Yearly Archives: 2015
More on the Potato Virus Y Story – Beware of What You Import!
In our last blog post on the New Family Farm, Natalie Hernandez explained that there are many different aphid species that can pose a major threat to seed potato farmers as carriers of Potato virus Y (PVY) – a serious concern for seed producers. In…
Combating the Aerial Threat in Seed Potatoes – Potato Virus Y
Potato virus Y (PVY) is a serious threat to the seed potato industry—it is a widespread disease with many different host plants that is spread to potatoes by aphids. Since seed tubers must be virtually virus-free and pass multiple tests in order to meet the…
Potato Viruses: The Silent Enemy of Seed Potato Production
It’s July in northeast Wisconsin. The air is fresh, the birds are chirping, and the potato fields on the isolated seed potato farm in Langlade County are a healthy green. This is a highly-specialized farm where precious disease-free tubers from the state’s elite seed farm…
Fighting the rotten potato – Is the answer hiding in its ancestors?
It’s dinner time, and you open your cabinet to reach for the sack of potatoes. As you begin to imagine the smooth and creamy texture of your famous mashed potatoes, you realize your hand has landed in a pool of slimy rotten goo with a…
Student Blog Series – What makes a potato beautiful?
Today’s potatoes suffer from lowered self-esteem due to constant bombardment from the media’s perception of the “ideal potato.” This phenomenon first emerged in 1952 with the debut of Mr. Potato Head. Here was the plastic representation of what a potato was supposed to look like…
What makes a great potato? – The science of breeding for the future
Go to your supermarket these days and you will see an emerging trend in the fruit and vegetable section – an increasing array of varieties on display that are specifically designed to meet consumer demands. Apples lead the way with dozens of different varieties…
Vegetable Crop Update #22
Vegetable Crop Update #22 Read full update.
Investing in the Future: Potato Research in Wisconsin Pays Big Dividends
For any progressive business, it is common knowledge that investment in research and development will increase its efficiency or broaden its portfolio. This principal applies to agriculture as well and nowhere is this better exemplified than by Wisconsin’s potato growers. These hardworking growers are known…
