Category Archives: News
Responsible Pest Management—A Continually Evolving Challenge!
Protecting precious crops from hungry insect pests has been one of the greatest challenges to farming since the development of agriculture. Until the introduction of synthetic insecticides in the 20th century, there was little that could be done. For many years, farmers lived in fear…
Combating the Colorado Potato Beetle—The Master of Adaptability
Anyone who has tried to grow their own tasty potatoes has probably run into the ravages of the dreaded ‘potato bug,’ which often devours your potato vines before your tubers even had a chance! This black and yellow striped adult beetle (and its brick red,…
Potato D.C. Fly-In
Each February, potato growers and industry leaders from across the country descend upon the nation’s capital as part of NPC’s Potato D.C. Fly-In. This annual meeting is designed to give participants a chance to better understand and advocate for the industry’s most pressing federal policy…
IPM – Continuously improving the way we manage pests on our potatoes!
Integrated Pest Management – or IPM for short – sounds big and combative, but in reality, it is a basic concept that has become a part of the fabric of agriculture that helps farmers limit pest populations (insects, weeds and diseases) and prevent pests from…
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…
