […] Read more

Valerio Primomo, a vegetable breeder at the Vineland Research & Innovation Centre in Ontario, is the scientist behind Radiance, a short-season sweet potato. Primomo believes the variety will eventually be grown across Canada because it is suitable for most agricultural regions of the country.

New sweet potato variety sees slow uptake

New, shorter season variety expected to displace imports over the long term, but this year’s launch was disappointing for its developer

Glacier FarmMedia – This year was scheduled to be the launch of a new sweet potato variety in Canada. The launch didn’t turn out quite as expected, as only a dozen acres were planted in 2019. The variety, called Radiance, is a short-season sweet potato that matures in 118 to 122 days, making it suitable […] Read more

Potato growers could be among the most affected by the re-evaluation of chlorothalonil.

Fungicide re-evaluation has growers looking for alternatives

PMRA re-evaluation of chlorothalonil will make it more difficult to use

Chlorothalonil, a broad-spectrum multi-site fungicide active ingredient found in horticulture fungicides, has been re-evaluated by the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) for all uses within agriculture and turf. It is part of PMRA protocol to re-evaluate pesticide products every 15 years, or sooner, as science evolves and new information, methodologies and approaches become available to […] Read more

The RiteHeight sensor for sprayer booms has been a success for Greentronics.

Made-in-Ontario technology simplifies crop traceability

The RiteTrace system help to limit paper record-keeping and makes quality assurance easier

Technology developed by an Elmira-based company is breaking new ground in food safety, traceability and crop management for potato growers. RiteTrace is the latest application for the potato industry from Greentronics, which has also developed a boom height control system for potato harvesters that can be used on sprayers, as well as a yield mapping […] Read more

A field of flax with a windmill in the background near Zeewolde, Netherlands. The flax will be sold for fibre to make linen in France.

Protecting the health of the soil resource

Dutch farmers receive outside assistance to maintain a sustainable crop rotation on a small land base

Dutch potato farmer Gert-Jan van Dongen may not own the land he farms on but that isn’t stopping him from being concerned about its future. Van Dongen runs a potato farm near Zeewolde, Netherlands, but doesn’t own the land, instead renting it from the Dutch government. Land rents in the Netherlands average 791 euros per […] Read more