After Slow Start, Voigt Encouraged About Growing Season

After dealing with snow on the ground well into March, and extremely soggy soil, there was some concern what potato growers could expect for 2019.  Chris Voigt, Executive Director of the Washington Potato Commission said that pushed planting back about a month.  But he noted that Mother Nature is helping grower catch up nicely.

“If we look at the heat units, we’re back on track to normal heat units, decent moisture in the soil, not too wet, not too dry so things are looking good.  Now we just got to maintain that steady climb in temperatures so that the crop will be ready to go this summer for harvest in fall.”

There is concern that that some of the early varieties could have smaller yields because of the late start to the season.

“We were in such a rush, to get them planted that a few folks didn’t wait long enough for the scab, or that suberization to happen, and they planted their potatoes in the ground and we had some rot," Voigt said.  "And so some of those seed pieces, a lot of them rotted in the fields, just because that plant didn’t have that scab on it, so it had open wounds essentially.”

Voigt said that unfortunately allowed fungus and bacteria in the moist soil to attack.  He added the Commission has received reports of some growers having to go back and replant, which is very expensive.  While that’s discouraging, Voigt noted current conditions are helping growers considerably.

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