A recent PotatoLink demonstration trial at Springbank, Vic, investigated the impact of farm practices on the effectiveness of biologicals, including the application of fungicides, the influence of soil nutrient availability, and fertiliser applications. In Issue 10 of PotatoLink magazine you will find all the details of the trial as well as the results.

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.

Podcast: Potato genetics at the James Hutton Institute, Hort Innovation webinars, BOM long-range forecast, and much more.

Doctors Ingo Hein, Sanjeev Sharma and Xinwei Chen talk to PotatoLink about their research, and the exciting new world of advanced potato breeding.

Listen now.

Innovative climate tool expands to support potato farmers, Hort Innovation webinar: deep dive into international consumer demand for vegetables, yield mapping with HarvestEye webinar, and much more.

Read the recap of a PotatoLink event held for the potato industry at the Kaloorup Fire Shed in Jindong in the afternoon of the 15 August 2023.

Join leading biofumigant and cover crop researchers John Duff (QDAF) and Mieke Daneel (ARC, South Africa) as they discuss what biofumigants are how they work, how they can be used for disease and nematode management and wha to consider when choosing biofumigant species.

Join the PotatoLink team as we speak with Vee Gururajan from HarvestEye and Abe Montano from Elders as they explain the new technological developments that may make accurate, GPS based, yield monitoring an easy activity in potato production.

Following a PotatoLink online training webinar with senior members of the Bureau of Meteorology, Paulette Baumgartl has compiled a comprehensive article in Issue 09 of PotatoLink magazine pointing out that behind the weekly temperature and rainfall forecasts, and the much-loved radar, sits an abundance of data, both raw and interpreted. If you know where to look, this data can be a useful decision-making tool.

Potato growers know that seed is an expensive input not to be wasted. And inefficient planting and spacing, including skips and doubles, can be costly.

Optimising seed spacing provides a real opportunity to minimise inputs while maximising yield. To evaluate the economic impact of poor planter performance, PotatoLink conducted a demonstration on the impact of seed spacing on potato yield and size.

Reduced tillage agriculture has emerged as a sustainable and innovative approach to farming, offering numerous benefits to both farmers and the environment. This PotatoLink magazine article, shares some examples of growers who have incorporated reduced tillage into their farm practice and research seeking to quantify outcomes when tillage practices are altered.

Understanding and managing the interacting components of soil health - physical, biological and chemical factors - is essential to create robust and productive soils that are able to sustain commercial potato production. This PotatoLink magazine article examines some aspects of soil physical properties and how they impact agricultural practice (and how agricultural practices impact soil physical properties).

Potato cyst nematodes (PCN) are one of the world’s most significant potato pests. Despite potentially devastating consequences on yield, symptoms are frequently subtle; the crop can just look a bit sickly or fail to thrive. This PotatoLink magazine article covers the lifecycle of PCN, impacts of PCN, and how Scotland manages PCN.

PotatoLink at the WalkerAg Agricultural Industry Forum (Tas), workshop and field walk: diseases, biosecurity and cover crops (WA), improving your farm’s resilience using cover crops, and much more.

PREDICTA Pt training and accreditation courses, event recording: R&D forum recordings, soil biology and in-furrow masterclass wrap up, and much more.

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.

In-person event: in-furrow application workshops (Tas) and Gatton Ag showcase, podcast: oxalis, webinar recording: black dot, and much more.