PotatoLink Bulletin July 2021
Welcome to the first edition of the monthly PotatoLink bulletin, meet the team, first issue of PotatoLink magazine, upcoming events and webinars, and much more.
Jobs for the quieter months of the year
This PotatoLink magazine article discusses making the most of the quieter months preparing for next season’s crop — checking long-term weather forecast, soil testing, checking irrigation equipment, considering drainage, and managing pests and disease.
Evaluation of postharvest treatments for the control of bacterial soft rot in potatoes
Management of rots, both in the field and postharvest, is an ongoing challenge for potato producers. The issue is usually managed by minimising the time interval between harvesting and processing of potatoes. Read the report by Soil Wealth Integrated Crop Protection for more information.
Potassium: A vital macronutrient in potato production — A review
With information from 48 peer-reviewed studies this review provides the most up to date understanding of potassium nutrition for potatoes.
Integrated weed management - Volunteer Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum)
Read this Soil Wealth and Integrated Crop Protection factsheet to learn about volunteer potatoes and some potential methods of integrated weed management that can be used to control them after a potato crop.
Managing Blackleg in potato
Blackleg on potato can be caused by either Pectobacterium or Dickeya species, and they often work together in different combinations to cause this disease. Blackleg can result in stem decay, severe seed decay and sometimes lack of plant emergence in severe cases. This Hort Innovation and RM Consulting Group (RMCG) factsheet provides information on managing blackleg in potato crops.
Assessment of pre- and postharvest anti-sprouting treatments to replace CIPC for potato storage
How well do pre- and postharvest anti-sprouting treatments work? What are some steps that you can take to reduce the sprouting of your stored potatoes? This Scientific Journal article covers this topic in depth, giving you the most up to date information and solutions.
Detection of potato late blight with a drone
This research summary describes work assessing late blight of potatoes using spectral imagery collected by a drone.
Better managing soilborne diseases with pathogen DNA testing
This fact sheet provides guidance on the importance of monitoring soil-borne diseases, including tips for understanding and managing soil-borne disease risks.
What you need to know about soil microbiology
Soil health is closely linked to soil microbiology. This fact sheet outlines information on a broad group of soil microbes including fungi, bacteria and pseudomonas, and explains how different levels, numbers and ratios of these microbes can impact the overall health of your soil and crops.
Biological products and new phosphorus fertiliser technology for potato productivity
The 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 biologicals R&D resources, products and testing options for potato growers.
International Potato Pest and Disease R&D scan
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.
Poster: Variable rate application - Is it right for your farm?
This poster provides a snapshot of variable rate application, the options available, why and how to do it, key questions to keep in mind and more information on the practical tips and tools available.