Tuber Talk

Potato early dying complex is aptly named, with many factors contributing to this complicated disease of potato crops. In this episode of Tuber Talk, editorial director Stefanie Croley chats with Dr. Mario Tenuta, professor of applied soil ecology at the University of Manitoba, and the principal investigator of the Canadian Potato Early Dying Network, or CanPEDNet, working alongside several other research and industry collaborators.

Resources:

• Dr. Mario Tenuta and Dr. Dmytro Yevtushenko give an update on CanPEDNet at the 2021 Virtual Canadian Potato Summit
• CanPEDNet program objectives and collaborators

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The music used in this episode is Vital Signs from Purple Planet Music.

Disease-suppressive crops work in multiple ways: by not being a crop host to the disease, by actively lowering pathogen levels, and by boosting soil health so the overall growing environment is more resilient to disease. Robert Larkin, USDA-ARS research plant pathologist, joins us to discuss the different ways crops can lower disease pressure, what farmers in Maine are doing, and all about soil health more broadly.

For the full show notes, including Larkin’s full crop rotation studies, please visit potatoesincanada.com/podcasts.

The music used in this episode is Vital Signs from Purple Planet Music.

For the past two years, Colby Robertson investigated the impact of soil treatments on southern Alberta fields with high pathogen levels for Verticillium and root-lesion nematode. These two pathogens are involved in potato early dying complex (PED) - a disease that can shave 15 to 30 per cent off a field’s yield potential. Robertson briefly explains the research, shares takeaways for potato growers, and talks about his own journey working with potatoes from his hometown of Carberry, Man. to where he is today in Alberta.

Editor’s note: Throughout the podcast, Colby does not use the market names of products but refers to them by active ingredients. Feel free to reach out to Colby directly or visit the show notes for more information about the research itself.

You can find Colby Robertson on Twitter and send him potato jokes at @TuberAwesome. For the full show notes, please visit potatoesincanada.com/podcasts.

The music used in this episode is Vital Signs from Purple Planet Music.

Peter Vander Zaag is an international potato research scientist who has worked in 60 countries, but his roots start in Alliston, Ont. on his family’s multi-generational potato farm. In this episode, Vander Zaag shares what he’s learned through his international experiences, explains his current work, and looks ahead to the future of the potato industry.

You can find Peter Vander Zaag on Twitter at @PVanderZaag. For the full show notes, please visit potatoesincanada.com/podcasts.

 The music used in this episode is Vital Signs from Purple Planet Music.

This episode focuses on the practices in Prince Edward Island, one of Canada's largest potato producing provinces. Ryan Barrett, research coordinator with the P.E.I. Potato Board, shares what crops P.E.I. producers are adding to the rotation to boost soil health. Barrett discusses what they’ve seen with mustards, buckwheat, sorghum sudangrass, Pearl millet, on top of sharing his experiences working on the Island.

 You can find Ryan Barrett on Twitter at @rbarrettPEI. For the full show notes, please visit potatoesincanada.com/podcasts.

The music used in this episode is Vital Signs from Purple Planet Music.

Agronomists have the privilege of visiting many fields in a season and seeing the bigger picture. Sebastian Margarit, director of agronomy for NutriAg, and Kelly Nesic, field research specialist with NutriAg, share their experiences working with potato growers over the years. They discuss coping with COVID-19, the biggest concerns during each growing stage, producer trends, and share differences between Atlantic Canada and Ontario.

You can find Kelly on Twitter at @kelly_nesic and Sebastian at @Nutriag_Sebasti. For the full show notes, please visit potatoesincanada.com/podcasts.

The music used in this episode is Vital Signs from Purple Planet Music.

Several factors impact potato emergence. For example, whether seed is cut or planted whole, seed quality, the temperature of the soil, the physiological maturity of the seed, even the calibration of your machinery, can all have an impact on a crop’s success. Steven Johnson, crops specialist and extension professor from the University of Maine, shares some tips and reminders for growers.

Support for this show is provided by @NutriAg. For the full show notes, please visit potatoesincanada.com/podcasts.

The music used in this episode is Vital Signs from Purple Planet Music.

Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) has wrapped up, or is expecting to wrap up in 2020, several pesticide re-evaluation decisions for commonly used products in the Canadian potato industry such as Group M fungicides and neonicotinoids. We chat with Tracy Shinners-Carnelley, vice president of research and quality at Peak of the Market, on what this means for potato growers. Shinners-Carnelley shares a quick update, what to keep in mind for the future, and speaks about the responsibility of the industry as a whole. 

You can find Tracy Shinners-Carnelley on Twitter at @TracySCarnelley and Darin Gibson at @GaiaResearchMB. Support for this show is provided by @NutriAg. For the full show notes, please visit potatoesincanada.com/podcasts. 

The music used in this episode is Vital Signs from Purple Planet Music.

During the season, looking at tissue data of potatoes gives a grower a scorecard of how their crop is doing. However, classical methods for interpreting tissue samples and “critical values” are out of date. Sebastian Margarit, director of agronomy for NutriAg, talks about some misconceptions about nutrient use efficiency in potatoes and asks growers to consider the interdependency of nutrients and how they affect one another. Margarit shares his field trials, experience with potato growers, and talks about trusting your own observations.

You can find Sebastian on Twitter at @Nutriag_Sebasti.

The music used in this episode is Vital Signs from Purple Planet Music.

In Tuber Talk’s inaugural episode, host Stephanie Gordon caught up with Neil Gudmestad at Manitoba Potato Production Days - his last event as an academic. Gudmestad has devoted 43 years of his life to potato disease research and was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from the World Potato Congress for his contributions to the global potato industry. He retired earlier this year and reflects on his career highlights and hopes for the potato industry in this episode. 

You can find Neil Gudmestad on Twitter at @NeilGud.

The music used in this episode is Vital Signs from Purple Planet Music.