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Vegetables, World

Observance helps highlight the potato’s importance for global agriculture, economic development, food security and nutrition

The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) welcomed the UN’s decision to designate 30 May as International Day of Potato, an opportunity to raise awareness of a crop regularly consumed by billions of people and global importance for food security and nutrition.

The annual observance was championed by Peru, which submitted a proposal for adoption to the UN General Assembly based on an FAO Conference Resolution of July 7, 2023. The impetus for the Day, which builds upon the International Year of Potato that was observed in 2008, originates from the need to emphasise the significant role of the potato in tackling prevalent global issues, such as food insecurity, poverty and environmental threats.

“This International Day will shed light on the significant value of the potato – nutritional, economic, environmental and cultural.  It will also highlight the contribution of the potato to global food security, poverty reduction and the livelihoods of millions while emphasising the key role of Indigenous Peoples knowledge and practices,” said FAO Deputy Director-General Beth Bechdol.

The Day “will allow us to draw attention to the importance of this ancestral crop in sustaining efforts to reduce hunger, malnutrition and poverty; as well as to encourage agricultural development, food security, biodiversity conservation and ecosystem functions,” Víctor García Toma, Permanent Representative of Peru to the United Nations told the General Assembly.

Observance helps highlight the potato’s importance for

AgroPolicy, India, R&D, Vegetables

The department has set a target of producing 50,000 seeds of potato from the hi-tech greenhouse set up at the Nagicherra Agricultural Research Centre

The Horticulture Department of Tripura has adopted a new method of using apical-rooted cuttings to produce quality seeds for potato cultivation, according to the local news. In the northeastern state, the farmers usually import potato seeds from outside the state and are facing challenges due to poor productivity and pest infection.

To address the perennial problem in potato cultivation, the horticulture department has set up a hi-tech greenhouse to produce quality seeds by adopting apical rooted cutting, which has already become popular in Assam and Meghalaya.

Initially, the department has set a target of producing 50,000 seeds of potato from the hi-tech greenhouse set up at Nagicherra Agricultural Research Centre, 17 km from the state capital. The department has already roped in the International Potato Centre (CIP) in Peru. Apical cuttings are rooted transplants produced in a greenhouse from tissue culture plantlets.

Rather than allowing tissue culture plantlets to mature and produce mini tubers, cuttings are produced from the plantlets. Once rooted, the cuttings are transplanted into the field to produce seed tubers. Ghosh said the seeds will be distributed among the farmers to grow potatoes in their farmlands.

The department has set a target of

Company News, Sustainability, Vegetables, World

Luna Pro is a premium premix fungicide that provides both foliar and soilborne disease control in potatoes

Bayer announces Luna Pro fungicide. Luna Pro is a premium premix fungicide that provides both foliar and soilborne disease control in potatoes. The newest addition to the Bayer potato portfolio utilises prothioconazole, a DMI foliar fungicide, and fluopyram, an SDHI fungicide. DMIs work by hindering the growth of certain fungi on a cellular level, which helps to improve overall plant health and increase yield potential. Luna Pro is the first DMI-containing foliar fungicide offered by Bayer for potatoes.

The combination of two proven active ingredients, fluopyram (FRAC group 7) and prothioconazole (FRAC group 3) offers a strong defence against early blight, white mould and other key potato diseases. The addition of prothioconazole provides a second mode of action with rotational flexibility and increased resistance management. Luna Pro utilises a combination of systemic active ingredients that provides protection throughout the plant helping growers deliver excellent crops to market.

“Luna Pro is a powerful potato fungicide that helps growers fight against problematic diseases that threaten their yield potential,” says Ryan Allen, U.S. Product Manager – Fruit and Vegetable Fungicides and Biologics for Bayer. “We’re excited to add Luna Pro to the highly effective 75-Day IPM portfolio offered by Bayer as a new solution for potato growers.”

Luna Pro is a premium premix fungicide

AgroPolicy, Horticulture, India, People, Schemes - Govt, Sustainability

The state Cabinet has approved the provision of Rs1142.24 crore for the Development of potatoes, vegetables and Spices.

The Odisha Cabinet approved a provision of Rs 367.19 crore for five years from 2022-23 to 2026-27 for implementation of the State Sector Scheme-“Empowerment of Women in Agriculture-Promotion of Entrepreneurship for Women SHG”, according to an official press release.

The scheme has been introduced with the objective to double the mushroom production across the State through area expansion involving women beneficiaries/WSHGs and to make the state self-sufficient in the production of button mushrooms and loose flowers,

The scheme will ensure sustainable income generation of women beneficiaries/WSHGs & the state shall emerge as the net exporter of mushrooms & high value flowers over the mission period, the press release said.

The state Cabinet has approved the provision of Rs1142.24 crore for four years from 2022-23 to 2025-26 for implementation Of the State Sector Scheme- “Development of Potato, Vegetable and Spices” with the involvement of WSHGs and Farmers Producer Organizations (FPOs).

“The scheme is introduced with the objective to provide financial assistance to the farmers for the cultivation of Potato, Onions, Hybrid vegetables, and Spices in order to make the State self-sufficient in the production of 5 vegetables (Potato, Onion, Tomato, Cauliflower & Cabbage) along with an increase in area and production under spices,” the statement said.

“It will provide ample scope for employment generation in rural areas and augmentation of the income of the farmers. The present dependency of the state on other states for Vegetables like potatoes, onions, and seed spices will be brought down and the state will be self-sufficient,” it added.

The state Cabinet has approved the provision of Rs1142.24

Agro chems – Fertilizers, Agro chems – Pesticides, Agrotech, IT, Start ups, Sustainability

The report shares Khetibuddy’s work for farmers in a few districts of Maharashtra in improving farming practices 

Khetibuddy Agritech an agritech startup, released its first-ever Impact Report highlighting how it has improved farming habits through its agtech platform. The 2021 Report – to be updated annually – shares Khetibuddy’s work for farmers in a few districts of Maharashtra in improving farming practices measured on five different parameters.

“We believe that science and technology have the power to transform the current state of agriculture. Our commitment to the farmers extends beyond just software solutions, the idea is a real impact on the ground which has to be a benefit for the farmer. It is only then any technology is useful,” said Vinay Nair Co-founder and CEO, Khetibuddy.

Highlights of the Impact Report include:

  • Yield Quality Enhancement (YQE) – Represents the metric in which the company’s focussed interventions to improve and enhance specific contents of produce via agricultural practices. Intending to increase the marketability of the produce and farmer’s revenue, KhetiBuddy has helped farmers increase the curcumin content (in percentage) in Turmeric and germination rate in Onion seed by up to 30 per cent.
  • Yield Quantity Increment (YQI) – Metric that shows a direct impact on the livelihood of the farmers belonging to climate-vulnerable regions where the yield is in direct correlation to the vagaries of nature. Several pieces of training, constant guidance and tech for enabling the goal-driven process of more yield per acre have helped Khetibuddy’s farmers achieve more than a 28 per cent increase in yield of sugarcane and 35 per cent in turmeric.
  • Input Cost Reduction (ICR) – Khetibuddy’s weather-based recommendations for preventive approach in pest and disease management and optimization of nutrient usage via remote sensing technology helped farmers save big. By inducing sustainable agricultural practices to preserve soil biology the total input consumption and hence costs severely changed for farmers. They reduced the overuse of fertilisers in potato and reduced pesticide spraying in cabbage.
  • Avoid Crop Loss (ACL) – Thrusting the use of remote sensing technology for monitoring crop health along with preventive measures in farming, Khetibuddy has avoided crop losses in terms of quantity and quality. Intervening with agricultural practices for onion and watermelon farmers among other vegetables helped limit the usage of plant protection which covers a large portion of input costs.
  • Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) – Khetibuddy’s drive for improving soil health is part of its long term vision to make farmers self-sustainable. These small steps towards the larger goal are best summarised in its efforts put in imparting knowledge and training farmers towards the adoption of GAPs.

“With technology adoption on a high as well access to smartphones and Internet in rural parts of India, now more than ever is the time to do meaningful impact which is result-driven for farmers,” Dr Richa Nair Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer, Khetibuddy. 

The report shares Khetibuddy's work for farmers

Agro Universities, Agrotech

ICAR-Central Potato Research Institute, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh has developed the unique technology

Agrinnovate India, the commercial wing of Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi granted license to the Department of Horticulture & Food Processing, Government of Madhya Pradesh for the ‘Aeroponic Method for Virus-free Potato Seed Production’ in New Delhi. The ICAR-Central Potato Research Institute, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh has developed the unique technology of Aeroponic Potato Seed Production.

The nutrients are sprayed into the roots in the form of misting through the Aeroponic. The Plant’s upper part remains in the open air and light. An average of 35 to 60 Mini Tubers (3 to 10 Grams) are obtained from one plant. Since, soil is not being used, there are no soil diseases and the Aeroponic System saves two years in the development of breeder seed as compared to the conventional system. To ensure the potato seed’s availability, the technology has been commercialised with 20 firms in eight states.

The Chief Guest, Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare asserted on the Central Government’s dedication to ensure the timely supply of the quality and certified seeds to the farmers. 

Tomar stated that the ICAR Institutes develop the technologies for their respective areas.

The Guest of Honor, Bharat Singh Kushwaha, Minister of State (Independent Charge), Horticulture & Food Processing Department, Government of Madhya Pradesh hoped that the latest and unique technology will help to meet the requirements of Potato Seeds and enhance its production in the state. Mentioning Madhya Pradesh as the 6th Largest Potato Producing State of the country, Kushwaha underlined the significant role played by Malwa in the potato production.

The minister stated that Madhya Pradesh has emerged as an ideal destination state for potato processing in the country. He also underlined that Indore City alone is contributing for around 30 per cent potato production of the state. The minister accentuated that the licensing will play a crucial role in helping the farmers in the potato crops’ production to a large extent.

E Ramesh Kumar, Horticulture Commissioner, Horticulture & Food Processing Department, Government of Madhya Pradesh stated that the technology having the production capacity of one million mini tubers will help to meet the state’s seed requirement of about 4 lakh tonne.

Dr Trilochan Mohapatra, Secretary (DARE) & Director General (ICAR) also spoke on the occasion.

Dr Anand Kumar Singh, Deputy Director General (Horticultural Science), ICAR along with Dr NK Pandey, Director, ICAR-CPRI, Shimla and Dr Sudha Mysore, CEO, AgrInnovate India deliberated during the occasion.

ICAR-Central Potato Research Institute, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh

Agrotech, World

The company has announced a full commercial roll-out in Bangladesh

Bayer has launched GeoPotato, a geodata-driven early warning system for late blight in potatoes, and has entered a full commercial roll-out in Bangladesh. It could potentially reach as many as 1 million smallholder farmers in the coming years.

Devised by Wageningen Plant Research, Terrasphere, mPower, Bayer and governmental institutions, GeoPotato’s cutting-edge technology employs a sophisticated risk assessment algorithm evaluating many factors impacting crop development on the field– including satellite data, weather forecasts, disease cycles and crop biomass growth – to assess key risk factors for late blight development (susceptible host, conducive environment and pathogen presence) on a highly localised basis.

When it predicts a disease outbreak, it sends farmers an early alert via SMS or voicemail, three days before the outbreak is forecasted to occur. It also advises which fungicidal product would be most effective to help growers take action in a fast and efficient manner.

After running trials for the last five seasons, GeoPotato was launched publicly in November 2021. To maximise its impact, project partners have reached out to more than 50,000 farmers in key potato-producing areas. Ultimately, they intend to expand it to all of Bangladesh, as well as parts of India, reaching more than 1 million farmers and making a significant step toward Bayer’s commitment to empower 100 million smallholder farmers by 2030.

The company has announced a full commercial

Agrotech, Machinery – Post-harvesting

MustGrow’s technology outperformed the chemical standard at multiple rates with statistical significance

MustGrow Biologics Corp announced the successful postharvest trials in both disease control and sprout suppression of stored potatoes conducted by a third-party independent laboratory. MustGrow’s organic mustard plant-based technology outperformed leading synthetic chemical standards for the treatment of stored potatoes for both Fusarium dry rot disease and sprouting. No combination solutions currently exist that treat both disease and sprouting – making MustGrow’s application unique in addressing both postharvest issues in potatoes simultaneously.

MustGrow’s post harvest development programme may now transition to Sumitomo Corporation across the Americas (potatoes and bananas) and Bayer across Europe, the Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa (potatoes only). Further testing and trials are required to evaluate commercial potential. Additional post harvest applications may also be trialled, including disease control in large shipping containers.

MustGrow had previously announced separate collaboration agreements with Sumitomo Corporation and Bayer to evaluate the efficacy and commercial potential of MustGrow’s technology.

MustGrow’s mustard-derived technology was trialled versus hydrogen peroxide, a leading synthetic chemistry standard, to measure control (kill) of Fusarium dry rot (Fusarium sambucinum conidia and F sambucinum). MustGrow’s technology outperformed the chemical standard at multiple rates with statistical significance. Disease control was measured after the five-week interval, highlighting the effectiveness of MustGrow’s technology at killing not only the Fusarium dry rot itself but also the disease’s ability to reform and replicate.

MustGrow's technology outperformed the chemical standard at

Supply Chain

SV Agri will expand its footprint, build-out cold storage facilities and expand its engineering platform

WayCool Foods, an agri-commerce company, announced the completion of its investment in SV Agri (SiddhiVinayak Agri Processing), fully integrated players in the potato supply chain ecosystem. WayCool initiated the process in July 2021 and has completed its investment of $7.5 m in the company.

Karthik Jayaraman, MD, WayCool Foods said, “Our investment into SV Agri is in line with our overall strategy to bring product-specific value chains onto our platform, and unlock significant value through the same. SV Agri has expertise in growing and providing high-quality potato seed tubers, best in class storage solutions, and top of the line engineering solutions for value-added products. WayCool will bring its technology platform, reach and distribution capability.”

Hemant Gaur, Co-Founder, SV Agri, added, “SV Agri has been introducing a wide variety of potatoes into the market. We will further expand existing storage solutions while also gaining access to WayCool’s strong network across India and international markets. The synergy will help to create value in the supply chain: with potato varieties, superior storage technology, and the ability to process potato into value-added products, and scale up rapidly.”

SV agri has a Joint Venture with Agrico, one of the world’s largest potato seed company headquartered in The Netherlands.

WayCool had recently announced an aggressive growth plan entailing over $100 million investment in technology, product development, facility expansion, and new company acquisitions over the next four years.Focusing on food development and distribution, WayCool leverages innovative technology to scale and operate a complex supply chain from soil to sale. Implementing deep tech and automation has enabled WayCool to successfully create a ‘World Class, Sustainable Supply Chain’. The supply chain also helps in ensuring the timely delivery of fresh and hygienic produce to their client base and to households across India.

SV Agri will expand its footprint, build-out

Agro chems – Pesticides

Archive is a powerful pre-mix fungicide that will help growers combat the major storage pathogens

Syngenta has launched Archive, a post-harvest fungicide that preserves the quality of potatoes. “Archive is a powerful pre-mix fungicide that will help growers combat the major storage pathogens that threaten their crop,” says Heather Ambuehl, postharvest lead at Syngenta. 

The broad-spectrum fungicide, now registered for use in potatoes, combines two unique modes of action for more broad-spectrum disease control and built-in resistance management. Fludioxonil and azoxystrobin fungicides deliver proven, robust protection against silver scurf and Fusarium dry rot diseases — pathogens that are of particular concern while potatoes are in storage.

Fludioxonil (FRAC Group 12) is a phenylpyrrole fungicide that provides proven control of some of the most difficult-to-treat storage diseases, such as Fusarium dry rot. Azoxystrobin, a Qol fungicide (FRAC 11), effective against all four classes of fungi, brings another mode of action against Fusarium, and provides control of silver scurf.

Archive is a powerful pre-mix fungicide that

Cold Storage

Decco’s new Decco DMN Aerosol is the latest product to be added to its Fresh Defense portfolio for stored potatoes

Decco US Post-Harvest, the post-harvest affiliate of UPL, has announced the launch of Decco DMN Aerosol at the 2022 Potato Expo in Anaheim. Decco adds the new EPA-registered product to its growing potato storage portfolio available across North America.

Decco DMN Aerosol, as part of an overall potato storage programme, will greatly reduce sprouting and disease issues while also enhancing flesh strength, colour, and reducing bruising or soft spots while in storage. The active ingredient in Decco DMN Aerosol, 1,4-Dimethylnaphthalene, is a conventional solution used in potato storage programmes throughout the industry.

Decco DMN Aerosol helps reduce load rejection by working in conjunction with an overall potato storage programme. Decco’s new Decco DMN Aerosol is the latest product to be added to its Fresh Defense portfolio for stored potatoes.

The overall portfolio of Fresh Defense products, including Decco DMN Aerosol, creates many opportunities for Decco and parent company UPL to provide a better customer experience for the potato grower, storage applicator and processor. This week, Decco is partnering with UPL at the 2022 Potato Expo in Anaheim to showcase both Fresh Defense and Decco DMN Aerosol.

“The aim for Decco is to collaborate closely with our crop colleagues at UPL,” said Boomer Cardinale, US Marketing Director for Decco. “Under our OpenAg mission, we can truly offer farm to fork solutions across the value chain. The addition of Decco DMN Aerosol and our other Fresh Defense storage products will greatly complement the UPL potato programs offered in pre-harvest.”

Decco, in conjunction with UPL, will be exhibiting at the 2022 Potato Expo at booth #745 from January 5 to 6, 2022 at the Anaheim Convention Centre in California.

Decco's new Decco DMN Aerosol is the