In the November 2012 Common’Tater
CETS Uses Cutting-Edge Technology to Produce Early Generation, Clean Seed Potatoes
AstroTubers™ have the lowest pathogen level of any comparable seed potato and can be multiplied at a much faster rate
Ask any potato grower what the most important aspect of his operation is, and the answer you’ll get is: “It all starts with the seed.”
High quality, disease-free seed potatoes are a critically important component of all viable potato operations. Worldwide, a major emphasis is currently being placed on seed production systems that limit or reduce the number of field multiplications or generations originally derived from disease-free tissue culture plantlets. Numerous field tests and replicated research studies have confirmed the value of limiting the number of field multiplications. A Wisconsin-based company, CETS (Controlled Environment Technology Systems) LLC, is able to produce disease-free minitubers from tissue culture plantlets, known as AstroTubers ™, which are a type of seed potato used in the earliest generation of potato production. For the full story, see the November 2012 Annual Seed Issue of The Badger Common’Tater.
Ray Bula of CETS, LLC is pictured with a phytotron containing disease-free seed potato plants.
Wisconsin Develops Chip Varieties:
Evaluations of chipping potatoes at the Storage Research Facility
By Mary LeMere
Manager, Storage Research Facility, Hancock Agricultural Research Station
Development of chipping and other variety types is essential to meeting the specific needs of potato market end users. Approximately half of the research at the Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Storage Research Facility is related to variety development. Storage evaluations of chipping varieties scrutinize processing color, glucose and sucrose trends, timing of senescent sweeting and susceptibility to pressure bruise. Tubers stored here range from the very early stages in the variety development process all the way to bulk storage production quantities. For more details, check out the November edition of The Badger Common’Tater.
Potato chips from Nicolet (top) and Lamoka (bottom) varieties loaded into bulk bins at the Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Storage Research Facility in October.
Wisconsin Grocers Association Innovation
26th Annual Spud Bowl
September 29, 2012
Community Stadium at Goerke Park, Stevens Point, WI
The WPVGA and the UW-Stevens Point football program are proud to partner with local farmers and vegetable growers for the event that annually highlights the benefits of locally grown, sustainable and healthy potatoes.
In conjunction with the Spud Bowl game, the WPVGA partnered with the UWSP School of Health Promotion and Human Development and the CPS Café to work collaboratively on the development of potato recipes and the promotion of local agriculture during “Spud Week,” the week leading up to the Spud Bowl game. During the week of September 24-29, the CPS Café developed and served five new recipes featuring Wisconsin potatoes; free samples of each newly developed recipe were served to at least 100 people each day of the week. A small farmer’s market was set up at the entrance to the CPS Café one day and “Spud Week” was promoted to all UWSP faculty, staff and students (over 10,000 people). All recipes were then shared in family size servings with the WPVGA. On game day, the first 1,000 fans through the gates received a free baked potato courtesy of Bushmans’ Inc., the 2012 Spud Bowl potato sponsor. At halftime, five recipients of the Spud Bowl scholarship were recognized. For complete coverage of the 26th Annual Spud Bowl, get the November 2012 issue of The Badger Common’Tater.
Kim Beckham (left), Director – Chef Instructor at CPS Café in the UW-Stevens Pont School of Health Promotion and Development, helped coordinate “Spud Week” at UWSP the week leading up to the Spud Bowl. She is pictured with one of her students, Alex Dassow, a Senior Dietetics major from Sheboygan. They are pictured by the banner promoting Spud Week (Best Spuds With Benefits!).
Spud Bowl committee member Dale Bowe serves a baked potato to a very excited UW-La Crosse fan. 1,000 baked potatoes were given away free at this year’s Spud Bowl.
