We look at the bacterial pathogens that can cause disease in potato plants and tubers. Yield losses and reduced cosmetic value are 2 of the detrimental effects bacterial diseases can have in the potato industry. Of these, Ralstonia solanacearum (bacterial wilt), Pectobacterium spp, Dickeya spp (previously known as Erwinia spp)…
Learning how to identify insect potato pests helps us to decide on a course of treatment. Taking a close look at the most important of the more than 60 insect pests that attack potatoes will help potato farmers to protect their crops and income. POTATO TUBER MOTH The moths are…
Potatoes are the fourth most important food crop in the world, after wheat, maize and rice. They are also the second highest vegetable producer of protein (second only to soya beans) and have a more balanced content of minerals and vitamins than any other major carbohydrate food crop. Potatoes are…
Potatoes are one of the few annual crops for which vegetative tissue (tubers) are used instead of botanical seed. Tubers used as planting material are known as seed potatoes. Edible tubers are called ware or table potatoes. Using them as seed can cause problems, as one does not know how…
The Potato Farmers Association of Nigeria (POFAN) says the federal government has agreed to support Irish potato growers with farm mechanisation, capitalisation loans and inputs to boost productivity. POFAN President Chief Daniel Okafor told local media that the government has included the association in programmes involving the distribution of disease…
In 2014, 20% of the potato harvest on the farm Bottervlei in South Africa’s Western Cape Province was lost to rhizoctonia. “We didn’t have a chemical product that could guarantee clean soil. We had already treated all of our seed potatoes with Mancozeb (Reg. no. L7381), a fungicide, but it…
Potatoes are a nutritious and delicious staple food and, says Zambian farmer, Chanda Chibesa, they are easy to grow in bags on small pockets of land. Good news for small-scale commercial farmers and for householders looking for ways to put food on the table and diversify the menu. Potatoes, tomatoes,…
British High Commissioner to Zambia Fergus Cochrane said his government has invested US$5 million to support white (Irish) potato production. “This will boost agriculture production and contribute to the country’s economic diversification programme,” the British envoy told local media. Cochrane said the money will benefit a farm in Northern Province’s…
Warmer weather conditions, coupled with the lack of frost this winter, led to an over-supply of tomatoes. If the warm weather persists, potatoes will also become even more cheaper. Lower prices coupled with an oversupply of tomatoes at South Africa’s national fresh product markets will likely affect tomato farmers until…
A turf war is raging to keep imported South African white potatoes out of the Zambian market. Sources close to tough negotiations between the Zambian government and the Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) say local farmers, both small and commercial producers, are concerned that the imported potatoes are choking local…
Osward Siwela (26) was forced, by a financial crisis and lack of funds, to abandon his undergraduate degree in agriculture in his final year and turn to potatoes. Disappointed, but not crushed, Osward showed the resilience that every farmer needs to draw on from time to time, and found an…
Zambian smallholder farmers might soon have better access to high-quality, disease-free horticultural seedlings easier after a seed company - Syngenta - partnered with a powerful USAID-funded programme and a US consulting company, to build a sustainable distribution programme for hybrid seedlings. The programme will also aim to provide farmers with access to…
A boost of R3.3 million for Eastern Cape’s small farmers hopes to revive potato cultivation and simultaneously, the Kei Fresh produce market. Farmers in South Africa’s former Transkei region aim to harvest approximately 400 tons of potatoes as part of a development program for which the Eastern Cape Development Corporation…
The Zambian government has backtracked on banning the import of agricultural produce. The reversal of the ban was confirmed yesterday by Commerce, Trade and Industry permanent secretary Kayula Siame, at a media briefing in Lusaka. Siame said Zambia – being bound by trade protocols of the Common Market for Eastern…
The price of potatoes (white or Irish potato) shot up by as much as K30 per 10kg pocket, after a decline in production due to high input cost. In places like Copperbelt, the situation is compounded by crop shortages. A quick survey of fresh produce outlets, including chain stores in…
A year ago Gugu Mlihpa was named South Africa's emerging farmer of the year. Gugu is a born entrepreneur. She’s always on the lookout for a gap in the market and even joined a professional kitchen to learn first-hand from the chef how to deliver market-ready produce. Not only has…
Just enjoy this video of potato harvesting in North-Dakota in America, with a Lockwood potato harvester and a John Deere tractor.
