b'The InnovativeCanadian Potato IndustryPOTATO GROWERS AND INDUSTRY FROM ACROSS CANADA JOINED TOGETHER VIRTUALLY FOR THE TWO-DAY CANADIAN SPUD CONGRESS.BY: ASHLEY ROBINSONT he Canadian potato industry is an innovative group and onMANAGING NEMATODES AND DISEASE THROUGH March 22 and 23 they gathered from coast-to-coast onlineGOOD TOOLS AND MANAGEMENTto learn and share ideas at the Canadian Spud Congress. When it comes to disease and nematode management in pota-The virtual conference saw two days of jam-packed pro- toes, its a lot to sort through. But at the end of the day, theres gramming with sessions covering a range of topics from trueno one-size-fit all approach to management.potato seeds to market updates and minimal tillage potato farm- Here are some tips and tricks to help growers out:ing. European Seed was on hand for all the fun and is sharingFirst off you need to know your field, regional problems, a few tidbits. and soil.Create a plan with a goal of what you want to target and RISING PRODUCTION COSTS MAKE FORmanage.UNCERTAIN POTATO MARKET Crop protection is another option for nematode and dis-With production costs on the rise and the ongoing Russianease management. Veluma tool developed by Bayer invasion of Ukraine, uncertainty looms for the potato industry.Crop Scienceis one tool all three panelists said adds During the Potato Markets Overview session Cedric Porter,value to a field.editor of World Potato Markets, and Kevin MacIsaac, general manager of the United Potato Growers of Canada, shared theirTRUE POTATO SEEDS COULD FEED THE WORLDinsights. While the future of true potato seeds is still in the distance, Porter had already been suspecting potato acres in Europeexperts say they could have major implications for the future. In would be down this year, but the Russian invasion of Ukraine hasa special Congress themed episode of Seed Speaks, Helen Tai, a added to the worries growers are facing. He says while contractresearch scientist with Agriculture and Agri Food Canada, and prices for spuds are higher this year, they arent high enough toCharles Miller, commercial director of Solynta, discussed true make planting potatoes attractive over other crops. potato seeds and their future in the potato world.MacIsaac estimates Canadian potato production costs haveTrue potato seeds could impact global food production for risen by 20 to 30 per cent this year. He expects Canadian pro- the better. Twenty-five grams of true potato seed can replace cessing potato acreage to increase though to fulfill demand,two and a half tons of seed tubers, which are needed to plant while chip and fresh acreage will be stable. one hectare of potatoes, according to Miller. That could reduce transportation and storagereducing the carbon footprint on THE BENEFITS OF MINIMUM TILLAGE the planet. During the A Sustainable Future for Potato Production dis- Scaling up of new potato varieties can also happen faster. cussion at the 2022 Canadian Spud Congress, three CanadianMiller says they can go from one seed on the pre commercial potato growers discussed how theyve reduced tillage in theirlevel all the way to pre commercial launch volumes in 18 months, potato operations. All had been experimenting with thiscompared to the traditional market which can take years.approach for a while finding their own ways and adaptations, depending on local conditions and soil.All said an important reason for moving towards minimum tillage was to increase the organic matter in their soilsthis helps both the soil and increases carbon sequestration. TheFor full stories and video recordings of the Congress sessions check growers also said they switched to minimal tillage to reduceout spudsmart.com/category/canadian-spud-congress/ soil erosion. True potato seed in a vial. Photo: Solynta40IEUROPEAN SEEDIEUROPEAN-SEED.COM'