In my latest article for Spud Smart, I take a closer look at what I learned working with a frustrated potato grower in coastal South Africa—and how those same lessons apply to farms in Canada. By adjusting how Chloropicrin (known as Strike in Canada) was applied, we turned a struggling field into a success story. […]
I just got back from a whirlwind trip to one of my favorite places: South Africa. My trips are never vacations — they usually start with a call that sounds like: “We’ve got a problem. Can you come help us figure it out?” This time, the problem was a potato grower on the country’s sand […]
Black dot is on the rise in potato fields, and farmers are worried — with good reason. Though it’s not a new disease, it’s a growing and incredibly tough to manage problem that can steal yield, blemish tubers, and reduce marketability. I’ve talked to a lot of farmers who are genuinely daunted by what can […]
JULY 22 | 2:00 P.M. ET Join us for The Future Beneath Your Feet: Disease Control, ROI & Soil Science in Action, a must-watch session that digs deep into how soil health, disease control, and smart inputs can directly impact your bottom line. Top experts, Dr. Chad Hutchinson, Joy Youwakim, and Dr. Gary Secor share […]
Jeff Douglas, the founder of our affiliate Douglas Ag and exclusive Canadian distributor of the soil fumigant Strike, has a simple model: one grower, one trial, one success at a time. Growers are hesitant at first about Strike, but once they try it, can’t imagine farming without it. As an example, one road in New […]
It has been a couple months since I last posted, but one of our recent articles on SpudSmart.com is garnering a lot of views. People are curious about soil and soil health. I’m a soil guy myself: I am fascinated by the life that exists below our feet, and how we can promote and support […]
Back in May, Spud Smart published an article I wrote on verticillium management and it has been one of our most read articles so far this year. I hope you find it useful. Trapped in a Circular Discussion on Verticillium Management I just stepped out of a meeting between several university agronomy faculty members and […]
In this second segment of our blog aimed at potato seed growers, let me throw a shocking finding at you: A recent scientific research paper stated that up to 68% of all seed potatoes sold in the Pacific Northwest are infected with verticillium. If you are one of the very lucky few who don’t currently […]
Potato Wart was discovered in the United States in Pennsylvania in 1918, and then later in Maryland and West Virginia. It was eradicated in 1994 and has not been detected since. But for our neighbors to the north and around the world, certain regions wrestle and worry about this disease that can lead to the destruction […]
I’ve been busy writing up some of the great work being done to support farmers with disease suppression, yield increases, and soil health restoration. Read on for more information that we hope will be useful on your farm… What’s Biting into Your Farm’s Economic and Environmental Sustainability? In this article, I discuss the hidden yield […]
