4 October 2021
Reading Time: 5 minutesThe ability to accurately monitor the timing, abundance and movement of airborne agricultural pests and pathogens is limited and fragmented across the Australian landscape. iMapPESTS is […]
4 October 2021
Reading Time: 2 minutesAs potato growing expenses increase, it is important to maximise the efficiency of applied fertiliser and reduce potential tie-ups. One way to do this is to […]
4 October 2021
Reading Time: 2 minutesLandpower Vegetable Centre has added the Asa-Lift range of vegetable harvesters to its Australian and New Zealand stable following acquisition from GRIMME. The acquisition consolidates its […]
4 October 2021
Reading Time: 3 minutesFollowing a study on groundwater salinity, an investigation into soil crop health has been undertaken in Tasmania with early trials delivering promising results. Serve-Ag Technical Agronomist […]
4 October 2021
Reading Time: 4 minutesHelping growers achieve positive results through crop protection requires considerable investment in scientific research and development. But for Syngenta the measure of success is as much […]
14 September 2021
Reading Time: 3 minutesIn October 2017, a project was launched with the aim in enabling the vegetable, potato and processing tomato industries to take a proactive and strategic approach […]
7 September 2021
Reading Time: < 1 minuteThis presentation by Dr Paul Horne outlines the elements of integrated pest management (IPM) in any crop, but particularly in potatoes. The most important biological, cultural and […]
16 August 2021
Reading Time: < 1 minuteOver two days, the RM Consulting Group’s Potato R&D Forum brought together a diverse range of leaders in potato research and development (R&D) to discuss some of the latest […]
3 August 2021
Reading Time: < 1 minutePotatoLink is the new extension and communication project for the Australian potato industry led by Applied Horticultural Research (AHR) with funding through Hort Innovation using potato […]
27 July 2021
Reading Time: < 1 minuteAre you curious about soil amendment options to help increase potato production in saline environments? Watch this webinar discussion, which covers a range of topics including […]
20 July 2021
Reading Time: < 1 minuteThe Potato Pest and Disease R&D Coordination project and the Soil Wealth and ICP project, together with McCain and Nutrien, delivered an informative session on biological […]
6 July 2021
Reading Time: 3 minutesAustralians love their chips, and whether we are referring to French Fries or Crisps the good news is that most of these products are Australian grown […]
5 July 2021
Reading Time: 4 minutesWhile the African Black Beetle (ABB) is not the most significant pest to the Australian potato industry, it can still cause extensive damage to potato crops. […]
5 July 2021
Reading Time: 3 minutesVictorian potato grower Xavier Toohey has been presented with the Corteva Agriscience Young Grower of the Year award at the Hort Connections 2021 National Awards for […]
25 May 2021
Reading Time: 3 minutesFollowing a 10-month hiatus due to COVID-19, AUSVEG’s Alan Nankivell has resumed his role as the National Tomato- Potato Psyllid Coordinator. In this column, Alan reports […]
24 May 2021
Reading Time: < 1 minuteHort Innovation has been consulting with industry on its investment priorities so that each industry Strategic Investment Plan (SIP) can be refreshed for 2022-2026. The draft […]
24 May 2021
Reading Time: 5 minutesSince late 2019, a project has been investigating the causes behind internal fruit rot in capsicums, as well as developing management techniques for growers to prevent […]
6 April 2021
Reading Time: < 1 minuteStrip-tillage combines the best of no-till and conventional tillage in the one operation. Steve Peterson is a fourth generation farmer in the United States and a […]
30 March 2021
Reading Time: 2 minutesThe potato industry’s leading magazine Potatoes Australia has returned and will be reaching mailboxes this week. The 40-page Autumn 2021 edition features the latest in Australian […]
25 March 2021
Reading Time: 6 minutesA three-year project focusing on powdery scab and its pathogen has recently been completed in New Zealand. In this article, Professor Richard Falloon from the New […]
25 March 2021
Reading Time: 3 minutesPREDICTA Pt is a DNA-based soil testing service that allows growers to assess the level of soil-borne pathogens in a paddock prior to planting. In this […]
25 March 2021
Reading Time: 3 minutesLike many industries, 2020 brought a year of demand uncertainty for the potato processing industry with food service deeply affected in several states of Australia. Although […]
24 March 2021
Reading Time: 5 minutesPink rot is a soil-borne disease caused by the pathogen Phytopthora erythroseptica. A factsheet – produced by RM Consulting Group – provides information on the pathogen, […]
24 March 2021
Reading Time: 3 minutesAustralian potato grower-exporters have demonstrated strong resilience in their businesses and supply chains to continue to export during 2020 and their hard work is reflected in […]
24 March 2021
Reading Time: 3 minutesEarlier this month, Plant Health Australia (PHA) in partnership with AUSVEG, released the National Potato Industry Biosecurity Surveillance Strategy (NPIBSS) and its associated Implementation Plan. The […]
24 March 2021
Reading Time: 5 minutesPotato grower Kerri-Ann Lamb from Killarney, Queensland, was awarded a Nuffield Scholarship with support from Hort Innovation through the fresh potato research and development levy. Through […]
24 March 2021
Reading Time: 4 minutesA cross-industry horticulture project that has the potential to reduce quarantine testing lag times is underway. Faster quarantine testing will provide several benefits for plant industries […]
24 March 2021
Reading Time: 5 minutesIn 2017, Hort Innovation commissioned SARDI to develop protocols for large-scale testing of potato leave, tuber and stem samples for area-wide surveillance of Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum […]
24 March 2021
Reading Time: 3 minutesBlackleg is the major cause of potato seed downgrading and rejections in northern Europe. So, what is the issue for Australia? Some species described overseas cause […]
24 March 2021
Reading Time: 2 minutesBarbara Hall, 2019 AUSVEG SA Researcher of the Year Senior Research Scientist, Department of Primary Industries and Regions research division, South Australian Research and Development Institute […]
2 March 2021
Reading Time: < 1 minutePotato cultivars can have very different water requirements, and knowing how to best manage water for a particular variety can have large yield benefits for growers. […]
23 February 2021
Reading Time: < 1 minuteSerpentine leafminer is a harmful new pest that has arrived in the country and has established itself in some vegetable growing regions in New South Wales […]
16 February 2021
Reading Time: < 1 minuteHort Innovation has launched the latest Horticulture Statistics Handbook – offering the most comprehensive and contemporary data available on all sectors of the Australian horticulture industry in […]
15 February 2021
Reading Time: < 1 minuteRelated ProjectsSoil wealth and integrated crop protection – phase 2This project has been funded by Hort Innovation, using the research and development levies listed below and […]
19 January 2021
Reading Time: < 1 minuteThe latest in bed planting technology has arrived in Australia, enabling certified potato seed growers to produce a more uniform crop while conserving water and increasing […]
10 November 2020
Reading Time: < 1 minuteWhat are the key pests affecting potato production in other countries and what R&D is occurring to better manage them? This scan of international pest and […]
22 September 2020
Reading Time: < 1 minuteTo ensure future sustainability and growth for Australia’s potato industry, it’s critical that producers continue to innovate to find responsive, modern and creative ways to meet […]
15 September 2020
Reading Time: < 1 minuteInternal rot of capsicums and chillies is a major issue for Australian growers. The Hort Innovation-funded project, Internal fruit rot of capsicum (VG17012) is focused on identifying the organism(s) […]
8 September 2020
Reading Time: 3 minutesPink rot, caused by Phytopthora erythroseptica, is a disease of increasing importance to the potato industry, particularly in key potato production regions of Tasmania, and to […]
11 August 2020
Reading Time: < 1 minuteTomato spotted wilt virus and capsicum chlorosis virus belong to a group known as ‘tospoviruses’, which cause significant crop damage in the largest capsicum production areas […]
4 August 2020
Reading Time: < 1 minutePowdery scab is an economically important disease of potato crops in Australia and New Zealand, and around the world. This is because the lesions on tubers […]
21 July 2020
Reading Time: < 1 minuteIn August 2019, all states and territories commenced a three-year national tomato-potato psyllid (TPP) surveillance program, designed for the early detection of and preparedness for TPP should […]
30 June 2020
Reading Time: < 1 minuteAs growers battle the increasingly problematic issue of salinity on-farm, a four-part winter webinar series is now available, which outlines key information and resources to help manage salinity […]
16 June 2020
Reading Time: 3 minutesLimiting the impact of soilborne disease on tuber quality should be front of mind for potato growers, with researchers estimating yield losses could be up to […]
9 June 2020
Reading Time: < 1 minuteThe Western Australia Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD), Biological Services, and AUSVEG have developed a collaborative industry webinar series focusing on tomato potato psyllid […]
12 May 2020
Reading Time: < 1 minuteAs Agriculture Director at McCain Foods Australia/New Zealand, John Jackson has witnessed the destruction of the tomato potato psyllid (TPP) and the bacterium it vectors – Candidatus Liberibacter […]
12 May 2020
Reading Time: < 1 minuteAgronico is sowing the seeds of success for the future of Australia’s broader vegetable industry, having renewed its Strategic Partnership with AUSVEG. As Tasmania’s leading seed […]
28 April 2020
Reading Time: < 1 minuteWhen Matthew Gay started farming with his father in 1980, the best place to find out what was happening in the industry was over a quiet beer […]
28 April 2020
Reading Time: < 1 minuteA research team at the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture (TIA) is embarking on a new project aimed at improving the fundamental understanding of the recalcitrant soil-borne […]
20 February 2020
Reading Time: 2 minutesAUSVEG National Tomato-Potato Psyllid Coordinator Alan Nankivell discusses the outcomes of a workshop between Plant Health Committee members and industry stakeholders to develop a risk mitigation […]
18 February 2020
Reading Time: < 1 minuteFollowing ongoing collaborative work between AUSVEG and Plant Health Committee (PHC), a new communique has been released on the movement of processing and ware potatoes in the event of […]
4 February 2020
Reading Time: < 1 minuteInternal rot of capsicums and chillies is a major ongoing issue for Australian growers, typically those in warm, humid growing areas. It affects both field and […]
15 January 2020
Reading Time: < 1 minuteApplied Horticultural Research (AHR) is leading a new Hort Innovation-funded project aimed at developing effective control measures for internal rot of capsicums. The disease affects seeds […]
16 December 2019
Reading Time: < 1 minuteThe Soil Wealth/Integrated Crop Protection team has set up a new demonstration site at Cowra to demonstrate the benefits of new tools to improve water use […]
2 December 2019
Reading Time: < 1 minuteSeed Potatoes Victoria and Sebright Adventures are hosting the second study tour to growing regions in New Zealand from 10-14 February 2020. This will provide an […]
26 November 2019
Reading Time: 2 minutesThe potato industry has met with biosecurity regulators from New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria, to map out a process and agree to draft […]
6 November 2019
Reading Time: < 1 minuteThe World Potato Congress (WPC) is hosting a webinar via Zoom with Mr. Kris Michiels on the topic of “Illustration of Regional Potato Promotion: Flanders (Belgium)”. […]
24 September 2019
Reading Time: < 1 minuteAUSVEG and Plant Health Australia invite potato growers to have their say on a framework being developed for monitoring pest and diseases that are currently not […]
24 September 2019
Reading Time: < 1 minuteAn average price increase mainly driven by major supermarkets (Coles, Woolworths and Aldi) resulted in a positive growth in capsicum dollar sales (+8.5 per cent) over […]
20 August 2019
Reading Time: < 1 minuteFor Hort Innovation members that pay a statutory or voluntary industry levy, completing an Annual Levy Return form is the way to secure voting rights for the company’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), which this year is being held on Friday 22 November 2019.
6 August 2019
Reading Time: < 1 minutePCN is a significant biosecurity threat to the potato industry that can increase production costs through crop losses, additional compliance costs and lost market access. To […]
6 August 2019
Reading Time: 2 minutesFormer University of Adelaide students Millie Shinkfield and Sophie Riley chose to focus on value-added potato projects during their Honours studies. These included dips, buns and […]
23 July 2019
Reading Time: < 1 minuteThe European Potato Conference Study Tour – 2019 provides five members of the potato industry with the opportunity to attend Potato Europe 2019, the outdoor exhibition […]
30 July 2019
Reading Time: 2 minutesLatest update from the AUSVEG National TPP Coordinator
16 July 2019
Reading Time: < 1 minuteGrowing Matters is an exciting new way to access information from levy-funded projects, research teams and your fellow growers – and you can listen whenever, wherever for […]
9 July 2019
Reading Time: < 1 minuteAs part of MT16018 Tomato potato psyllid (TPP) National Program Coordinator, a draft National Management Plan has been developed. The Plan is a work in progress […]
1 July 2019
Reading Time: 2 minutesThe Potato Industry Research and Development Forum gave industry members a chance to hear the latest research updates and have their pest and disease questions answered.
7 June 2019
Reading Time: < 1 minuteA long and successful career as an entomologist for IPM Technologies has led Jessica Page all around the world, from Europe to south-east Asia and New Zealand, to work on Integrated Pest Management practices.
3 June 2019
Reading Time: < 1 minuteThe Forum will focus on managing pest and disease within the potato industry, and will take place in conjunction with Hort Connections 2019.
27 May 2019
Reading Time: 4 minutesFrom 2001-04, a project was undertaken to determine the drivers behind the epidemics of tomato spotted wilt virus in potato crops.
17 May 2019
Reading Time: 2 minutesA recent project has looked at the ecology, epidemiology and control of Spongospora Infection of Potato Roots, specifically focusing on the root infection phase.
10 May 2019
Reading Time: 4 minutesThe detection of an exotic bacterium that causes potato blackleg disease in Western Australia in 2017 prompted a review of world literature and recommendations to the Australian potato industry.
29 April 2019
Reading Time: < 1 minuteA number of workshops will be held in early May to help Western Australian growers learn about biosecurity, pests and diseases.
29 April 2019
Reading Time: < 1 minuteAs President of Western Australia’s peak body for potato growers and a grower in his own right, Vaughan Carter has endured three of the industry’s toughest challenges in recent years. We profiled Vaughan in the April/May edition of Potatoes Australia.
17 April 2019
Reading Time: < 1 minuteRenee Pye is a 24-year-old grower from Zerella Fresh in South Australia. We profiled her in the April/May 2019 edition of Potatoes Australia magazine.
12 April 2019
Reading Time: 2 minutesThe new edition of Potatoes Australia showcases some of the latest in research and development and how growers are becoming involved in industry activities.
4 April 2019
Reading Time: 2 minutesStudies at Wageningen University and Research in the Netherlands has shown that measuring nitrogen uptake in potato crops using canopy reflection could help growers adjust the amount of fertiliser used.
28 March 2019
Reading Time: < 1 minuteBrittney Caruana is a PhD Candidate at La Trobe University in Bundoora, Victoria. We profiled her for Potatoes Australia magazine in mid-2018.
25 March 2019
Reading Time: 2 minutesOnce developed, this strategy will facilitate a coordinated and collaborative approach for biosecurity surveillance in Australian potato production.
18 March 2019
Reading Time: < 1 minuteBen Walter is a 25-year-old field technician from Thomas Foods in Virginia, South Australia. Learn about his work and career in this profile.
11 March 2019
Reading Time: 2 minutesSeed Potatoes Victoria and Sebright Adventures have coordinated a recently completed tour of growing regions in New Zealand to learn more about TPP.
25 February 2019
Reading Time: 2 minutesIn this edition of the magazine we look at potato seed quality and handling, nitrogen in soils, biosecurity updates, sensory testing and much more.
25 February 2019
Reading Time: < 1 minuteFrankie Galati, CEO of The Galati Group, spoke to Potatoes Australia about the business, his time in the industry and his plans for the future.
24 February 2019
Reading Time: < 1 minuteRed Gem is the first Australian potato business to trial x-ray technology in its packing facility, courtesy of the Coles Nurture Fund.
15 February 2019
Reading Time: < 1 minuteNellie Malseed is a 23-year-old Compliance Officer from AuSPICA in Toolangi, Victoria. We profiled her for the previous edition of Potatoes Australia magazine.
10 February 2019
Reading Time: < 1 minuteTroy 'Fred' Bensley runs Stillbrook Potato and Pastoral Company, a certified seed growing operation in Crookwell NSW that successfully exports to Fiji.
1 February 2019
Reading Time: < 1 minuteHill Family Farm has a rich history of growing potatoes and is one of only a few potato-growing operations remaining in the Southern Highlands.
25 January 2019
Reading Time: < 1 minutePlans for the vegetable, potato, processing tomato and nursery and garden industries are now available on the tomato potato psyllid portal on the AUSVEG website.
24 January 2019
Reading Time: < 1 minutePotato grower Glen Ryan collaborated with an entomologist to study the whitefringed weevil’s lifecycle and identify break crops he could use in his control efforts.
20 January 2019
Reading Time: 2 minutesTo help Australian potato growers manage the risks of Spongospora, a project managed by Hort Innovation has focused on its infection of potato crop roots.
10 January 2019
Reading Time: 2 minutesA research project has reviewed existing information on bacteria causing blackleg and soft rot diseases to better understand the threat they pose to Australian production.
7 January 2019
Reading Time: 2 minutesHort Innovation has recently funded research to assess Australian potato seed management and handling practice, review research and identify best practice.
17 December 2018
Reading Time: 2 minutesThe latest edition of Potatoes Australia magazine tours AuSPICA's Toolangi Research Centre, looks at Agronico's growth in Tasmania and profiles industry R&D.
17 December 2018
Reading Time: < 1 minuteTIA has delivered a levy-funded project investigating soil health in potato production. We spoke to TIA's John McPhee for InfoVeg TV.
6 December 2018
Reading Time: < 1 minuteThe Grower Success Stories showcase real results from the fresh potato R&D levy. In this edition we talk to New Zealand's Bryan Hart.
10 December 2018
Reading Time: < 1 minuteTerry Buckley from Mount Gambier in South Australia explains how he looks after soil health under challenging environmental conditions in this levy-funded video.
30 November 2018
Reading Time: < 1 minuteLeigh Elphinstone from Sisters Creek in Tasmania explains how he looks after soil health in a potato cropping rotation in this levy-funded video.
19 November 2018
Reading Time: < 1 minuteThis video from a levy-funded project discusses the value of cover cropping in maintaining soil health and increasing productivity in potato production.
16 November 2018
Reading Time: < 1 minuteIn this new series, we're showcasing the hard-working members of the Australian vegetable and potato industries - like Ruby Daly from Daly Potato Company.
12 November 2018
Reading Time: < 1 minuteThe first in a series of five, this video provides a real-world case study of the impact of controlled traffic farming in potato production.