January 31, 2024 | Articles

High-tech field crop sprayer, an excellent piece of equipment for new-style strain development

Precision work, a large capacity, and user and soil-friendly. This description applies to the new, high-tech, self-propelled Agrifac Condor sprayer by Ansem Claassen. The seed potato grower from the village of Vierhuizen in the province of Groningen uses this machine for his large-scale, high-quality strain development and he is steadily increasing his knowledge on how…

January 24, 2024 | Articles

‘Ethylene in seed provides higher yields and easier work’

Pre-sprouting with the brake on. That’s how the use of ethylene in seed potatoes is sometimes described. The treatment gives the grower flexibility in the spring, because the seed can be placed back into storage after grading or if the weather unexpectedly changes. But, above all, ethylene increases numbers and yield, concludes crop-protection company Ten…

March 23, 2022 | Articles

Peter VanderZaag: ‘Farmer and scientist is a great combination’

In Ontario, Canada, when they talk about the potato capital, they’re not talking about Emmeloord, but about Alliston. This provincial town is the home of potato grower and potato scientist Peter VanderZaag. When he is not working at home, he travels the world for the International Potato Center (CIP). He is also Director of the…

November 25, 2020 | Articles

Dutch grower wants to strengthen his position in the region

Growing big on Groningen clay. With this slogan, Menko van Zwol and his ‘best-tasting potatoes’ are presented on his website. The Van Zwol family sells consumption potatoes directly to consumers and also supplies them to the hotel and catering industry, specialist shops and regional supermarkets. With an open mind and a professional approach, they’re trying…

November 20, 2019 | Articles

Searching for root properties for more robust potato varieties

Tubers have always received more attention than the roots in potato research and potato breeding. In itself understandable. Nevertheless, knowledge of the root system is important in order to be able to work effectively on robust varieties, varieties that perform better under abiotic stress conditions such as drought, salinity, flooding, or a lower nitrogen input.…

June 12, 2019 | Articles

Potato from seed opens new markets

The hybrid potato has often been announced as a revolution in potato cultivation. The technology speeds up breeding and a packet of seed travels around the world much more easily than tubers. What will this mean for the position of the Dutch seed potato grower? At the request of the members of the Seed Potato…

June 12, 2019 | Articles

Fruit Logistica: tech and trends in the international fresh world

At the beginning of February, for a short while, Berlin is the hotspot of the international fresh world. That’s when traders, suppliers and retail representatives meet at Fruit Logistica for the latest trends. This year, the emphasis at the trade show was even more on convenience, sustainability and technology. For example, the Dutch data company…

June 05, 2018 | Articles

Fruit Logistica: supermarkets continue to aim for sustainability

Traders, packagers, carriers, technology providers, retail representatives, service providers and growers. You’ll meet them all at the Fruit Logistica fair in Berlin: the annual meeting point for the international fresh food industry. Apart from the relationships, Fruit Logistica is also about trends. One thing is clear, retailers still have a keen interest in sustainability initiatives.

September 12, 2017 | Articles

Fruit Logistica: the meeting place for the fresh world already 25 years

Sustaining existing business relations and looking for new ones. That’s what it’s all about at Fruit Logistica. The annual international fruit and vegetable show in Berlin held its 25^th edition this year. From one hundred exhibitors in 1993, the event has developed into the meeting place for the fresh world with three thousand exhibitors from…

July 11, 2017 | Articles

Variety choice test helps growerto tailored PCN-resistant varieties

For potato growers growing resistant varieties is an important way of controlling potato cyst nematodes. However, the effect of the PCN control is sometimes disappointing. In such a situation, a variety choice test can help. ‘There are differences between PCN-resistant varieties which, on paper, are shown as being the same, as is the case with…