(Resource News International) — Manitoba potato producers have experienced a wide range of growing conditions all year, and now are experiencing a wide range of quality for their crop.
Brian Wilson, potato specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives, said the wet conditions that have affected Manitoba during September will have a large impact of the quality of the potato crop.
“The potatoes that have been harvested haven’t been the ones to see wet conditions,” Wilson said. “We’re well into harvest, but producers are busy digging, and there will be a wide range of where we are at in terms of quality.”
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Another factor that will determine yield is frost. Wilson said when the frost is severe enough, potatoes are affected because they are a part of the ground.
“It affects quality in terms of fried colour, and restorability,” he said.
There was a lot of variation in terms of when crops were seeded. Crops that were seeded earlier will end up having better yields, Wilson said.
“Some potatoes went into the ground very, very early in April,” he said. “We’re going to end up with fields that are well above average, and fields that are well below average or even not harvested.
“It’s hard to know what we are going to get for an average yield,” he said. “Ones that had favourable growing conditions, like well drained soil, will do better.”
In 2009, Manitoba grew about 950,000 tonnes of potatoes.
