Management of potatoes under wet conditions

Three successive La Niña seasons have left prime potato growing areas waterlogged. Challenges for growers are evident at every stage, from managing seed, planting, crop management and storage. Paulette Baumbartl covers all the key points in this article in Issue 8 of PotatoLink magazine.

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Magazine Articles, Weeds Sophia Thach Magazine Articles, Weeds Sophia Thach

Managing herbicides and herbicide injury

Potato growers have many options for controlling weeds, from prevention and cultural management to mechanical and physical weed control, and chemical and biological methods. With so many choices, the key to success is knowing which method to use, and how to combine them for maximum impact. Read about the weed control tool box and more in this PotatoLink magazine article.

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Using legumes to supplement nitrogen

The world may be easing its way into post-pandemic normality, however latest market research shows that this will have limited impact on the historically high prices of nitrogen and imported fertilisers for Australian farmers. This PotatoLink magazine article provides tips on getting the most nitrogen out of your legume cover crop.

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Seed potatoes

As every vegetable grower understands, all good crops start with good seed, and potatoes are no exception. However, potato tubers, unlike many other seeds, need considerable care and attention to optimise results. This PotatoLink magazine special feature covers seed age, diseases, storage, cutting, treatment, and certification.

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Powdery scab - project update

Powdery scab is a devastating pathogen affecting potato growers of Australia causing annual losses estimated to top $13.4 million annually. In issue 07 of PotatoLink magazine, Prof Calum Wilson from Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture reports on his 3-year project — Mechanisms and manipulation or resistance to powdery scab in potato roots.

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Petiole testing for nutrient analysis

Petiole sampling and analysis is an effective and simple way to determine the nutrient status of a crop, including diagnosing any deficiencies or toxicities in potato plants. Like any analyses, getting the sampling right is the first step. In this PotatoLink magazine article, learn when to sample, how to sample and how to handle samples.

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Pathogens - it’s all in their DNA

Developed by SARDI (South Australian Research and Development Institute), PREDICTA Pt is a commercial DNA testing service that can identify which pathogens are in the soil or skin of seed tubers.

In Issue 05 of PotatoLink magazine, Ryan Hall and Jenny Ekman from the PotatoLink team report on PREDICTA Pt including a 5-year case study describing its use in monitoring powdery scab and rhizoctonia on a commercial farm.

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Potassium, specific gravity and getting the balance right

Potato plants take up large quantities of potassium with peak daily uptake reaching over 4 kg/ha/day. Supplying potassium is most important during stolon and tuber initiation, although maximum uptake occurs during tuber bulking. This PotatoLink magazine article includes information on supplying potassium to crops and how potassium has helped Canowindra, NSW potatoes.

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Magazine Articles, Carbon Farming Sophia Thach Magazine Articles, Carbon Farming Sophia Thach

Moving towards carbon neutral farming

Growers need to prepare for the opportunities and challenges ahead that arise from carbon emission management, particularly whether they can generate carbon credits from their operations. This PotatoLink magazine article discusses this with Adrian James from Natural Resource Management (NRM) who has been tracking the evolution of carbon farming options.

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The difference between regenerative agriculture and sustainable food systems

Views differ as to exactly what is meant by regenerative or sustainable agriculture. It may be argued that “sustainable” implies little or no change in the farming environment, whereas “regenerative” is focused on improvement but, in reality, the terms mean much the same. This PotatoLink magazine article discusses ecocentric and technocentric approaches.

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