Lynas moves from GM foe to friend

When Mark Lynas took the stage here Jan. 23 as keynote speaker at the 2013 edition of Manitoba Potato Production Days, he knew he was likely a strange and exotic creature to his audience. The British environmentalist and author has been involved in the environmental movement since the mid-1990s and for many years he was

Is soil fumigation worth it in Manitoba potato crops?

Should Manitoba potato growers be following the example of their counterparts south of the border and begin incorporating soil fumigation with Vapam into their management practices? Mario Tenuta, a soil scientist with the University of Manitoba, has been looking into the question, but says drawing conclusions would be premature. “We’re really just starting to get


Row cropping potatoes may be headed over the hill

While potato growers in other regions have seen bed planting come into fashion over the past few years, it’s very early days here in Manitoba. In fact there’s just one operation in the province using the system, the Berry family, at their Glenboro-area Over and Under the Hill Farms. Chad Berry says this is the

Time to put your potatoes to bed

Those long, arrow-straight rows of carefully hilled potato plants are one of the key features of any potato production region — but in a few years they might be a thing of the past, says a soil scientist from USDA. David Tarkalson, a member of the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service based in Kimberly, Idaho, thinks

New fungicide for potatoes

Engage Agro has received registration for its fungicide Phostrol for use on potatoes and other horticultural crops, the latest Manitoba Potato News says. Phostrol is an extremely systemic and highly unique phosphite fungicide that has both a direct and indirect effect on harmful oomycete diseases on a broad range of crops. Phostrol is labelled for


Bayer CropScience launches new liquid potato seed-piece treatment in Canada

guelph, ont. / Bayer CropScience is introducing Titan Emesto, a complete liquid insecticide and fungicide potato seed-piece treatment for protection against major insects and diseases. Titan Emesto features a new coloured formulation to ensure growers can uniformly and safely apply it to potato seed-pieces to maximize pest control and yield potential. “The product provides excellent

Early-dying complex costs growers but control isn’t easy

It’s a catch-22 for the potato industry on the Northern Plains. The soil harbours verticillium inoculum, which is responsible for the yield-robbing early-dying complex. But one of the most susceptible varieties is Russet Burbank, a dominant variety in the region. “There are resistant varieties, but none of them seem to have gotten much of a

Water management — drainage is expensive, but so is flooding

Panellists at last winter’s Potato Production Days discussed
options for handling the excess rain of recent years

Any farmer will tell you that flooding is a major hassle and cost to any farm when it happens — but just how big that bill can be has always been a bit of a guess. A recent report by BMO Economics (Bank of Montreal) put a figure on it though, says Dr. Ranjan Sri