The April/May 2018 edition of Potatoes Australia magazine is now available online, and it’s packed with research and development updates and industry news.

As the industry continues to respond to the incursion of tomato potato psyllid (TPP) in Western Australia and prepares for its potential spread to the eastern states, we’ve covered a range of TPP-related research and recent activities. These articles include an extensive update from National TPP Coordinator Alan Nankivell about national TPP surveillance efforts, news on knowledge-sharing efforts with the New Zealand industry and a past project that developed a contingency plan for its arrival.

On top of this, there’s the usual great spread of other R&D news, including tactics to avoid economic losses from common scab, a look back at the levy-funded war waged against Tasmanian weeds twenty years ago, and biosecurity analysis.

As always, we’ve also caught up with growers and industry members around the country about their experiences and perspectives on our industry. This edition, we profile Scott Rockliff, a sixth-generation potato grower in northern Tasmania (pictured above), and find out how embracing technology has helped him add a new dimension to his business. We also talk to Victorian agronomist Ruaan Du Plessis about his time and work in the industry.

Click here to read the latest edition of Potatoes Australia, or go to the publications section of our website to browse through back copies.

This post appeared in the AUSVEG Weekly Update published 24 April 2018. Subscribe to the Update using our online form to receive the latest industry news in your inbox every week!