During the Australian summer, potatoes are susceptible to various pests and diseases that can thrive in the warm and humid conditions. Get the mini guide in this PotatoLink Magazine article.

Australian Seed Potato Industry Certification Authority (AuSPICA) has introduced an innovative solution to monitor insect vectors in potato crops. Passive suction traps installed in the field take samples of potential virus vectors, which are then sent to Intertek laboratories for rapid DNA analysis. The data developed builds information on the presence of potato virus vectors during the growing season and in the long term, builds trends on vector populations in potato growing regions.

Read the full story in Issue 10 of PotatoLink magazine.

PotatoLink held a research and development forum in Adelaide on 5 June 2023. The seven speakers covered a range of topics including diseases, irrigation, monitoring technology and more. Below are recordings of the presentations given on the day.

Keeping up to date with international pest and disease threats is important. This ongoing project conducted a scan of the most recent research and development on international potato pests, research previously conducted in Australia on these pests and some ‘ready to use’ resources.

Potato virus Y is a major issue for potato production in all Australian states and, indeed, worldwide. However, it exists as a complex of different strains. This summary talks about the latest identification of PVY found in Australia.

Tospoviruses cause large losses of product across the supply chain. Whilst some species such as Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) are present in Australia, others are not and represent a significant biosecurity threat. This 2019 report compiles important DNA information that could be used with modern biotechnology to develop new and effective controls.