It’s always interesting to look at food trend predictions, which come around every year telling us how and what we’re going to be eating in the next year. It’s fun to look back, too, to see which predictions have stuck. I remember when I was a kid being pretty keen on the idea of those…
Here is the latest update from the PMTV team at PNZ. Potato mop-top virus update 14 December 2018
By Heather Chalmers The continued presence of soil and seed-borne diseases in potato crops can be partly mitigated by sowing crops in paddocks with good soil structure, Plant and Food Research work shows. Previous potato yield gap work from 2012-15 identified that soil- borne disease and soil physical quality were two major yield limiting factors. …
By Heather Chalmers Providing tools to assist the potato industry to manage and control Tomato Potato Psyllid is the focus of several research projects being undertaken by Plant & Food Research. Plant & Food science group leader, annual crops group, Dr Gail Timmerman-Vaughan said it was five years into a six year MBIE-funded programme with three research aims. Firstly,…
By Gemma Carroll, Communications & Engagement Officer Potatoes New Zealand The 2018 Biosecurity Forum held in Auckland, was an opportunity for Biosecurity New Zealand to celebrate it’s successes and to present the Biosecurity Implementation Plan 2025. The plan speaks of transforming “the way we do biosecurity” under increasing pressure and acknowledges that things need to change. There are five…
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…