05/03/05 Storage of Idaho potatoes

New publications on storing Gem Russets, Ranger Russets and organic potatoes are available from University of Idaho. Co-author Nora Olsen says producers need to know the difference between storing these newer potatoes varieties and the very established Russet Burbank. OLSEN "A lot of it has to do with maybe how we deal with the potato going into storage especially with the Ranger Russets in terms of vine kill and things like that. Or maybe it's just purely holding temperatures. Maybe we can't hold them as cold a temperature as we do with Russet Burbanks. Maybe we have to keep them warmer that kind of thing." The U of I publications follow three years of warehouse research at the Kimberly Extension Center. OLSEN "The University of Idaho is very fortunate to have a really state of the art storage research facility. There's a few other states that are trying to get these kinds of facilities maybe just have built one in the last year or two. Otherwise there's not that many even world wide." Olsen says you can get the potato storage publications on line by going to the University of Idaho website or you can get them through your local county extension educator. OLSEN "So what we're trying to do is kind of stay one step ahead of things and to have good information available especially in storage prior to the potato either being released or right around when it its released." Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott