UI Researcher Looks To Minimize Potato Post-Harvest Losses

A new assistant professor at the University of Idaho is trying to tackle a big problem before the potato industry; reducing post-harvest losses.  Gustavo Teixeria said as the global population continues to increase, and resources become more limited, it’s vital that post-harvest losses are minimized or removed.

"The only way that we have to provide food for this growing population, is to reduce post-harvest losses.  We cannot cope with numbers of 30% of our crop being lost due to diseases any other aspects during the storage.”

While Teixeira acknowledges a lot of work awaits him and his team, he says there is a lot of interest in his research across the United States and internationally, which will benefit efforts in Idaho.

“We are establishing collaborations in many countries and then this is going to benefit the potato industry in Idaho, because we can share information.  That's the most important part of research.  So research so sometimes one technology does not work here but work elsewhere or the opposite.  So the technologies that are working elsewhere that does not working elsewhere can be can work for us in the state of Idaho.” 

Teixeira’s position was made possible at the U of I thanks to a $1 million endowment from Wayne and Peggy Thiessen, the Idaho Potato Commission, Northwest Farm Credit Services and McCain Foods.

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