Faculty contact: Don Halseth
The focus of our potato and dry bean research focuses on identifying new genotypes and varieties that will most consistently fit the needs of New York State growers and consumers. We focus on identifying important physiological-environmental crop responses and developing optimal cultural practices for each new line to enhance their rapid and successful adoption.
We use this information to develop variety profiles that include disease and pest resistances, optimal mineral nutrition, specific cultural practice responses, storage management requirements, and utilization qualities. In our work we collaborate with other faculty in the Departments of Plant Pathology and Plant Breeding and Genetics, and also work with cooperators in regional projects, such as the NE184 and the National Cooperative Dry Bean Nurseries, to share the most recent data on new plant material.
One example of the benefits to agriculture, the environment and the consumer is the development of Golden Nematode (GN) resistant potato varieties which replace the use of thousands of barrels of soil fumigants. A four-year rotation scheme (two years resistant variety, one year non-host crop and a fourth year can be a susceptible variety) developed by this group is now used by regulatory agencies for GN control. Soil fumigants are no longer used.
Other resesearch includes studies on plant growth and competition, stress tolerance, nutritional requirements, post-harvest parameters, processing attributes, and seed potato storage and management.