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Canadian and European Varieties for the Fresh Market

February 29, 2016

Canadian and European Varieties for the Fresh Market
From Eugenia Banks, Potato Specialist, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture & Food (Retired), and Ontario Potato Board, Ontario, Canada, presented at the 2016 Empire State Producers Expo Potato Session

Potato breeders are always busy trying to develop fresh market varieties with traits that enhance farm sustainability: resistance to diseases, and attractive, tasty tubers preferred by consumers. Every year, potato-breeding programs evaluate advanced clones at several locations to determine how well the new clones perform under different weather patterns and soil conditions. There are key traits that a new fresh market variety should have:
  • Attractive Appearance: Smooth, bright skin are traits requested by buyers. Good examples are the yellow fleshed variety Colomba (European) and the white fleshed Envol (Quebec). 

  • Early Maturity: This is a plus for fresh market growers. Envol is the earliest white flesh variety grown in Ontario, but it has to be grown in soils not infested with common scab. 

  • Yield: A profitable marketable yield is essential for farm sustainability.

  • Consistency & Predictability: Once you are familiar with the variety, you should be able to determine how much nitrogen fertilizer and other nutrients are required to obtain good yields with the tuber size profile you need for your market. Another example of consistency and predictability is performance under tough conditions such as wet or hot summers.

  • Disease Resistance: Resistance to common scab is an important trait in areas where this soil-borne disease is a problem. Fresh-market producers with scab problems in their fields need to trade off some of the above mentioned traits for common scab resistance. 
See the most promising Canadian and European varieties being trialed in Ontario, Canada.


Canadian & European Varieties for the Fresh Market (pdf; 6067KB)

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Upcoming Events

2025 Finger Lakes Auction Winter Growers Meeting

Event Offers DEC Credits

January 2, 2025
Penn Yan, NY

At this grower-focused meeting, ag industry experts will discuss pest control in vegetables, weed management strategies and best practices, seed germination, an introduction to foliar nutrient uptake in vegetables, and grouping flowers by growth needs. Plus we'll hear from a grower panel from Kutztown Produce Auction, moderated with NYS specific pest control from Judson Reid.

2.25 DEC recertification credits will be offered in categories 10, 1a, 23, and 24.

View 2025 Finger Lakes Auction Winter Growers Meeting Details

2025 Ontario Produce Auction Winter Growers Meeting

Event Offers DEC Credits

January 15, 2025
Stanley, NY

This grower-focused meeting will include information about pesticide applicator recertification and record keeping requirements, disease control in cole crops and vine crops, and using biocontrols for insect management in greenhouses. Several seed and ag input companies will be on-hand to share product news.

2.75 DEC recertification credits will be offered in categories 10, 1a, 23 and 24. CORE credits (0.5) offered too!

View 2025 Ontario Produce Auction Winter Growers Meeting Details

Intro to Food Safety and GAPs Training

February 19, 2025
via Zoom,

This virtual workshop will serve two purposes: 

  • For produce farms just interested in learning about farm food safety, this program will introduce principles and best practices.
  • For produce farms look for a GAPs (Good Agricultural Practices) training needed to meet buyer demands for audit/certification, this program will provide that as well.
View Intro to Food Safety and GAPs Training Details

Announcements

Winter Cover Cropping in High Tunnels

Cornell Cooperative Extension is researching cover crops for high tunnel growers to better manage fertility and improve soil health. Our work has shown that winter cover cropping in high tunnels has the potential to add organic matter, improve soil structure, support microbial activity, and help with nutrient management by scavenging leftover nitrogen and/or fixing nitrogen. This publication, Management Practices for High Organic Matter Soils: Winter Cover Cropping in High Tunnels, shares best practices for winter cover cropping in high tunnels including species selection, planting rates and dates, termination, and cultural management considerations.

Laser Scarecrows to Deter Birds in Sweet Corn

Are you considering the use of a laser scarecrow to deter birds on your farm? Cornell Cooperative Extension and the University of Rhode Island teamed up to test a research laser scarecrow on sweet corn farms.

A laser scarecrow is a device that has one or more laser modules connected to motors. The specifications of the lasers are optimized to the color and motion sensitivity of bird's eyes. When laser beams move across a field, birds become frightened and attempt to move away from the perceived threat. Light from the laser covers an area quickly and moves through the canopy without causing injury to the crop. Research demonstrates that birds do not readily become habituated to the laser.

A laser scarecrow used as the sole deterrent typically results in a significant reduction in crop damage. Combined with an auditory device, damage can be reduced even more. When used as part of an integrated management program for bird control that utilizes habitat management and multiple scare tactics, laser scarecrows can be useful tools for growers of multiple crops. All scare tactics must be deployed before birds find the field. The effectiveness of lasers depends on multiple factors such as bird species, bird populations, habitat and food availability. Lasers are not effective at deterring deer, racoons, coyotes or other mammals.

To learn more, the Laser Scarecrows to Deter Birds in Sweet Corn and Other High-Value Agricultural Crops fact sheet provides background information, research data, FAQs, and Advantages/Limitations on laser scarecrows.

NY Urban Farms Pest Management Fact Sheet Series

Cornell Cooperative Extension has partnered with dozens of urban farms across New York State to demonstrate and evaluate sustainable pest management strategies. Together with farmers, we found success using control methods that prevent or reduce crop losses through exclusion strategies, crop timing, host resistance, the introduction of beneficial organisms, and more. Regardless of management strategy used, common requirements for success include a knowledge of the pest and disease complex, preventative deployment and commitment to the process. The New York Urban Farms Sustainable Pest Management Fact Sheet Series includes case studies highlighting pest management techniques that New York urban farms have found valuable.

NYS Urban Growers Pest Management Needs Assessment

As part of a multi-year project exploring non-spray pest management options that are economically and environmentally sustainable for urban farms, we conducted a needs assessment with urban growers across New York State. The New York State Urban Growers Pest Management Needs Assessment presents findings on current pest management practices, challenges, and topics of future interest.

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