OppOrtunity

Transcription

OppOrtunity

Equipment
Roundup
Allied
Powers
February 2015
www.spudman.com
Pre-Season Planning Issue
Opportunity
Knocks
Table of
Contents
February 2015 • www.spudman.com
Volume 53 • Issue 2
Departments
Features
8
48
49
50
10 Opportunity Knocks
Promoting potatoes and finding success in
Colorado’s San Luis Valley
Industry News
Calendar & Classifieds
Advertiser Index
Spudman 7
16 Gearing Up
New equipment and innovations for 2015
24 Aiming Low
Reduce water loss by placing nozzles
close to the ground
Columns
10
6
47
44
26 The Power of Precision
45
New technology improves real-time
monitoring of fields
46
30 Fungus Fighters
Growers have plenty of options to use in 2015
34 Allied Powers
It takes a community to build a consortia
On the Cover
16
38 Grow Ahead: Traceability Trends
OPPORTUNITY
KNOCKS
UAVs provide aerial perspective
to aid potato research
4
National, Maine potato organizations give awards
www.spudman.com • February 2015
February 2015
Photo by bill Schaefer
Allied
Powers
www.spudman.com
Look for DNA barcodes and a shift to
a risk-based model
42 Rising Stars
Equipment
Roundup
Pre-Season Planning Issue
40 PAA: Eyes in the Sky
Taking Stock
Idaho Potato
Commission
National Potato
Council
United Potato Growers
of America
United States
Potato Board
38
Kurt Holland, Mountain
Valley Produce sales
manager, stands in a
storage facility with recently
harvested potatoes.
Find the products you need
for your farm in the 2015
Spudman Buyers’ Guide.
24/7 ONLINE
REFERENCE
BUYERSGUIDE.SPUDMAN.COM
5
Taking Stock
On presidents and potatoes
February is Presidents Month and thoughts of George
Washington and Abraham Lincoln have me thinking about the
National Potato Council’s Potato D.C. Fly-In at the end of February.
I encourage everyone who has any involvement in the potato
industry to take this opportunity to meet with federal legislators
and regulators and stand up for the
nation’s potato industry. I guarantee that
you’ll come away from the experience
with a deeper appreciation for our
representative form of government and
you may even learn your way through
the halls of Congress.
Bill Schaefer
You don’t have to be a grower to
Managing Editor
have skin in the potato market. This
month’s profile of Kurt Holland is a good example of a nongrower who is deeply involved in the potato industry from the
marketing perspective.
Holland is the sales manager for Mountain Valley Produce
in Center, Colorado. He also sits on the U.S. Potato Board’s
international committee. It’s an experience that has proven
mutually beneficially for Holland and the USPB. He’s been
able to apply his USPB experience to his business and the
USPB benefits from his sales perspective to increase potato
consumption worldwide.
February is also “Potato Lover’s Month,” a promotional marketing
blitz sponsored by the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC). The IPC’s
marketing success with “Potato Lover’s Month” cannot be contained
in the month of February and this year the IPC has pumped up
the marketing campaign eight weeks. You’ll want to read Frank
Muir’s column on how the IPC has expanded its efforts to sell
Idaho potatoes during the post-holiday marketing slowdown.
It seems that every month we’re either discussing genetically
engineered potatoes or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). Well,
this month it’s UAVs. Shelley Jansky gives an overview of her
research with UAVs and their potential uses in the PAA feature.
We’re redesigning eSpudman, our online newsletter, and
looking at a little redesign here in the magazine. I’d like to hear
from you on what you like or don’t like in either platform. We
want to continue to bring you the most up-to-date information
about the potato industry and your suggestions will help us
continue to do that. Send your comments to me at
spudedit@greatamericanpublish.com.
6
www.spudman.com
The Voice of the Potato Industry
Office
616-887-9008
Publisher
S
Matt McCallum, publisher@spudman.com, ext. 101
Director of Media Services
Kimberly Baker, kbaker@greatamericanpublish.com, ext. 110
Editorial Director
Lee Dean, ldean@greatamericanpublish.com, ext. 120
Managing Editor
Bill Schaefer, spudedit@spudman.com, 208-705-3856
Contributing Editor
Matt Milkovich, ext. 102
Gary Pullano, ext. 107
Digital Engagement Editor
Courtney Culey, cculey@greatamericanpublish.com, ext. 114
Editorial Board
Randy Hardy, Oakley Farms, Oakley, Idaho
Don Sklarczyk, Sklarczyk Seed Farms, Johannesburg, Mich.
Harry Strohauer, Strohauer Farms, La Salle, Colo.
Robert Thornton, Washington State University, Pullman, Wash.
Advertising Manager
Andrea Schafer, spudmanads@spudman.com, ext. 122
Group Marketing Director
Melissa Gray, mgray@greatamericanpublish.com,
845-644-3092
Graphic/Web Designer
Jim Young, spudproduction@spudman.com, ext. 117
Circulation
Becky Stovall, circulation@spudman.com, ext. 100
Billing
Sally Ostman, accounting@spudman.com, ext. 108
The Magazine: Editorial and advertising offices at
Great American Publishing, P.O. Box 128, Sparta, MI 49345,
Phone: 616-887-9008 Fax: 616-887-2666
SPUDMAN volume 53 number 2 USPS 0024-158
is printed 8 times a year in Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May/June,
July/Aug, Sept/Oct, Nov/Dec in the U.S.A.
Periodical postage paid at Sparta, MI 49345 and additional office.
Subscriptions: Subscriptions are free to qualified U.S. potato
growers. Canada: $56 per year U.S. funds.
International: $100 per year U.S. funds. Single copy and
back issues: $6
Digital: $9.95 per year U.S. funds.
ISSN 0038-8661
Postmaster: Please send address changes and corrections to:
SPUDMAN, P.O. Box 128, Sparta, MI 49345.
Canada Post:  Publications Mail Agreement #40612608
Canada Returns to be sent to Bleuchip International, P.O. Box
25542, London, ON  N6C 6B2
Reprints: Permission is granted for reprinting material,
except for commercial or advertising purposes, providing
Spudman is given full credit.
Call 616-887-9008 regarding reprint information.
Industry News
NPC elects 2015 officers and
presents awards
The National Potato Council
(NPC) elected Dan Lake, of Ronan,
Montana, as its 2015 president during
its annual meeting in Orlando, Florida.
Lake succeeds Randy Hardy, Oakley,
Idaho as president. Hardy retains a
position as immediate past president
on the NPC 2015 executive council.
Elected to the NPC executive
council were: Jim Tiede, American
Falls, Idaho, first-vice president
and vice president of legislative
and government affairs; Larry
Alsum, Freisland, Wisconsin, vice
president of office and finance
procedures; Dominic LaJoie, Van
Buren, Maine, vice president
of grower and public relations;
Dwayne Weyers, Center, Colorado,
vice president of grower and public
relations and Cully Easterday,
Pasco, Washington, vice president
of trade affairs.
Brendon Rockey, Sheldon Rockey
and Nicole Rockey, of Rockey Farms,
of Center, Colorado, received the 2014
Environmental Stewardship award.
The better the synergy,
the greater the yield.
National Potato Council 2015 executive committee: Front row, Dominic
LaJoie, Cully Easterday and Dwayne Weyers, from left; Back row, Larry
Alsum, Randy Hardy, Dan Lake and Jim Tiede, from left.
Receiving President’s awards were
Karlene Hardy, wife of Randy Hardy
and Ben Hardy, son of Randy and
Karlene Hardy.
Receiving the Industry award
was Matt Lantz, of Bryant Christie.
Lantz assists the U.S. potato industry
in addressing foreign policy issues
including opening new markets for U.S.
potatoes, reducing tariffs and assisting
shippers when trade problems occur.
Dick Pavelski, of Heartland Farms,
in Hancock, Wisconsin, received the
2014 Potato Man for All Seasons
award presented by The Packer.
FAA grants permits for
agriculture drones
The Federal Aviation Administration
on Tuesday issued permits to use drones
to monitor crops and photograph
properties for sale, marking the first
time permission has been granted to
companies involved in agriculture and
real estate.
The exemptions to the current ban
on commercial drone flights were
granted to Advanced Aviation Solutions
in Spokane for “crop scouting,” and to
Douglas Trudeau of Tierra Antigua
Realty in Tucson, Ariz. S
At the U.S. Potato Board we’re building success like never
before. Consumption is up, attitudes continue to improve,
and our customers and consumers are hungry for more. What
tools are we using? A fully integrated marketing model that
leverages the strengths of multiple initiatives to achieve results
no individual program could ever achieve alone.
consumer advertising
The “Many Sides of Potatoes”
advertising campaign, comprising
both online and offline media
vehicles, leverages key consumer
insights to motivate and inspire
an increase in potato purchases.
Showcasing exciting and flavorful
seasonal recipes that speak to
consumers’ desires and perceptions
about potatoes, the advertising
campaign provides consumers
with healthy new ideas for how to
prepare potatoes for dinner tonight.
Learn more about the United
States Potato Board approach
to domestic marketing.
Contact Meredith Myers:
meredithm@uspotatoes.com
www.ColoradoCertifiedPotatoGrowers.com
We’re pleased to announce
our new website!
Fresh from the field:
our 2014 Directory
The website has been developed with you in
mind! Stop by today to learn more about our
Certified Potato Growers and our Colorado
Certified Potato Varieties.
The Colorado Certified Seed Potatoes Crop Directory is now
available in electronic format on our website. Scan our QR code to
download a PDF version of the new directory to your mobile device!
2014 CERTIFIED SEED
POTATO DIRECTORY
© 2014 United States Potato Board. All rights reserved.
8
consumer
advertising
foodservice
marketing
consumer
research
public
relations
retail
programs
Opportunity
Knocks
Cover Story continued
Kurt Holland, Mountain Valley
Produce sales manager, in a
potato field during harvest
season in Center, Colorado.
Photos by Bill Schaefer
Promoting potatoes and finding success in
Colorado’s San Luis Valley
By David Fairbourn
Spudman Correspondent
I
had an opportunity and I took
it,” Kurt Holland said about
his decision to join a new
generation of potato growers
and shippers in Colorado’s San
Luis Valley. Selling Motorola
radios, then truck brokering,
brought Holland’s career path to
Mountain Valley Produce, where
he works as a sales manager.
“I’ve been here since 2005 and
company manager Ernie Myers
has been here since 1998,” Holland
said. “I’m originally from Oregon
but I’ve lived in the San Luis Valley
for 39 years.”
Potatoes have been a staple
crop in the San Luis Valley and
the industry continues to develop
a robust ability to market tablestock varieties all over the United
States and into Mexico.
Mountain Valley Produce has
been family-owned and operated
since 1997. The company farms
and markets a variety of freshmarket potatoes from Canela
Russets to yellow-flesh varieties
Natascha, Toscana, Keuka Gold
“
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and Satina. Several fingerling
varieties are also produced —
Austrian Crescent, Banana,
French Fingerling, LaRatte, Purple
Peruvian and Rose Finn Apple.
“Our marketing niche is
fingerling and creamer sized
potatoes — our specialty side,”
Holland said. “We still grow
yellows, whites and russet varieties,
all for the fresh market. Fighting
price is a constant battle on the
russet side of our business. As for
our specialty side, we are solid.
We’ve had the same good customers
for many years, and we’ve learned
how to treat them right so they will
always come back for more.
“From planting to harvest, all of
our equipment is very specialized
for our fingerlings and creamers,”
he said. “I don’t know if there are
studies that have been completed
thoroughly enough to show it, but
I believe these specialty varieties
offer advantages with convenience.
These smaller potatoes cook quick
and easy, and our consumers
appreciate buying smaller potatoes
that don’t go to waste.”
Mountain Valley Produce
produces all of its own grower-
entry seed. Ernie Myers oversees
the seed and overall production
and Holland manages all of the
national sales, including markets
in Canada.
Mountain Valley also rotates
green manure crops and grows
wheat and alfalfa when the San
Luis Valley has adequate water
supplies to support these crops.
There are clear advantages to
growing potatoes in this high
mountain valley. With an altitude
of 7,600 feet above sea level, the
San Luis Valley has been referred
to as the highest and largest valley
in North America. The winters
here can be very cold, dropping
as low as minus 50° F. While the
cold winter weather presents its
own frozen challenges, a positive
result from the frigid conditions
for potato production is natural
control of diseases and pests,
thereby reducing the need for
fumigants and other pesticides.
In 2007, Holland attended
the Potato Industry Leadership
Institute, providing him with his first
opportunity to become involved with
the industry at the national level.
Opportunity continued on page 12
See more online
Visit Spudman.com for more photos and video
of Kurt Holland and Mountain Valley Produce
family continued on page 12
11
Opportunity continued from page 10
Oscar Perea, of Center, Colorado, Mountain Valley
Produce crew foreman, directs a truck in for
unloading its potato load during harvest season.
A ventilation duct in a storage facility
at Mountain Valley Produce
Araceli Mendoza, of Del Norte,
Colorado, takes samples from the
harvest loads.
12
Perla Quintana, of Center, Colorado, works on a
conveyor cleaning the trash from the potatoes
going into storage at Mountain Valley Produce.
In 2010 an opportunity to
represent Colorado on the
USPB became available and he
accepted this second opportunity
to become involved with the
national industry again.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed
this chance to be on the USPB,”
he said. “This has been a great
opportunity to network with
other board members from all
across the country, and make
great and lasting friendships. It
has been awesome.”
As an administrative committee
member on the USPB’s International
Committee, Holland has traveled
on trade missions to Singapore
and Mazatlán, Mexico. In
Singapore, Holland attended a
chef seminar that showcased U.S.
potatoes, specifically dehydrated
potato products.
He provided the chef attendees
with insights and perspective
regarding potato production and
worked with them as they explored
new ways to introduce menu items
featuring U.S. dehy potatoes.
“When I served on international,
I received a huge eye-opener about
all that really goes on behind the
scenes at the USPB,” Holland said.
“I had no idea about all the work
the USPB staff accomplishes and
this completely amazed me. As
I was involved with these two
trade missions, I will just say there
wasn’t anything relaxing about
them. The USPB really worked
me. It was not a free ride at all.”
Holland appreciates the
research and resources available
through the USPB. During the
2014 USPB annual meeting, board
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15
CONGRATULATIONS
DR. ANDREW ROBINSON
North Dakota State University and University of Minnesota
Extension Agronomist Potato Production
Recipient of the 3rd annual
Spudman Emerging Leader Award
Look for more information about the 3rd Annual Emerging
Leader in the March issue of Spudman.
SPONSORED BY:
Opportunity continued on page 14
13
members learned firsthand about
the millennial demographic, how
they perceive potatoes and what’s
trending with this up-and-coming
market segment.
“The millennial marketing
dynamics are really standing out in
my mind these days,” he said. “Now
that I’ve heard and learned about
it from the USPB research, I’m
hearing about this group all of the
time. I think it’s an opportunity.
As an industry, we need to figure
this group out, and market our
products to their needs.”
He challenges his fellow
growers to get involved in the
USPB’s long-range plan (LRP)
development process. “Each month
I have the chance to give a report to
the Colorado Potato Administrative
Committee and I always tell them
how hard these people (the USPB
staff) are working,” he said. “I tell
them how we are inviting all
growers to get involved in the
LRP development process, and I
give examples of how we are going
in the right direction.” S
14
A harvester loads a truck
in a field near Mountain
Valley Produce.
Holland speaks with Virginia Myers
and Ernie Myers, the owners of
Mountain Valley Produce.
equipment roundup
why international markets are so
important to the future of the US
potato industry?
Because there are
7.3 billion people
in the world, but only
323 million
equipment roundup
DOYOUKNOW
(or just 4%) live in the US
Lockwood
side elevator cleaning tables
Lockwood
New equipment and innovations for 2015
By Bill Schaefer
Managing Editor
You want more power from your equipment and you want greater efficiency and economy from your
equipment when you’re out in the field. Whether you’re planting, cultivating or harvesting, time is
of the essence and the equipment must meet the rigors and challenges in all types of weather and
terrain. Here are some of the innovations in equipment for 2015.
16
Lockwood’s two new side elevator
cleaning tables have been developed for
two different environments. The Big Star
table is for sandy soils and dropping out
small debris. The Extreme Clean table is
designed for harsher conditions, such as
heavy and clod-filled soils.
The Big Star table features include:
• 72 inches wide
• Table is fed by 48-inch side elevator
• Star gap and speed independently
adjusted from tractor seat
• Table pitch can be adjusted manually
• Variety of star configurations available
The Extreme Clean table
features include:
• 60 inches wide
• Spiral urethane roller in conjunction
with smooth steel stall rollers
• Speed of spiral rollers can be controlled
by tractor operator
• Spiral and steel roller gap adjusted by
one turnbuckle
• Pitch of table achieved from the tractor
See the lockwoodmfg.com website for
more information.
By 2050, there will be
9 billion people
in the world, but
less than 2 billion
will live in North America and Europe
Average GDP growth
from 2009 – 2013 was
8.9% in China, 4.8%
in the Dominican
Republic, 5.3% in
Philippines, and
7% in Mozambique,
but only
0.3% in Japan and
1.2% in the
United States
World trade in potatoes and products was
$5.3 billion in 2013
with US exports accounting for
33% of that
17
equipment roundup
Spudnik Crop Cart
Spudnik
Spudnik’s new Crop Cart,
prototyped in 2013, was in
limited production in 2014 and
will be in full production in 2015.
“Crop Cart’s first use was
designed for planting time to
bring the seed to the planter
to speed up efficiency in
planting,” said Andrew Blight,
Spudnik’s marketing and sales
support manager.
With a capacity of 700 sacks,
Crop Cart can fill up to four
six-row planters with one load,
Blight said.
“Planter stop time has gone
from 15 to 20 minutes to fill
to a minute or two, increasing
efficiencies of operation in
planting,” Blight said.
Originally developed for
bringing seed to the planter,
Blight said that the Crop Cart
also can be of use during the
harvest season.
“Instead of using lots of bulk
beds in the field, you could
use a crop cart coupled with
semitrailers to haul the product
from the field to the storage,”
Blight said.
He said that the crop cart has
become a multiple-use cart that
can be used from spring through
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harvest in the fall for a wide
variety of crops.
In 2014, Spudnik introduced
its 6-row and 8-row cultivators
with the ripper shank closer to
the tractor.
“One of the big advantages
of our cultivator is we designed
it in such a way that the shanks
are closer to the tractor,” Blight
said. “By moving all of that
closer to the tractor, we see less
movement in the implement
itself as you’re going through
the field. Eliminating that
movement, we have less chance
of disturbing that seed piece.”
Blight said that the rock
protection system on the cultivator
is hydraulically-controlled, instead
of spring-controlled, for both the
raise and lower functions.
“So both the release and
the reset is all hydraulicallycontrolled, which eliminates
stress to the mainframe of the
machine,” he said.
The cultivator’s operating
depth is 16 to 18 inches.
You can view videos of the
Crop Cart and cultivator on
Spudnik’s YouTube channel
or visit their website at www.
spudnik.us
equipment roundup
Double L
For 2015 Double L is introducing the 6500
series of windrowers. The windrowers were
designed with a digger bed that eliminates
the catch points where vines and weeds
typically build up.
Another feature of the 6500 series is the
position of the rear wheels. Using a concept
from the Double L harvester, the 6500 have
their rear wheels positioned underneath
the machine, decreasing turning radius and
increasing maneuverability in the field.
The Double L 4530 and 4536 Scoop has
been refined with a longer snout that allows
the scoop to drive deeper into the potato
pile, avoiding repetitive position shifts and
potentially causing more bruising.
The redesigned conveyor construction
of the 4500 series reduced the weight of
the telescoping conveyor by 500 pounds,
making the machine more responsive. With
deep sidewalls, optional all-hydraulic belt
drive system and a standard 30-inch belt, the
conveyor can load up to 200 tons of potatoes
per hour. The series also comes with a 36-inch
wide model.
The 3930 mini even flow tub is the latest
addition to Double L’s even flow tub line. Its
smaller size brings the benefits of even flow
tubs to indoor operations like seed cutting.
For more information visit www.
doublelglobal.com.
Double L
6500 series windrower
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equipment roundup
Agco has increased the power
of its Challenger MT500E series
tractors with 6.6 liter and 7.4
liter, six-cylinder diesel engines.
Maximum horsepower for
the MT555E, MT565E, MT575E,
MT585E and the MT595E ranges
from 185 horsepower to 255
horsepower. Torque ratings at
1,500 rpm range from 830 footpounds for the MT555E to 1,049
foot-pounds for the MT595E.
Engines are equipped
with dual alternators, thirdgeneration selective catalytic
reduction emission technology
and maintenance free diesel
oxidation catalyst system.
Agco has implemented a
simplified drive system in its
RG700 self-propelled sprayer
equipment roundup
Agco
AGCO Challenger
MT500E series
for 2015. The machine’s allwheel drive system will enable
some components to operate
automatically, without operator
input. The upgraded model,
called the RG700B, is planned for
introduction in late spring of 2015.
For more information
contact a Challenger dealer or
visit www.challenger-ag.us/.
milestone RevAir
debris eliminator
Milestone
Milestone’s RevAir debris eliminator aids
in eliminating all organic material including:
corn roots and cobs, vines and sod.
Milestone offers the RevAir as an individual
debris eliminator or fitted with larger
eliminators, sizers and sorters.
Following initial cleaning, as potatoes
flow off the debris table, the RevAir’s high
volume air and reversing rollers remove
additional debris.
Visit the Milestone-Equipment.com
website for more information.
Lenco
Greg Merrihew, Lenco sales manager, said
that the company has started development
on an eight-row, self-propelled windrower
that will fold hydraulically to a width of 18
feet for easier transportation on roads.
Merrihew said that the windrower, under
development will be equipped with a Scania
engine for turning low rpm, making it more
fuel-efficient. The windrower will come
equipped with a new wheel drive system.
Merrihew said that the windrower will be in
demonstration in Wisconsin during the 2015
fall harvest. For more information contact
Greg Merrihew at 989-268-5711.
20
21
equipment roundup
22
Harriston-Mayo
Harriston’s clamp planter
is a zero seed penetration
planter, reducing the risk of
spreading disease. Using a
clamping action instead of a
cup or pick allows it to plant
a variety of cut and uncut
seed sizes.
In hilly conditions the
clamp planter is able to
maintain planting accuracy
and efficiency. The ability
to control individual row
depth, combined with a
shoe engineered to aid
in reducing seed ground
roll, allows for planting at
higher speeds.
Go to www.harristonmayo.com for more
information. S
harriston-mayo
clamp planter
Reduce water loss by placing nozzles close to the ground
By Dave Wilkins
T
he next time irrigators install nozzle packages,
they might want to set their sights low.
Setting spray nozzles about a foot off the
ground can reduce water losses due to wind drift and
evaporation by 10 percent to 15 percent, according
to one study in the Northwest.
Researchers who have tested the low elevation
spray application (LESA) system have seen
promising results on alfalfa, corn and small grains.
They’ll put it to the test in potato fields this year.
The system is best suited to relatively flat fields
with high-intake soils, said Howard Neibling,
University of Idaho Extension water management
engineer in Kimberly. Runoff is a concern because a
lot of water is applied in a short period of time.
Idaho farmer Mark Telford tried LESA for the first
time last year in a wheat field near Arco. He allowed
University of Idaho Extension irrigation specialists
to convert the outer span of one pivot.
Nozzles on the test span were set about 12 inches
above the ground — far lower than the 5 to 7 feet
that is typical for the region.
24
The number of nozzles was doubled, so spacing
between drop hoses was cut in half (from about nine
feet to 4.5 feet). Nozzle size was reduced accordingly.
Because of the lower height, spray nozzles were hidden
within the crop canopy during much of the growing
season and therefore shielded from the wind. The result:
reduced water loss due to wind drift and evaporation.
“It looks pretty promising,” Telford said. “We’re
going to leave it (LESA) on that field for seed
potatoes this year.”
UI scientists installed soil moisture sensors at four
different depths beneath the test span and a control span.
Data loggers linked to the sensors clearly showed
that the LESA span kept pace with crop water use all
season long. The control span did not. At times, it
was mining water from deep in the root zone.
Based on those results, Telford is considering
converting some entire pivots to the LEPA system
in the future.
“We’re so short of water up here in the Big Lost
River area that we try to do anything we can to use
the water we have effectively,” he said.
Telford knew the system was working even before
he saw the data. All he had to do was walk behind the
pivot on a windy day and look down at the soil surface.
“When the wind blew, you could tell with the
naked eye that there was no evaporation with those
nozzles,” he said.
How will the new system work on spuds?
Scientists working on the study aren’t sure, but
they’re keeping their fingers crossed.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen with potatoes,
but my sense is that it will work just fine,” said Neibling.
In some cases growers may need to add a second
weight to drop nozzles, but other than that the
system should work the same on spuds as it has on
other crops, he said.
“At this point I have seen enough to say this is a really
promising technology for soils that don’t have a runoff
problem,” Neibling said. “The key thing everybody has
to remember is that it’s not going to work everywhere.
It’s not going to work on low-intake soils.”
Neibling has been testing the LESA system the past
couple of years with Troy Peters, Washington State
University Extension irrigation specialist in Prosser.
They first tried the system on a pivot circle in northern
Nevada that was split between alfalfa and grain.
“What we found was that once the sprinkler
head got down into the canopy…we were getting
significant water savings because it wasn’t blowing,”
Neibling said.
He was worried that the drop nozzles might catch
on the alfalfa and the pivot might “walk out from
underneath,” the drop tubes and tip over.
“That didn’t happen,” Neibling said.
Peters tried the system on a cornfield in the
Columbia Basin last year.
“It worked fine, which was kind of a surprise,” he said.
He wants to try the system on a potato field this year.
Peters said the system probably won’t work on tight
soils, even with some type of cultivator/diker, a common
practice used in most spud-growing areas to reduce runoff.
“The problem with (LESA) is that it applies water
in less time, so it tends to pond up water a bit more,”
he said.
While the system won’t work on every field, Peters
and Neibling believe it has good potential under the
right circumstances.
They’ll continue their research on a variety of
crops and soil types. It’s all about finding the right fit,
they said. S
25
taking into account diverse factors
such as contours and soil texture.
Irrigate-IQ uses a control box
attached to the pivot, with wires
extending out to each individual
nozzle for complete control of the
system. Information is relayed
back to the control box, where it
becomes accessible to producers
through the Connected Farm
interface. The system helps
producers not only control water
output, but also fertilizer, and
monitor the system for problems.
“We can upload schedules and
prescriptions to the pivot and
also monitor the pivot remotely,”
said Chris van der Loo, water
solutions marketing director for
Trimble’s Agriculture Division.
“The grower doesn’t have to drive
around to the pivots.”
Many of the field maps
generated through the GPS and
RTK system are available with the
Connected Farm field program,
including cultivation, planting
and chemical applications. Several
different applications can be
used to better decipher the maps,
including Crop Health Imagery,
which monitors the health of
the crop, and Pure Pixel, which
converts satellite images into
better tools for the farm. A third
program, Greenwave Contour,
allows producers to see rainfall
patterns across the field.
“Green Wave Contour is a field
view of how rainfall fell on a part
of the field over time,” Martinez
said. “We let the farmer choose 24
hours or the entire season, and give
the farmer a topographical view.
Farmers can use that information
to compare to yield data.”
The final piece of the new
system is Connected Farm
Advisor, which aids agricultural
advisors in helping the producer
make farm-level decisions.
“It’s a really easy datasharing platform where the crop
advisor can look at that data
and use it to make variable rate
recommendations,” Martinez said.
“This is one of the first platforms
where the data generated on the
farm can easily be shared between
the farmer and crop consultant.”
Precision agriculture is also
getting smaller as researchers
discover more efficient ways to
monitor cropping systems in
fields. One of the latest entries
Precision continued on page 28
New technology improves real-time monitoring of fields
By Everett Brazil III
A
s 2015 gains traction,
precision agriculture
technology continues
its evolution.
Trimble is one of the nation’s
leading developers of global
positioning systems (GPS) and
real time kinematic (RTK) systems
for agricultural purposes. Both
systems monitor activity ranging
from planting and harvesting to
cultivation and chemical input,
with the data placed in specialized
26
maps. Trimble now offers a new
platform, Connected Farm, that
ties all their services into one
server for easy access by producers.
“All that monitoring is
generating data today,” said Mike
Martinez, Connected Farm
marketing director for Trimble’s
Agriculture Division. “We’re
trying to bring all these data
pieces together in one platform
to be able to make real-time
management decisions. The
Connected Farm is helping pull
that together in an interface the
farmer can access.”
Connected Farm starts in
the office, with Office Sync. All
the information gathered by the
GPS systems is sent to a Web
server, which is accessible with
an Internet connection, whether
on a computer in the home or a
smartphone in the field.
One of the programs designed
with Connected Farm is IrrigateIQ, which marks Trimble’s
entry into precision irrigation
technology. The system helps
producers control water and
energy by creating a prescription
that is better suited to the field,
27
precision continued from page 27
into crop management is the
use of unmanned aerial vehicles
(UAV), which have been the
subject of several years of research
between the USDA’s Agricultural
Research Service (ARS), Oregon
State University (OSU) Hermiston
Agricultural Research &
Extension Center (HAREC) and
Boeing Research and Technology.
Ray Hunt is a research physical
28
scientist at the USDA-ARS in
Beltsville, Maryland, and has
performed UAV research with
OSU since 2013.
“Agriculture has to increase
its yield as the Earth grows from
about 6 billion to about 12 billion
people,” Hunt said. “We’re not
going to have any more land on
Earth, so that means we have to
increase production. The question
is, how can we increase production
in a sustainable manner.”
One step in more sustainable
production could involve UAVs
in the near future. The project
was initiated in 2013 to study how
UAVs can impact agriculture,
including nitrogen levels in plants
to help with fertilization needs.
“What we’re looking at are very
small aircraft very similar to small
model airplanes that hobbyists
fly all over the place,” Hunt said.
“We can detect small changes
in greenness that indicate the
amount of chlorophyll in the leaf.
That in turn relates to the amount
of nitrogen in the plant.”
The researchers have also put a
focus on insect control, as well as
irrigation efficiency with the UAVs.
“Last summer, 2014, we were
flying aircraft with much higher
resolution, and we could detect
when the Colorado potato beetle
was emerging and devouring the
potato plant,” Hunt said. “In the
thermal infrared, we can detect
what the temperature of an object
is, and from that, if the plant is
hot, then we know the plant is not
being irrigated efficiently.”
The researchers are in the
early stages of the project, and
are simply testing to see if the
technology is feasible, but they are
confident that UAVs could have a
place in agriculture in the future.
“We still need to prove how we
can use these things to the best of
our abilities,” said Phil Hamm,
HAREC director. “As long as we
can keep moving forward with
these things and identify the
good, the bad and the ugly, I think
they have real potential.” S
Fungus
Growers have plenty of
options to use in 2015
By Melanie Epp
O
ne of the most
challenging problems in
potato production is the
possibility of fungus forming on
the potatoes. Whether it’s early
blight, a potentially destructive
disease that can result in smaller
tubers, yield loss and lower tuber
dry matter content, or late blight,
which can devastate entire crops,
as it did during the Irish Potato
Famine, potato fungus can be a
real problem. Luckily, growers do
have options. Here’s what to look
for in 2015.
Bayer CropScience
Currently, Bayer CropScience
has a number of products on the
market, including Serenade Soil,
Luna Tranquility, Ernesto Silver,
Scala and Reason.
By reducing fungal and bacterial
soil diseases, strengthening roots
and encouraging better nutrient
uptake, Serenade Soil is said
to fortify plants right from the
beginning. Its active ingredient,
30
Fighters
Bacillus subtilis
strain QST 713,
is a beneficial
soil bacterium.
It protects young
plants by quickly building a disease
protection zone around the plant’s
roots. It delivers broad-spectrum
disease reduction for both fungal
and bacterial diseases, including
pythium, rhizoctonia, fusarium
and phytophthora.
Because it contains a new class
of chemistry, Luna Tranquility
provides a unique systemic
solution for some of the most
problematic fungal diseases in
potatoes, including early blight,
white mold, black dot and
botrytis, according to Bayer.
By using two active ingredients
from different groups —
fluopyram (FRAC Group 7) and
pyrimethanil (FRAC Group 3) —
Luna Tranquility reduces the risk
of developing resistance, making
it an effective option for resistance
management programs.
Emesto Silver, a liquid fungicide
potato seed piece treatment, uses
two modes of action with two
different chemistries — penflufen
and prothioconazole — to manage
important seedborne diseases.
According to Bayer CropScience,
Emesto Silver provides excellent
management of seedborne
rhizoctonia, suppression of fusarium
tuber rot, including resistant
strains, and protection against
helminthosporium. It has been
available in the U.S. since 2013.
Scala provides control against
late season early blight, brown spot
and botrytis. Effective in cool, wet
and rainy conditions, Scala also
manages increasing strobilurin
resistance from early blight.
Reason 500 SC provides disease
control of early blight, late blight
and black dot, suppression only.
The active ingredient in Reason
penetrates leaf tissue, protecting
both sides of the leaf surface and
killing spores that cause disease.
“While Reason fungicide was
introduced more than two years
ago, it just received registration for
seedborne late blight in the U.S.,
making it the only new ingredient
brought to market in more than 20
years for this type of protection,”
said Whitney Jinks, Porter
Novelli account coordinator for
Bayer CropScience.
Syngenta
For 2015, Syngenta is anticipating
the registration of two new potato
fungicide active ingredients.
“The first, Solatenol fungicide,
will be combined with azoxystrobin
and will be marketed as Elatus
fungicide for use in-furrow at
planting for rhizoctonia control,”
said Syngenta spokeswoman
Melissa Curtin.
“With two modes of action,
a Qol and new SDHI (succinate
dehydrogenase inhibitor)
in FRAC group 7, Elatus
demonstrates excellent preventive
activity against rhizoctonia with
no cross-resistance to strobilurin
or triazole fungicides.”
“The second active ingredient,
oxathiapiprolin, has been developed
for control of late blight,” Curtain
said. “In addition to high intrinsic
activity, oxathiapiprolin, will be
the first fungicide in FRAC group
U15, and is not cross-resistant to
other fungicides. Oxathiapiprolin
demonstrates exceptional
preventive activity against late
blight at low use rates and will
complement spray programs that
utilize other modes of action.”
Elatus and products containing
Solatenol fungicide or
oxathiapiprolin currently are not
registered for sale or use in the U.S.
DuPont
This year, DuPont is launching
a new fungicide concept in
potatoes, V2 Advantage. V2
Advantage is a full-season
potato management program
that combines DuPont’s Hydrate
C-LV insecticide/nematicide
and DuPont’s Vertisan fungicide.
The V2 Advantage is DuPont’s
effort to reduce or replace metam
sodium use.
The benefits of DuPont V2
Advantage, said Hilary Winn,
DuPont spokeswoman, is that
it promotes consistent yield and
quality, it provides the ability to
maintain better control of the crop
and it promotes stronger, more
vigorous plants. To learn more about
the V2 Advantage, call your local
DuPont retailer or representative.
Third party research
Miller Research is an
independent research company,
based in south-central Idaho, that
is dedicated to providing scientific
research for the improvement of
crop protection. Miller Research
evaluates different fungicide
programs each year.
“We probably look at close to
30 different programs each year
and within those we may have
10-12 different fungicides,” said
Jeff Miller, president
and CEO. “We try to
find the best way to
use it at the best time
to apply it. Through
all of that we’ve had a pretty good
understanding, at least in our area,
which fungicides work well for
which diseases.”
While Miller said that you’ll
see regional differences all across
the United States, he offers a more
western perspective. In the Pacific
Northwest, Endura from BASF
has been the go-to product for
managing early blight and white
mold for probably 10 years now.
“This is the number one fungicide
used in our area,” Miller said.
“Then we started getting resistance
to it — at least, early blight disease
has seen resistance to Endura.”
In 2013, Bayer CropScience
introduced Luna Tranquility,
which has since become the new
standard for growers.
“It has been very effective,
it manages both diseases, and
it really gives the best control,”
Miller said. “Luna Tranquility, in
my mind, would replace Endura
as the standard fungicide for
growers to use.”
There are some newer products
on the market, Miller said,
mentioning Vertisan from DuPont
and others from BASF. “While they
are effective at managing diseases,
they have not been as effective as
Luna Tranquility.”
This year, Miller Research tested
a total of 29 different fungicide
programs. The research revealed
the following information:
fighters continued on page 32
31
fighters continued from page 31
www.
32
.com
• Luna Tranquility was the
most effective fungicide
against early blight and
white mold
• Programs with Luna
Tranquility and Endura
generally had the lowest
white mold incidence
• Programs based on Quadris
Top and QWN-10126 are
effective against early blight,
but did not control white mold
• Programs utilizing Quash
generally had the highest
yields when disease control
was not the most effective
Early blight control with
Endura is not as effective as it
was a few years ago, Miller said.
“We never want to use repeatedly
multiple fungicides from the same
mode of action or we’re going
to develop resistance,” he said.
“And that’s what happened with
Endura. It was used so much that
eventually resistance occurred.”
Miller said that the most effective
solution is Luna Tranquility in
combination with Quash, a relatively
new fungicide from Valent.
“Quash is in a different category
than Luna Tranquility,” he said.
“We’ve found that by using the two
of those together you get the best
disease control and you actually
get the highest yield.”
Quash, he said, seems to have
an effect on increasing potato
yields, even though it doesn’t offer
the greatest disease control.
“It does seem to improve yield,
so there must be some kind of plant
health response in that,” Miller said.
“We’ve found that using Luna
Tranquility and Quash together is
really the best approach.” S
A lab worker in BioConsortia’s New
Zealand facility injects beakers
as part of the effort to identify
combinations of beneficial microbes.
Allied
Powers
It takes a community to
build a consortia
By Lee Dean
Editorial Director
W
hen you’re in a fight, it helps to know
who (and where) your friends are.
That is the guiding principle behind
a new technology that identifies the traits of
compatible organisms and then forms them into
partnerships, called consortia, to protect crops.
The ultimate objective for using consortia is to
enhance fertilizer efficiency, intrinsic growth yields,
crop yields and beneficial plant rates, all of which
contribute to higher profits for the grower. They also
contribute to getting the attributes in raw fruits and
vegetables that make them more desirable to freshcut processors, such as plant vigor, higher sugars and
overall health.
The next steps in the effort to bring this technology
to growers are being taken by BioConsortia, the
parent company of BioDiscovery New Zealand, the
firm that discovered a method for rapidly identifying
microbes that form cooperating consortia.
Marcus Meadows-Smith, former CEO of
biopesticides company AgraQuest (now part
of Bayer CropScience) is now the CEO of
BioConsortia. In August, the company opened its
new headquarters and R&D laboratories in Davis,
California. The location puts BioConsortia near a
34
Bacteria come together to form a consortia to give
plants and soil a set of desired characteristics.
Photos: BioConsortia
number of other crop protection and biotechnology
firms and the University of California, Davis.
Consortia are an already-existing part of nature,
Meadows-Smith said.
“Microbes are in every soil. When a farmer
plants seed, microbes associate with it. Often they
are beneficial — they help the plant to grow and
get something back from the plant. Others are
pathogenic and many are neutral. What we look to
do is exploit the beneficial effects,” he said.
Trying to find the most beneficial matches of microbes
is a task that is can be overwhelming for conventional
research and development methods, Meadows-Smith
said. The normal procedure would have meant workers
sifting through tens of thousands of microbes and
testing them one by one for their combinations.
As an alternative, BioConsortia places the plants in
growth chambers and in a variety of natural and synthetic
soils, and allows the plants to select the microbes.
“That was absolutely the enormous
breakthrough,” Meadows-Smith said. “We keep all of
the other variables equal. We use the same seed and
the same watering regime.”
The plants with the most desirable phenotypes are
selected, and their microbes are isolated. From there,
using a proprietary technology,
the best microbial combination
(consortium) is selected.
Each soil has its own microbial
community, depending on the
type of soil and the crops it
produces. In nature, these soils
attract a variety of microbes,
including those that are harmful
to the plant. The BioConsortia
R and D platform starts with
collection of soil samples from
a diverse range of areas, from
which microbes are selected.
The microbes are classified as
superior, neutral or pathogenic.
Only the microbes with the
desired qualities are selected to
go forward and become part of a
seed treatment or other product.
After the best microbes are
selected, researchers begin to identify
the best combinations (consortia),
using their new R and D model
that is driven by DNA sequencing.
“It’s a very rapid process,
especially when compared to the
conventional model of testing
individual microbes one by one
from the library,” MeadowsSmith said. “We can look through
the full selection of 100,000
microbes in a year. With the
conventional method, we would
need three to four years with the
same amount of people. Because
it is a very fast process, we can
get on to specific solutions.”
BioConsortia will partner
with fertilizer, seed/traits and
crop protection companies to
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35
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bring products based on the new technology to
growers. Field trials with growers, universities,
independent contractors and distributors are
planned in the U.S. and Europe in 2015. Field trials
are already underway in New Zealand.
The first round of solutions are anticipated in
the form of liquid seed treatments (for corn, wheat,
rice and other row crops), granules for pasture and
a drench for high-value fruit and vegetable crops,
which may be applied as a wettable powder.
The drench application will be a solution
customized for the needs of fruit and vegetable
growers, Meadows-Smith said.
“Fruits and vegetables usually get a hand-medown from row crops. What we’ve found is our
process is so fast and efficient that we can actually
run trials that are crop-specific to optimize and find
the best consortia for an individual crop,” he said.
Products now in research and development
include those that enhance the effects of fertilizer,
provide growth improvement and improve plant
traits such as abiotic tolerance, biotic resistance
36
to diseases and pests and enhanced expression
of antioxidants, color or sugar. At present, work
on sugar content is planned for sugar beet and
sugarcane, but Meadows-Smith said the R and D
model could also work with sweet corn.
In 2015, trials are scheduled for tomatoes and
leafy greens. These crops will be evaluated for yield
increase, reduced fertilizer inputs and increased plant
quality. Researchers are also looking at ways to get
two crops in one season in warmer climates (such as
winter-fruiting and summer-fruiting tomatoes).
There is no research yet for tree fruit, but that
work may be launched in 2015. Meadows-Smith
said some of the microbial consortia hold promise
in associating with root systems as a mycorrhizal
product to help increase fruit size and enhance
fertilizer efficiency.
Any products using consortia would not be
biopesticides, but products that impact yield, which
means they should have a quicker registration,
Meadows-Smith said. The first products using
BioConsortia technology may hit the market by 2017. S
This vial of DNATrax is among the new solutions
companies are devising to accomplish product
tracking and traceability.
Photo: DNATrek
The Future of Potatoes
Traceability
Trends
Look for DNA barcodes and
a shift to a risk-based model
Meek said that he sees computer automation leading
the way in traceability in the future with a seamless
communication between growers and consumers.
Meek envisions a communication platform in which
the consumer can go past the retailer, the distributor or
the shipper and go directly to the grower.
“It won’t necessarily have to be any third party
between them,” Meek said. “The consumer could find
everything about the product by scanning a code or
going online. There will be complete disclosure to
everything as it relates to the consumer.”
With the technological innovations of
smartphones and tablets, Meek said a consumer
can find out with a click or snap of an app what
the growing conditions of a product was and make
their purchases based on information provided by
the growers.
DNA Testing On the Rise
By Keith Loria
Contributing Writer
T
racking and traceability issues have always
been important considerations in the produce
industry, but because of food safety and
inventory control concerns, it has been top-of-mind
for more companies of late.
Currently, a variety of measures are used to
monitor and report product as it moves through the
chain of custody, but things are changing — and fast.
Anthony Zografos, founder and CEO of
DNATREK, based in Oakland, California, believes
the globalization of the food supply chain will result
in much higher complexity and an increasing need
for traceability in the years ahead.
“However, exactly because of the global nature
of the food supply chain, reliance on regional or
national traceability standards will not be a viable
approach,” he said. “Cost will be a key driver and
this will result in the traceability paradigm shifting
towards a risk based approach.”
In his opinion, traceability will not be a byproduct of systems intended to promote supply-chain
efficiencies but will rely on stand-alone systems with
very low implementation burdens that will allow
38
management of the key risks in the supply chain as
opposed to providing full supply chain visibility.
Jennifer McEntire, food safety/trace expert vice
president and chief science officer for the Acheson
Group, said there are a number of sophisticated
methods already out there, and others emerging
(DNA barcodes, looking at the DNA of the product
itself, fingerprints associated with the products),
with the future lying in technology.
“There are technological solutions related to either
having one centralized database, and having things in the
cloud that are linked — sort of a Google of traceability,”
she said. “The challenge is really industry adoption.”
McEntire feels that the industry as a whole won’t
do anything until further FDA regulations come
about, but even when they do, it won’t be adequate.
“One of the things to pay attention to is the industrydriven initiatives, as I believe we will see more
progress on that front in the years ahead,” she said.
The Potato Perspective
Bob Meek, CEO of Wada Farms Marketing
Group, sits on the executive committee of the
Produce Traceability Initiative and has been an
outspoken representative for the potato industry’s
traceability concerns.
The ability of using DNA testing on food products
is already available, but companies shy away from it
because of cost and the unfamiliarity with it all.
Zografos feels that DNA testing of product
will remain a useful tool for certain types of food
products, but not as widespread as others believe.
“Because of the globalization and increasing
complexity and diversity of the supply chain and the
cost of testing, its implementation will remain very
limited,” he says. “The use of DNA-based barcoding
systems will expand because of their accuracy, low
cost and ease of global implementation.”
The system DNATREK has developed is a sprayon tagged DNA based edible “barcode” that applies
all traceability information directly on the product
surface and can be read in minutes.
“If barcodes have been applied to the product
at multiple nodes, all traceability information can
be read concurrently, again in just a few minutes,”
Zografos said. “The implementation burden is very
low, recurring costs are lower than any of today’s
methods and combined with standard inventory
control systems it can offer a highly effective
traceability solution.”
When it comes to DNA testing, McEntire feels
some public perception issues need to be overcome
before it’s made more mainstream.
Further Matters
A slew of other factors will play a role in
traceability standards in the future, including
advancements in labels, environmental monitoring,
warehousing, logistics and trucking.
“Intelligent labels and intelligent packing materials
will incorporate monitors for storage conditions
including temperature, humidity and other relevant
environmental parameters,” Zografos said.
Ed Treacy, vice president, supply chain efficiencies
for the Produce Marketing Association and cochairman of the Produce Traceability Initiative working
group, said standardized, scalable case labels will
soon be the requirement and the norm when it comes
to traceability — and not just in North America.
“It’s a very efficient way of transmitting data
between trading partners, as the key information is
on the label and each trading partner in the supply
chain that gets the case can scan it and track it,” he
says. “Labels are very new to our industry, but we’re
seeing the same requirements right across the world.”
A Look Ahead
Although no one can say for certain what traceability
will look like a decade from now, one thing everyone
can agree on is that it will not look like it looks today.
“Traceback in a global supply chain with
today’s systems is essentially impossible,” Zografos
said. “The geographical areas where most risk
is introduced in the food supply chain are the
areas where they can least afford to implement
sophisticated traceability systems. Track and trace
will be based on systems that ‘instantly’ trace
product back through the supply chain to the nodes
where most risk is introduced.”
Ten years from now, McEntire expects to see a
whole let less paper being used in the process.
“Once we move away from paper, we can
leverage the technology that is out there. When
there’s a whole lot more data available
electronically, we can begin to mine that data and
look for trends, which leads to better traceability,”
she said. “Ultimately, it comes down to cost.
Adding codes or labels, or scanning labels, all
require time and effort and resources and I don’t
expect to see voluntary adoption.” S
39
O
E
HU
NDRED Y
EA
R
S
N
The Potato Association of America mission statement: The PAA and its allied associations must strongly
support the private sector through Extension, research and commercialization efforts aimed at enhancing
of
PO
TAT
O RESE
AR
C
H
the role of the potato as the premier food source for the 21st century.
P OTATO A S S O C I AT I O N
of AMERICA
Eyes in the Sky
UAVs provide aerial perspective to aid potato research
D
rones are in the headlines.
Rarely a week goes by
without a story about
these remarkable flying machines
and their potential applications,
from delivering packages and air
strikes to surveying real estate and
agricultural fields. Since the word
“drone” is often used in conjunction
with military operations, this article
will use the term unmanned aerial
vehicle (UAV) instead.
How can a UAV improve the
way we conduct agricultural
research? The answer appears
to be limited only by our own
imagination. The most basic
application is to monitor canopy
development using a visible light
camera. It is not practical to take
extensive notes on every plot of
every trial repeatedly throughout
the growing season. However, it
takes only minutes for a UAV to
fly over a field and shoot photos
of hundreds of plots, which can be
archived and reviewed as needed.
In fact, the aerial images provide
a permanent record of each field
plot. This allows us to go back
40
and revisit a field while we are
analyzing data collected later in the
season. For example, a plot with a
low yield in one replication may be
found, in retrospect, to have been
stressed during a short but critical
time in the growing season.
Thinking beyond in-season
comparisons, we can use images
from UAVs to compare the
growth of plants across years.
We can compare canopy growth
across many years and relate
it to variables such as weather
conditions and agronomic
practices. Images taken above the
crop canopy will likely uncover
information about the history
of a field that is not apparent
on the ground. Decades ago,
aerial photos taken by aircraft
at our research station revealed
differences in plant growth that
could be tracked to rotation
history. We can now follow this
effect regularly and inexpensively
using a UAV. The information
can be used to tease out
confounding factors that affect
our field trials.
Aerial images provide an
unbiased look at our research
fields. Every year, I carry out a
verticillium wilt trial in which
varieties are grown on both
fumigated and inoculated fields.
I walk through these fields and
score each plot for disease and
vigor. Despite my best efforts
to be consistent and unbiased,
I know that the score I assign
to a plot may be influenced by
my view of surrounding plots.
Consequently, a high vigor score
in the inoculated field may not be
the same as that in the fumigated
field. However, a comparison of
aerial images from the two fields
is unbiased, especially if digital
imaging software is used to
measure vine size. Similarly, I can
envision researchers comparing
aerial images from regional
trials such as those carried out
by breeders evaluating potential
new cultivars.
We are moving into
applications that extend beyond
simple measures of vine growth.
Of course, flower initiation
Shelley Jansky with the unmanned aerial
vehicle used in her research.
Photo: Bill Schaefer
and the length of the flowering
period, which are associated with
maturity, can be recorded with
digital images. Vine color data can
aid in our scoring of maturity and
the incidence of diseases such as
verticillium wilt and early blight.
Images from a high-resolution
camera can actually reveal stresses
at the leaf level. The next step is
to fly an infrared camera over the
field to monitor biotic and abiotic
stresses. Compared to normal
plants, those with compromised
vascular function are expected
to have warmer leaves due to a
reduction in evaporative cooling.
The payload on a UAV does not
need to be limited to cameras. We
have flown petri dishes over our
fields and captured fungal spores.
Insects could be similarly sampled.
This is an exciting time to be
doing agricultural research. Many
powerful tools, including digital
cameras, massive data storage,
See more online
Watch Shelley Jansky discuss
UAV research at Spudman.com
and imaging software are evolving
along with UAVs. These
complementary technologies
work together to accelerate our
progress toward the development
of new strategies for improving
agricultural production. S
Shelley Jansky is a research
geneticist at the USDA Agricultural
Research Service in Madison,
Wisconsin and an associate professor
in the Department of Horticulture at
the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
41
S
t
g
a
n
r
i
s
s
i
R
Maine potato organizations give awards
,
l
a
n
o
i
t
a
N
By Bill Schaefer
Managing Editor
Da Silva receives NPC scholarship
The National Potato Council (NPC) awarded its
2014-15 academic scholarship to Washington Luis
da Silva in August 2014.
Da Silva is working towards a Ph.D. in plant pathology at
Cornell University. His academic adviser is Stewart Gray,
the director of plant pathology graduate studies at Cornell.
Gray said that da Silva has proven to be a leader and
quick study since he arrived in June, 2013.
“Cornell was actually my dream school,” da Silva
said. “Since I was an undergrad I really wanted to
come to Cornell. For my master’s I went to Louisiana
State University and my adviser, Christopher Clark, is a
Cornell alumnus. He encouraged me to pursue a Ph.D.
at Cornell. I applied and was accepted.”
His current research is focused on potato tuber
necrotic ringspot disease, and could offer insight into
issues related to infections from potato virus Y facing
the potato industry.
Da Silva grew up on a farm in southeast Brazil in the
state of Minas Gerais. He said that his father primarily grows
sugarcane for production of cachaca, a distilled spirit.
“My father used to grow tomatoes and we had a lot of
disease and loss,” da Silva said. “That made me interested
in the disease side of agriculture and potato is an
excellent model to study plant disease, especially viruses.”
Upon completion of his doctorate, da Silva would
like to become a professor and researcher.
“I like teaching, transferring knowledge and
conducting research,” he said.
“I would like to thank NPC for this prestigious
scholarship,” da Silva said. “Not only has it been a vital
42
help in cutting the cost of my graduate studies but
it’s also made our research program here at Cornell
more visible.”
The NPC awards one $10,000 scholarship annually to
a graduate student pursuing advanced studies that will
improve the future of the potato industry. Scholarship
selection is based on academic achievement, leadership
abilities and the potential commercial value of the
applicant’s academic work.
Irving selected Maine’s
Young Farmer of the Year
The Maine Potato Board selected Robbie Irving as
its 2014 Young Farmer of the Year. Irving represents
the sixth generation of the Irving family to raise
potatoes in central Aroostook County. He is the son of
Steve and Patti Irving, of Washburn, Maine.
Irving’s great-great-great-grandfather, John Irving,
started the family farm in the late 1800s. His greatgrandfather, John Irving, established the home farm in
Washburn in 1936.
Today Irving Farms is located in Caribou, where Irving
farms with his two uncles, Scott Irving and Jeff Irving.
His father recently retired from the farm operation.
Irving Farms raises 1,800 acres of potatoes and
grains. The farm handles and packs all sizes of white,
russet, red and yellow potatoes for the fresh market.
It distributes and markets processing potatoes and all
varieties of foundation and certified seed.
Irving is the vice president of Irving Farms and the
logistics coordinator for Irving Farms Marketing and
North State Transportation. He also serves as the food
safety coordinator for Irving Farms.
Robbie and his wife, Meagan, have two children,
4-year old Carter and 11-month old Evelyn. S
National Potato Council
United Potato Growers of America
Improving the
WIC program
John Keeling
Executive Vice President and CEO
T
he Special Supplemental
Nutrition Program for
Women, Infants and
Children (WIC) program is
designed to provide nutrition
education and to increase
the intake of key nutrients
for a population with special
nutritional needs. Picture a
grocery store clerk telling a
mother that she cannot use
the WIC vouchers provided by
USDA to purchase fresh, white
potatoes but any other fruit or
vegetable in the grocery store is
acceptable. Think of the message
that sends about the nutritional
value of a potato. Although she
could buy the same potato with a
voucher at a farmer’s market, until
Congress acted last year, grocery
store potatoes were off limits.
44
On Dec. 16, 2014, President
Obama signed the Consolidated
and Further Continuing
Appropriations Act, 2015, into
law. The law authorizes funding
for most of the federal government
through Sept. 30, 2015 and includes
direction from Congress on fresh,
white potatoes and WIC. The
bill includes language that will
allow, for the first time, fresh,
white potatoes to be purchased
in grocery stores with vouchers
from the WIC program. The WIC
program was expanded in 2009
to allow participants to use WIC
vouchers to purchase all fresh fruits
and vegetables, with the singular
exception of fresh, white potatoes.
For the past several years,
National Potato Council (NPC)
has worked to include fresh white,
potatoes for purchase in the WIC
program on the basis of nutritional
science. Potassium and fiber,
consistently identified by the USDA
and the Department of Health and
Human Services as “nutrients of
concern,” are plentiful in potatoes
at an affordable cost, according to
USDA data. Nutrients of concern
are designated as such when intake
by Americans is low enough to be
of public health concern. Mothers
will now be able to use the WIC
vouchers provided by USDA to
purchase fresh, white potatoes just
as they have been able to do with all
other fresh fruits and vegetables.
NPC is pleased that the efforts
of the potato industry came to
fruition at the conclusion of the
113th Congress. Educating
members of Congress on the
nutritional value of potatoes for
all consumers but particularly for
the special needs of WIC
participants was the catalyst for
mandating the change in policy.
Members of Congress from both
sides of the aisle saw the
importance of mothers and their
children having the ability to use
WIC vouchers to buy a bag of
potatoes that is affordable and
nutritious and stretches their WIC
dollars. The potato community is
greatly appreciative of the
leadership shown by Congress to
pass this bill and return common
sense to the WIC program by
recognizing the nutritional value
of fresh, white potatoes. S
Profitability depends
on supply
I
n September,1960, Iran,
Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia
and Venezuela got together
and formed the Organization of
Petroleum Exporting Countries
(OPEC). Later, nine other oilexporting nations (Qatar, Libya,
United Arab Emirates, Algeria,
Angola, Gabon, and Nigeria)
joined OPEC. OPEC’s stated
objective was “to co-ordinate
petroleum production among
member countries to create
an efficient, economic and
regular supply of petroleum to
consuming nations along with a
fair return to industry investors.”
The idea began with organizers
hoping to move price from $3/
barrel to $8/barrel. At the time,
powerful multinational petroleum
companies, generally located in
the U.S. and Europe, controlled
the world market, pocketing
significant margins.
This modest effort to improve
OPEC’s members’ lot in life
created an effect unimaginable at
the outset but overwhelming soon
after it begun: “If we can get $8/
barrel, then $12/barrel, then $20/
barrel, why not $100/barrel?” And
so the energy crisis began. OPEC
rose to international prominence
during the 1970s as oil prices rose
steeply, triggered by the Arab oil
embargo in 1973 and, ostensibly,
by the Iranian revolution in 1979.
After reaching record levels in
the early 1980s, prices began
to weaken, responding to a
production increase that had
come about as a direct result of
higher pricing. While $3/barrel
oil attracted little capital, $100/
barrel brought outliers from all
around the globe into the game.
Enter intense oil exploration,
generally offshore, and new
technology called fracking. Oil
production thrived through the
1990s and 2000s beneath OPEC’s
production/price umbrella.
OPEC’s innovative price
mechanism temporarily stabilized
teetering crude prices in the
present decade. But a combination
of market forces, speculation
and increasing production
finally brought the situation to a
head. Because of the heavy civil
obligations that OPEC members
have placed upon this resource,
the need to manage this crisis
exceeds anything in the past: Every
Saudi home enjoys a piece of that
oil dividend, minimizing political
unrest. What would happen to the
ruling class should this no longer
be possible? Much the same
threatens other countries.
At the bottom of this intrigue,
apart from political turmoil, lies, as
it always does, the economic reality
of supply/demand/price. While
supply has a volume factor, at its
Jerry P. Wright
President and CEO
base is a factor just as vital: cost.
Being the low-cost producer of a
commodity makes one the master
of that commodity. Chevron’s
100-year-old California oil fields
still produce copious amounts of
oil at or near $12/barrel. Middle
Eastern oil can also still be
pumped for around $12/barrel.
Fracking tired and weakened wells,
oil can be extracted at between
$45 and $75/barrel. Averaging
these production costs, what will
be the price that keeps everyone in
business? Who will be driven out?
How will transportation fit into
the equation? Has the Middle East
lost the U.S. market due to higher
freight charges?
Since there is no OPEC or
cartel in place for fresh potatoes,
the triple play of supply/demand/
price is where it is. Fresh potato
growers have learned that growing
the crop (i.e., supply) that the
market demands results in a fair
price for all. Attempts at lowering
one’s cost of production by
increasing yields without
adjusting acres only serves to
oversupply already unbalanced
and highly price sensitive
markets. In fresh potatoes,
profitability hinges principally on
one factor — SUPPLY. S
45
United States Potato Board
Idaho Potato Commission
Developing long
term demand
John Toaspern
Chief Marketing Officer
O
ne of the core
responsibilities of the
United States Potato
Board (USPB) is to build longterm demand for U.S. potatoes.
In order to continually stay on
top of consumer motivations
and intelligently allocate our
resources, the USPB heavily
prioritizes consumer research.
This fall we completed one of
the most ambitious consumer
research projects ever undertaken
at the USPB — a robust,
quantitative segmentation of U.S.
consumers. The overall objective
of this market segmentation was
to provide a more comprehensive
understanding of the opportunities
and challenges to increasing
demand necessary to reassess the
USPB’s target audience, make key
program decisions, and inform
the long range plan (LRP).
This quantitative study was
conducted in September 2014
through an online survey of a
representative sample of the
U.S. population.
While the study provides
much more insight than can
be outlined briefly, here are a
handful of key findings:
• Notably, the evolving
lifestyle of Americans has
46
resulted in dramatic shifts
in the way consumers are
devoting time to eating.
As lifestyles change, the
time devoted to traditional
meals is rapidly decreasing,
with only 22 percent of
Americans reporting they
are eating three traditional
meals every day. Consumers
are relying on convenienceoriented foods for quick
meal solutions at home, and
they frequent restaurants
that can deliver on this
quality as well.
• When consumers were
asked about what attributes
were important in selecting
food, they cited traditional
choices like taste, value
and health, but also ranked
convenience as one of the
top motivating factors.
• Another key finding is
consumers’ definition of
what constitutes healthy
food. Whereas healthy has
frequently been focused
around low-calorie and
low-fat, consumers now
report fresh and natural
are the two single biggest
characteristics of food they
deem to be healthy.
• In terms of specific potato
insights, respondents reported
one in five dinners at home
include a potato dish, but
that number increases to 25
percent when asked the same
question about dining out. In
fact, potatoes are the single
most popular food ordered
at restaurants.
Using lifestyle, food and
cooking attitudes and behaviors,
the USPB divided the U.S.
population into seven distinct
consumer segments. These seven
segments are defined as follows.
1.Value & Convenience
2. Cooking for Health
3. Creative Cooks
4. Adventurous Diner
5. Live to Eat
6. Short Order Cook
7. Too Busy to Cook
These data and insights were
applied to the strategic
planning process for the FY16
(July 2015–June 2016)
programs and will be used to
ensure implementation is
targeted in the most effective
manner. The information will
also be used extensively in the
development of the USPB’s new
five-year long range plan that
will go into effect in FY17 (July
1, 2016–June 30, 2021). Next
month I will discuss the
strategic and programmatic
modifications to the FY16
program recently approved by
your grower leadership. S
Expanding Potato
Lover’s Month
D
uring the past 24
years the Idaho Potato
Commission’s (IPC)
Potato Lover’s Month (PLM)
Retail Display Contest has
become one of the most highly
anticipated promotions in retail
produce departments around the
country. Last year a record 5,000
retailers participated and we
anticipate that number to be even
higher in 2015.
With more than two decades of
experience under our belt, we’ve
learned how to create a contest
that not only engages consumers
and drives sales, it motivates store
employees, too.
Timing: The IPC launched
the PLM retail display contest
in February of 1990, to help give
sluggish produce sales a boost.
Inclement weather and postholiday cutbacks on spending
(and over-eating) make February,
typically, the slowest month of
the year in the produce aisle but
also the ripest for a lucrative
promotion. This year, for the
first time ever, we’ve extended
the competition period from
four weeks to eight weeks so that
retailers have more time to tap
into this popular merchandising
event. The contest will run from
Jan. 12 to March 13, 2105.
Prize structure: In my 11 years
at the IPC I’ve seen thousands
of entries and there’s no doubt
that many hours are invested
in planning and building a
winning display. And, one of the
reasons produce departments
are so passionate about this
contest is because there are many
opportunities to win — more
than $150,000 in cash and prizes
are awarded. The prize structure
is based on the number of cash
registers in the store. Retailers
compete with other same-size
stores in one of three categories:
1-5 cash registers, 6-9 cash
registers, or more than 10 cash
registers. Entrants within each
store category are eligible to win
these prizes:
• 1st place – $1,500
• 2nd place – $1,000
• 3rd place – $750
• 4th place – $500
• 5th place – $250
Everyone’s a winner…including
managers: Everyone who submits
an eligible entry this year will
receive a Cuisinart Advantage
cutlery set complete with a solid
wood knife block. Managers
at stores that qualify for a 1st
through 5th place prize will also
receive an equivalent cash prize.
Promotional partner:
Every year the IPC partners
with a popular potato pairing
ingredient and this year it’s
Hormel Real Bacon Bits. In
Frank Muir
President and CEO
order to be eligible to win,
retailers must include Hormel
Real Bacon Bits in their display.
Making it easy to enter: Every
display must incorporate several
components including clearly
marked fresh Idaho potatoes
(bag, bulk or both), Idaho
dehydrated potato products and
Hormel Real Bacon Bits, along
with point-of-sale materials from
IPC and Hormel Foods. Retailers
simply snap a photo of the
display and submit it online with
their entry form.
The PLM display contest
review committee reviews every
entry and judges them based
on the use of PLM signage,
creativity of the display, how the
display incorporates the partner
products and perceived salability
of the display. Winners will be
announced by June 1, 2015.
We are very proud of how the
PLM retail display contest has
evolved into one of the biggest
produce merchandising events in
the country. The positive feedback
we continue to receive every year
helps us refine our program so
that more retailers are not only
encouraged to enter but they
build displays that outshine
previous years. S
47
Calendar & Classifieds
Ad Index
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Feb. 3-5 – University of Wisconsin & Wisconsin
Potato and Vegetable Growers Association
Grower Education Conference and 66th
Annual Industry Show, Holiday Inn Hotel and
Convention Center, Stevens Point, Wis.,
715-623-7683, jbraun@wisconsinpotatoes.com.
Feb. 10-11 – Michigan Potato Industry
Commission Winter Potato Conference &
Michigan State University Variety Day,
Bellaire, Mich., Shanty Creek Resort,
517-253-7370, info@mipotato.com.
Feb. 10-12 – Southern Rocky Mountain Ag
Conference and Trade Show, Ski Hi Park,
Monte Vista, Colo., 719-852-3322,
www.coloradopotato.org
Feb. 17 – Northern Plains Potato Growers
Association Annual Meeting, Alerus Center,
Grand Forks, N.D., 218-773-3633,
dpeycke@nppga.org.
For a complete calendar listing,
visit www.spudman.com.
CLASSIFIEDS
FOR sale
Bulk Box Dumper, two horsepower 1725 rpm - 115/230 volts
general electric motor Vicker Vane hydraulic pump, willing to
demonstrate, leave message 269-471-7177.
Place a classified in Spudman. Selling or auctioning something?
Looking for someone to hire? Email frontdesk@greatamericanpublish.com
or call 616-887-9008, ext. 112.
FREE
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hashas
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approved
forfor
Certified
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Crop
Crop
Advisor
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Nutrient
Nutrient
Management
Management
and
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Soil
& Water
& Water
Management
Management
MAINTAINING
MAINTAINING PP
IN
TISSUES
IN POTATO
POTATO TISSUES
FOR
MAXIMUMECONOMIC
ECONOMIC
MARKETABLE
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FOR MAXIMUM
MARKETABLE
YIELD:
ADVERTISER INDEX
Company
Phone
Website
Page
Actagro LLC
877-843-2700
www.actagro.com
18
Ag Engineering & Development Co., Inc
800-627-9099
www.dammerdiker.com
49
Agrium Inc.
877-247-4861
www.smartnitrogen.com
AMVAC Chemical Corporation
888-462-6822
www.amvac-chemical.com
Bayer CropScience
866-992-2937
www.bayercropscience.us
7
Colorado Certified Potato Growers Association
719-274-5996
www.coloradocertifiedpotatogrowers.com
8
Compass Minerals
855-313-3331
www.protassiumplus.com
33
CSS Potato Farms LLC
719-676-2791
www.cssfarms.com
36
Dow AgroSciences LLC
317-337-3000
www.blackhawkinsecticide.com
43
DuPont Crop Protection
888-638-7668
v2advantage.dupont.com
52
E-Z Tarp Company
208-684-3734
www.ez-tarp.com
48
Hanse Seed Corp.
954-217-0964
www.hanseseed.com
35
Kerian Machines Inc.
701-352-0480
www.kerian.com
32
Lindsay - Zimmatic Corporation
866-365-7381
www.myfieldnet.com
29
Maine Seed Potato Board
207-769-5061
www.mainepotatoes.com
14
Nelson Irrigation
509-525-7660
www.nelsonirrigation.com
27
Nichino America, Inc.
888-740-7700
www.nichino.net
15
ORO Agri Inc.
559-442-4996
www.oroagri.com
37
Ostara Nutrient Recovery Technologies
604-408-6697
www.crystalgreen.com
28
Pieper Farms LLC
218-783-6610
www.pieperfarmsllc.com
44
Southern Field Welding
208-677-2222
www.southernfieldwelding.com
22
Spudnik Equipment Co., LLC
208-785-0480
www.spudnik.com
20
U.S. Potato Board
303-369-7783
www.uspotatoes.com
Valley Irrigation
800-825-6668
www.valleyirrigation.com
25
Valley Tissue Culture Inc.
218-456-2161
www.potatoseed.com
32
Volm Companies
888-349-8656
www.volmcompanies.com
Wilbur-Ellis Company
800-500-1698
ag.wilburellis.com
23
2-3
9, 17, 19, 21
5
51
Coming Next Issue Planting Issue
Fertilization and Nutrient Management, Seed Treatments and Crop Protection Round-Up: Insecticides
Join Dr. Bryan
and Trudy Naugler
Klassen (P. Ag),FERTILIZER
as they present
IMPACT
OF Hopkins
SLOW-RELEASE
PHOSPHORUS
research on the importance of phosphorus (P) management for profitable
Join
Dr. production
Bryan Hopkins
and
Dr. of
Dan
Froehlich
as they share
potato
and the
impact
innovative
slow-release
phosphorus
product on
Crystal
Green® on
improved
nutrient
research
improving
nutrient
and
watermanagement.
efficiency and the
development of innovative agronomic products and technologies.
WED., FEB. 18, 1– 2: :00 PM ET
WED
., FEB. 18, 1– 2 00 PM ET
S I G N U P AT W W W. S P U D M A N . C O M
S I G N U P AT W W W. S P U D M A N . C O M
Dr. Bryan G. Hopkins is a certified professional soil scientist and professor at
Dr.Brigham
Bryan G.Young
Hopkins
is a certified
professional
soil scientist
professor
at
University
specializing
in soil chemistry
andand
plant
nutrition.
Brigham Young University. His research focuses on improving nutrient and water
Trudy Naugler
Ag), Agronomy
Research
Analyst with
use efficiency
in a wideKlassen
variety of(P.
commodity
and specialty
crops.
Ostara, specializing in soil and water quality with a decade of experience
field
and laboratory
research. Agronomy, Ostara Nutrient Recovery
Dr. in
Dan
Froehlich
, Vice President,
Sponsored By
Technologies, has more than 30 years experience in developing
innovative
agronomic products and technologies, with a special interest in high-yield
48
Keep up with the national
potato industry with a
FREE SUBSCRIPTION
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616-887-9008 ext. 116
www.spudman.com
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DAMMER DIKER / TILLAGE MASTER
49
Spudman Q&A
SPUDMAN7:
Mark Klompein
Mark Klompein is
the president of the
Idaho Grower Shippers
Association (IGSA).
Prior to joining IGSA,
Klompein was the vice
president of supply
chain management at
Idahoan Foods. He also
has worked for Basic
American Foods and Lamb Weston.
He has spent virtually his entire life in potatoes, from
growing up and working on his father’s seed farm in
Montana to his career in the potato processing industry.
Klompein has a bachelor’s degree in agricultural
engineering from Montana State University and
completed the Stanford Graduate School of Business
executive program.
He and his wife, Valerie, have two sons, Derek and
Dalin, and live in Idaho Falls, Idaho.
What are the best words of advice you’ve received?
When I graduated from college, my mother
and father encouraged me to try a career in
industry before coming directly back to work on
the family seed potato farm. As it turned out, I
did find a career outside of the farm but also in
the potato industry.
What are your goals for the next 12 months?
Work with the Idaho potato industry on
developing an effective and reliable rail transportation
model for IGSA members, and spend plenty of time
with family.
What do you do to relax?
I play softball, try to golf, and, having grown
up in Montana, I of course, also love to ski and
50
snowmobile. My wife and I also like to travel to new
places, and follow my Cincinnati Reds.
What would you like to be your lasting legacy?
Legacy for me is all about your children, so
I would like to see my two boys carry on the
good values and principles in life, the same as I
was taught.
What are the top three things on your bucket
list/must do list?
1) Go to a baseball game at all 30 major league
ballparks. I’m currently at 19 — but they keep
building new stadiums in cities that I then have
to re-visit.
2) Go back to a Pearl Jam concert at the venue
where I went to their first show 24 years ago at
the Moore Theatre in Seattle.
3) Be a really cool grandpa someday.
What job or work would you have pursued if you
had not become involved in the potato industry?
I would probably have been an engineer designing
the vertical turbo-thrust stabilizers on space rockets.
What is the one truth you've learned about the
potato industry?
There are tremendously good people in the potato
industry and it works best when all sectors and
industry organizations are working together with a
view toward long-term success. S
KNOW SOMEONE WHO
SHOULD BE FEATURED
IN SPUDMAN?
Email Bill Schaefer at
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or call 208-705-3856.

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