Potato Researchers and Growers Align on Research Priorities at Annual Scientific Meeting

In late July, the Potato Research Advisory Committee (PRAC) joined potato scientists, industry professionals, and growers from around the world in New Orleans for the 110^th annual meeting of the Potato Association of America (PAA) — an independent scientific society that gathers every year to share new work.

• Why it matters: PRAC was formed in 2016 to advance research that benefits potato growers and the industry, and PRAC endorsements have supported $46.8M in funded research since its inception. The committee gives growers an opportunity to review and vote to endorse proposals based on grower value, national relevance, and scientific merit. As such, PRAC joins PAA’s meeting every year to help ensure research proposals align with grower and industry needs.

The meeting kicks off PRAC’s process for deciding which research proposals to endorse for grants like the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI). At the PAA meeting, PRAC gathered proposals, reviewed them as a group, and began forming questions. Next, the researchers will present their proposals directly to PRAC, at which time the committee will offer feedback and suggestions. Finally, PRAC will rank and prioritize the proposals before deciding which ones to endorse.

• Potential new opportunities: PRAC typically has endorsed one or two proposals each year, but with SCRI funding recently doubling, the committee endorsed four proposals last year and is weighing the continued opportunity to endorse more.

“Research is always needed. Challenges that growers deal with on farms continue to evolve, and they need to have continuous solutions,” said Tim Rendall, Director of Production Research at Potatoes USA. “For me, the value of PRAC is being prepared for the future. It’s making sure that research resources line up with what growers actually need, so that when a challenge comes, we already have alternatives in hand instead of starting from scratch.”

For example, as major retailers in recent years have encouraged fresh produce suppliers to phase out neonicotinoids (or “neonics”) for pest management, PRAC supported research into neonic alternatives that received SCRI funding.

PRAC also helps reduce redundancy by flagging work the industry has already funded, and it creates a two-way exchange between growers and researchers. Researchers come away understanding growers’ most pressing field concerns, and growers gain a clearer view of what’s moving through the research pipeline.

PRAC’s current research priorities, which were established in 2024, include:

• New Protective Solutions: Strategies, technologies, and practices to enhance productivity, sustainability, and resilience on potato farms
• Sustainability: Developing practices that balance environmental health and economic viability in potato production
• Disease, Virus, and Pest Mitigation: Understanding, preventing, and controlling potato crop infestations and infections
• Groundscape: Understanding the physical characteristics and conditions of the land where potato crops are grown

Read more about PRAC’s priorities and areas of interest here.