By Gemma Carroll, Communications & Engagement Potatoes New Zealand Spring and Summer in New Zealand represent all of the best things about our country. Camping, picnics, BBQs, socializing and always great food. It’s the time of year where our sweetest produce is abundant: new potatoes are as popular as strawberries and with as much nostalgia and tradition surrounding them. It…
“November means new potatoes”, as the catchy slogan goes, and that means lovely potato salad in all its guises. Traditional potato salad – dressing-heavy, gluggy, rich – leaves me a bit cold (pardon the pun). Those old-school potato salads – while they have their own appeal – to me don’t really celebrate the flavour, texture…
Our annual signature event, to launch the new season goodness, from our growers around the country. 2018 saw a festive gathering of foodies, writers, buyers and growers. The highlight being the blind tasting of potato varieties. Good-natured competition goes down well and these photos capture the revelry perfectly. Pictures from Shona Dey Photography.
By Gemma Carroll Information sourced from Dr Calum Wilson’s article in Potatoes Australia, with his permission. A four year research programme at the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, has resulted in a greater understanding of the Spongospora root disease known commonly as Powdery Scab. Powdery scab is prevalent in New Zealand soil and is known to reduce potato crop yields. The study across the…
Improving soil and water management may assist in lifting potato yields, Plant and Food Research trials show. Growers are achieving yields of about 50 tonnes a hectare in the field, compared with a potential yield of 80 to 90 tonne/ha. A Plant and Food Research project tested three possible reasons for this in terms of soil and water management, according…
By Gemma Carroll, Communications & Engagement Officer Throughout the start of Spring, PNZ has been heavily involved with MPI Biosecurity, in response to PMTV being found in several Canterbury farms. The virus was first detected at a processing plant in Canterbury in mid-September and the wheels were set in motion to engage, under the Government…
Two reports were released recently which should have sent us all into an urgent, we-have-to-do-something-now panic. The first was a warning from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which says we’ve got ten years in which global leaders will have to make unprecedented action in order to stop the planet’s average temperature from rising…
By Heather Chalmers for PNZ A test which allows growers to assess soil nitrate levels in the field in a matter of minutes can help to reduce the risk of nitrogen over application and leaching. Plant and Food scientist Matthew Norris said the technology, which has been available overseas for several years, was “rapid, cheap…
By Heather Chalmers Operators of potato harvesters are being urged to leave nothing to chance when it comes to worker safety. This follows two fatalities in the last two years involving potato harvesters. A third fatality occurred during kumara harvesting. In response, Potatoes NZ held six health and safety workshops in August attended by more…
PotatoesNZ are pleased to announce that the Pest & Disease Handbook has been updated. Visit the Biosecurity section of the website to read more.
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