OTHELLO, Wash – The Washington State University Potato Research Group will host its annual Potato Field Day starting at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, June 23, at the Othello Research Farm.
The day will feature field tours and talks on the latest research developments in potato cultural practices, pest management and trials of several new potato cultivars for water and nutrient efficiency. All talks are presented by experts from WSU, U.S. Department of Agriculture and Washington Department of Agriculture. The day will finish with a hosted lunch.
WSU – along with University of Idaho, Oregon State University and the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service – are partners in the Pacific Northwest Potato Variety Development Program. It develops potato varieties with disease and pest resistance, good storage and processing characteristics, and excellent fresh-market qualities.
Since the program’s founding in 1985, it has released close to 40 varieties and has created cultivars with resistance to late potato blight, the cause of the Irish Potato Famine.
Growers could begin saving an estimated $160 per acre in fungicidal costs by using blight resistant varieties of potatoes. According to a study by U of I agronomist Stephen Love, every dollar invested in the tri-state breeding program yields a return of at least $38 to the region’s economy.
The Othello Research Farm is located at 1471 Cox Rd., Othello, Wash. A map with driving directions, as well as a complete schedule of events, is available at http://potatoes.wsu.edu.