b'2022 International Crop ExpoThe 2022 International Crop Expo was heldFebruary16thand17thatthe AlerusCenterinGrandForks,North Dakota. Dr. Andy Robinson, NDSU/UMN Extension PotatoAgronomistplansthe educational speakers for the show.Dr. Robinson introduced the first speak-er for the Wednesday seminars, National PotatoCouncil(NPC)COOMike Wenkel. One of the highlights in 2021 was moving the offices closer to Capital Hill to facilitate interaction with the US HouseandSenatemembersandtheir staff on agricultural issues.He also pro- The NPPGA had there booth set up at the International Crop Expo.videdbriefcommentsabouttrade expansionwithMexico,incidencesofValley,butshipmentacrosstheUSiscombinestheactiveingredientsof potatowartreportedonPEI,aglabordownsignificantly;leadersincludeazoxystrobinandfludioxonil.Itpro-issues, their successful pushback on taxIdaho, the Columbia Basin, the San Luisvides control of Fusarium dry rot and sil-increases, and NPC participation in pro- Valley, and Wisconsin.ver scurf and was previously marketed as viding pandemic relief.Mike detailedGraduate+.It is not labeled for potato the Potato LEAF efforts, Eyes on PotatoBlairRichardson,PotatoesUSAsCEO,seed or seed pieces. podcast, and the upcoming Washingtonprovidedthepotatomarketandpro-SummitFebruary28-March3,2022.gramsupdate.Hispresentationhigh- Dr. Carl Rosen, UMN, gave an update on The2023PotatoExpowillbeatthelightedfoodspendingshiftsandthe Specialty Crop Research Initiative on GaylordRockiesResort,Auroracovid19 impacts of spending.He pro- Soil Health in Potato Cropping Systems Colorado, in early January.videddetailsabouttheir5-for-5pro- which he directs.It is a four-year proj-gram where five recipes were providedectinvolvingresearchersin10states Thenextspeaker,UnitedPotatowithfivepoundbagsofpotatoes;theand the NIFA funding was received in Growers(UPG)CEO,MarkKlompien,most searched recipe was how to bake2018, so they are entering the final year gave an overview of the UPGs outlookpotatoes during the Covid shut-downs. of research.The project has four objec-for 2022. He provided the potato marketToday,theUSisaboutbackto50:50tives.They have developed several fact-andprogramsupdate.Yellowpotatopreparing meals at home to dining out. sheets specific to soil health as it relates production/marketing ahs increased sig- PotatocontinuesasAmericasfavoritetopotatoproductionandinformation nificantly over the last 10 years acrossvegetable, the #1 side dish, and the #1canbefoundattheirwebsite: NorthAmerica,includingintheRedvegetablepurchase.HispresentationPotatoSoilHealth.cfans.umn. edu/educa-River Valley.Movement of over 1 mil- concludedwithelementsabouttheirtion. lion cwt. is predicted during the 2021- newofficesinDenver,includingthe 2022 marketing season, where national- Culinary Training Center and SpudLab,Dr. Paul Bethke, USDA/ARS, wrapped up ly during this same period we will closealongwithafantasticmuraldressingthemorningpresentationswithases-in on 11 million cwt.There is no dom- the building with the theme Fuel yoursion on red-skinned varieties, the use of inant state for yellow production. RedPassions.2,4-D in enhancing red skin color, how fresh shipping has seen an increase duehightemperaturestressimpactsskin totheincreaseinyellowmovement,A video presentation from Syngenta wascolor,theimportanceofhavinggood althoughTexasandMainehavebothshown,describingtheirproductskinsetatharvest,andfinally,how seen an expansion.Russet shipment isArchive.It is for post-harvest applica- post-harvesthandlingandstorage notsignificantfromtheRedRivertion of potatoes going into storage andimpactcolor.Skincolorintensity 16 POTATO GROWER MARCH 2022'