The Dirt: A Blog.

From South Africa to Canada: Four Lessons on Soil Fumigation

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. […]

Sand, Wind and Common Scab: Lessons Learned From South Africa

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 […]

The Black Dot Conversation Every Potato Grower Needs to Hear

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 […]

The Future Beneath Your Feet – Panel Tuesday 7/22 – Join Us!

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 […]

The Steady Growth of Strike in New Brunswick, Canada

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 […]

Suppression of Black Dot: Global Lessons Learned

This month I wrote an article for SpudSmart titled: What Global Lessons Have we Learned About the Suppression of Black Dot? Working closely with potato growers around the world, I’ve seen firsthand how much yield and quality can be lost to diseases that go unnoticed or unmanaged. One of the most underestimated culprits is black […]

Strike Targets Seed Growers with Focus on Black Dot

Have you seen our new advertisement? It reads: WHO SAID YOU HAVE TO PUT UP WITH BLACK DOT ON YOUR SEED? AS A SEED GROWER, YOU DON’T HAVE TO ACCEPT THAT. Did you know? Seed potatoes are susceptible to many common soil-borne diseases and pathogens that can inhibit tuber growth uniformity and chip away at […]