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Dr. Joe Guenthner is Professor of Agricultural Economics at the University of Idaho, where he specializes in the economics of the potato industry which includes marketing, price forecasting, and agri-business management. The following audio clips are some perspectives from Guenthner ranging from the current economic crisis and its impact on the potato industry to GM potatoes.
In this first audio clip Guenthner provides an optimistic outlook for the fresh potato industry during the current economic crisis. Click here to listen. Guenthner comments on price movements, the implication of planting decisions and the outlook for the upcoming potato season. Click here to listen.
In this clip Guenthner provides incite into whether potato yields will increase and why. Click here to listen. In this segment, Guenthner discusses technological advances and public acceptance. Click here to listen. Here Guenthner speaks on growth of Cooperative movements around the world in the potato industry. Click here to listen.
Bio: Guenthner is also responsible for applied research and extension educational programs for growers and agri-business clientele. Raised at Antigo, Wisconsin, on a farm that produced potatoes for fresh, processed, and seed potato markets, he has been involved in the potato industry all his life. In addition to his university appointment, he is active as a consultant to the industry, where his clients have included Frito-Lay, Lamb-Weston, Monsanto, the National Potato Council, the US Potato Board, Washington Potato Commission, and several others. He has a BS from the University of Wisconsin, an MS from Montana State University, and a Ph.D. from Washington State University. He has published extensively in academic and trade journals. |
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Chateau Herbicide Registered for 2009
Through a collaborative effort, Valent Canada and Engage Agro have announced the Canadian registration of Chateau Herbicide for use in tree fruit, grapes, potatoes, onions, highbush blueberries, strawberries, and asparagus. Chateau is a low rate pre-emergence herbicide, which gives growers residual control of many broadleaf weeds and enhanced post emergence weed control when tank mixed with glyphosate. Chateau controls annual nightshade species (Eastern black nightshade and hairy nightshade), pigweeds (redroot and green), common ragweed, common lamb's quarters, and dandelion. Chateau also provides suppression of green foxtail.
Chateau contains the active ingredient flumioxazin, a member of the Group 14 protox inhibitor type of herbicides, and offers new management options for resistant weeds Group 2 and 5. Flumioxazin works by inhibiting production of an enzyme important in the synthesis of chlorophyll. "Its rapid soil and water dissipation," says Regina Rieckenberg, Valent Canada Sales and Marketing Manager, "along with a low use rate, results in a low carryover potential to rotational crops." Additionally, Chateau will not leach or volatilize, which allows it to stay where it is intended to be used. "By using flumioxazin in a program with other herbicides," says Rieckenberg, "the grower helps to preserve the effectiveness of other herbicides and decreases or delays development of weed resistance. For more information, click here. |
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Scientists Consider Potato Starch Applications
Scientists with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada are working on a project to further examine the structure and functional properties of potato starch, improve the nutritional quality of potato foods, and develop new uses for modified potato starch in food processing, pharmaceutical, and industrial applications. AAFC's research team is led by Qiang Liu, a Food Scientist at the Guelph Food Research Centre in Ontario. "Our team is examining many aspects and uses of potato," says Liu. "We are working directly with our potato breeders in Fredericton and Lethbridge to produce new potatoes with desirable starch structure and increase the content of 'resistant starch' and 'slowly digestible starches' in the processed potato foods. From here we hope to formulate a value-added potato starch with improved nutritional properties. It will benefit both consumers and the food processing industry," explained Liu. For more information, click here. |
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Irish Work to Create Resistant Variety
A genetically modified variety of potato may have to be produced in Irish laboratories because of the growing threat from blight. The fungal disease, which wiped out potato crops in the mid-19th century, is posing a renewed menace after a more aggressive strain arrived several years ago. This has prompted experts to intensify work, including using GM technology, to find a blight-resistant variety. Ewen Mullins, a Research Officer with Teagasc, the Irish agriculture and food development authority, said the risk of blight has become more serious in the past two years. Currently, potato farmers have to spray their crops up to 12 times a year; however, Mullins and his colleagues hope to create a variety that will only need to be sprayed four times a year. The research is being done in association with Queen's University in Belfast. For more information, click here. |
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Canadian Network to Focus on Potato Research
The newly formed BioPotato Network is receiving $5.3 million in funding from the federal government to support research that will help develop new markets for potato farmers. The network will focus on five areas:
- value-added uses for the potato
- health and pharmaceutical products
- dietary properties
- potato-based plastics
- insect control
Funding for the three-year project is being provided through Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's Agricultural Bioproducts Innovation Program. "We have been dedicated to getting the best out of potatoes since we developed and released our first potato variety in 1951," says Jacques Millette, Research Manager at the Potato Research Centre in Fredericton. "We are excited to be part of this collaborative effort to broaden this exploration into so many different areas and with potential benefits for so many people."
The BioPotato Network will bring together 12 organizations and 32 scientists including AAFC's Potato Research Centres in Fredericton, Guelph, and Lethbridge, BioAtlantech, P.E.I. Food Technology Centre, McMaster University, the University of Guelph, Dalhousie University, the University of Toronto, the University of Prince Edward Island, the University of New Brunswick, Holland College, the Potato Innovation Network Pin2020 and the National Research Council's Institute for Nutrisciences and Health. For more information, click here.
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ISU Researches Tuber Formation
In a study by David Hannapel, Professor of Horticulture at Iowa State University, the mechanism on how potatoes develop tubers was recently discovered. "We've always known that there was a signal activated in the leaf that was sent down the plant to activate tuber formation," said Hannapel. "But the identity of that signal has never been confirmed." Results of his recent study show that a sunlight activated signal RNA molecule makes the Bel5 protein that moves from the leaves to the tubers and communicates to the plant to activate the pathway that leads to tuber formation. The Bel5 serves as the master switch that activates other genes for tuber formation underground.
Experiments are underway to fully understand and characterize the proteins that recognize mobile RNAs and the facilitation of their movements, as well as the specific controls associated with the gene. Guru Rao, Professor and Chair of the Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, stressed that the system can potentially be used to enhance crop productivity in potatoes. For more information, click here.
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