POTATOES.NEWSGlobal potato industry intelligence11,640 stories
An AHDB review shows chitting cut time to emergence by 8–10 days and can bring maturity up to two weeks earlier. A 2024 study found storage at 17°C cut yield of one variety by up to 30%.
On sandy soil in Quebec, irrigation increased nitrate leaching under potatoes by 52%, and coated urea leached more than a split programme. Extension advice links nitrogen timing to crop uptake.
In a Manitoba rotation trial, potato-canola yielded 95 cwt/acre less than three- and four-year rotations, and vascular wilt hit most plants. Other studies show the break crop also changes yield.
Britain replaced the 1956 Smith Period with the Hutton Criteria in 2017. Tested on over 2,000 outbreaks, the new rule needs only 6 hours of 90% humidity and gave a much better accuracy score.
Six years after the EU ban on CIPC, the temporary residue limit for potatoes fell to 0.2 mg/kg from January 2026. Old stores remain the main contamination risk, while ethylene, mint and orange oil replace CIPC.
International standards require ware potatoes to have cured skin, no abnormal moisture and at most 10% defects in Class I. Packs up to 5 kg may be limited to a 30 mm size spread.
A 70×30 cm layout gives about 47,600 plants per hectare. That means 0.84 kg per plant for 40 t/ha and 1.26 kg for 60 t/ha. Research shows how stems and seed size decide tuber numbers.
Canada's new bacterial ring rot directive for seed potatoes takes effect on October 12, 2026. It keeps zero tolerance and sets sample sizes of 100 to 800 tubers by field size.
Idaho growers are digging a smaller crop in 2026. Planted area fell to 298,915 acres, and growers expect yields well below last year's 440 cwt per acre, while quality stays good.
ODEPA's wholesale bulletin for 21–25 September shows Asterix potatoes at CLP 23,500–23,718 per 25 kg sack in Santiago's Lo Valledor market, against CLP 18,000 in Talca.
Iceland harvested 8,300 tonnes of potatoes in 2025, Eurostat data show, after only 5,514 tonnes in 2024, the smallest crop since 1993 according to Hagstofa. About 70% of potatoes grow in Þykkvabær.
WRAP estimates that UK homes throw away 510,000 tonnes of potatoes a year. Older WRAP data show most of this weight is peel, but 180,000 tonnes were uncooked fresh potatoes.
