Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada financing research project into potato disease

Mar 13, 2020 | 12:18 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB. — A costly potato disease has attracted millions in research funding from the federal government.

The Potato Early Dying (PED) disease causes the premature aging of potatoes, reducing crop yield by as much as 50 per cent.

In an effort to find a control for the disease, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada are investing $2.3 Million into to support the Canadian Horticultural Council’s research into managing PED. The horticulture sector contributed an additional $991,918 towards the research, for a total investment of over $3.3 million.

The Canadian Horticultural Council (CHC) is a not-for-profit, national association that represents fruit and vegetable growers across Canada involved in the production of over 120 different types of crops on over 14,237 farms.

As part of the project, the CHC will survey potato fields to determine the levels of PED and evaluate control of the disease through growers’ cropping systems, best management practices and control products. The ultimate goal is to provide growers with the knowledge, tools and technologies they need to manage the disease.

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The Agri-Science program is part of the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, which is a five-year, $3 billion investment by federal, provincial and territorial governments to strengthen the agriculture and agri-food sector.

The funding is critical, as the Canadian horticulture sector is a key contributor to Canada’s economy, representing more than $5 billion in sales and $2.6 billion in exports and supporting thousands of jobs across the country, while expanding markets for the sector’s safe, high-quality products.

by Dori Modney