Harvesting
Global: Haulm Killing Method Shapes Skin Set and Harvest Quality
Complete haulm destruction one to three weeks before harvest firms skins and protects tubers from blight; the method — flail, chemical or both — changes the outcome.
International edition
IRRIGATION
2,839 stories
Harvesting
Russia: Tambov Region Potato Harvest Passes 100,000 Tonnes from 83% of Area
Growers in the Tambov region have lifted potatoes from 83% of planted area, with the crop exceeding 100,000 tonnes, regional media report.
Seeds
Global: Seed Tuber Physiological Age — Why Chronological Age Misleads Planters
Two seed lots of the same calendar age can perform very differently; accumulated thermal time, not birthdays, determines vigor and stem number.
Equipment in the field
PepsiCo and Grimme Train Harvester Operators in VR, Cutting Potato Bruising
PepsiCo and Grimme have built digital twins of Grimme EVO and SE harvesters for VR operator training; pilots showed 87% more bruise-free potatoes.
Europe
Northwest Europe’s Potato Harvest Grinds On in Fits and Starts — Too Wet Up North, Too Dry Down South
The 2026 European potato harvest is falling behind last year's pace: the Netherlands is about 70% done while Belgium has lifted barely a quarter of its crop, Boerenbusiness estimates. A stable, dry second half of October may…
Harvesting
Russia: Potato Price Slide Nearly Stalls as 2026 Harvest Ends
Russian retail potato prices fell only 0.3% in the week of 6–12 October after a 2.3% drop a week earlier, as regions finish the 2026 harvest.
Seeds
Riviera: The Very Early Dutch Potato Grown for Speed, Not Sweetness
Riviera is a first-early Dutch table potato prized for very fast bulking, but it is highly susceptible to late blight and powdery scab.
America
Diesel at $6-Plus per Gallon Threatens to Lift US Potato Harvest and Hauling Costs
US retail diesel is above $6 a gallon, about 68% higher than a year ago, raising harvest, storage and haulage costs for potato growers.
Europe
Record-Low Harvests in Austria and Switzerland Ripple into Northwest Europe’s Tight Potato Market
Austria expects 468,000 t and Switzerland 333,000 t of potatoes, record lows that will reshape import flows from Germany and the Netherlands.
Europe
‘Worst Since the 1950s’: UK Industry Warns Drought-Hit 2026 Potato Harvest Could Lose 440,000 Tonnes
The ECIU estimates drought could cost Great Britain about 440,000 t of potatoes, worth £80–169 million, as growers call for more water storage.
Europe
Northwest Europe’s Potato Harvest Grinds On in Fits and Starts — Too Wet Up North, Too Dry Down South
Rain slows potato lifting in the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Germany, with Belgium furthest behind.
News
POTATO 2.0: “I Bought a Weather Station and Got a Headache” — How Soil Sensors Revealed Potato Irrigation Mistakes
For second-generation potato grower and agricultural video blogger Viktor Retinsky, installing soil-moisture sensors did not immediately make irrigation easier. Instead, it exposed a gap between water reportedly applied by irrigation equipment and the moisture actually reaching the…