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66 POTATO GROWER | JANUARY 2019 TILLAGE EQUIPMENT P.O. Box 190 • Parma, ID 83660 CALL: 208-722-5116 • FAX: 208-722-6012 EMAIL: parmacom@parmacompany.com Innovative Solutions Since 1907 HIGH SPEED DISC www.parmacompany.com HIGH SPEED DISC • Independent Disc Shanks w/ HD 40mm Disc Hub Bearings • Rear Roller Options: Ring, Roller Pipe, Crow foot, or Chevron Paddle • Floatation Tongue with Lock- Out Feature • Rock Protec tion Cushioned Upper Shank • Heav y Dut y Solid Welded Frame • 2 Floatation Carrier Gauge Wheels • 4 Transpor t Carrier Wheels • 24" Notched Disc Blades Rigid Frame Models 14' - 21' 169415Parma12h.indd 1 1/8/18 10:35 AM montana Nina Zidack Director, Montana State Seed Potato Certification Program Montana seed potato acreage was up slightly to 10,355 acres in 2018, which represents a minor increase when compared to 10,220 acres in 2017. Russet Burbank is still the dominant variety and is holding steady at 3,921 acres. Clearwater Russet acreage continues to rise dramatically, with 1,016 acres this season compared to 698 last year, representing a 31 percent increase. Umatilla Russet is the second-most widely produced variety in Montana but was down 16 percent from 1,789 acres in 2017 to 1,509 acres in 2018. Ranger Russet acreage was steady at 1,172 acres, and the Norkotah Russet selections were up 13 percent to 997 acres. Alturas continues to decline, from 637 acres in 2017 to 588 acres in 2018. Standard Norkotah acreage dropped precipitously and now only accounts for 54 acres in Montana. There were a total of 57 varieties of potatoes registered for certification. The 2018 growing season was one of early extremes followed by warm, mild conditions. Some Montana growers were planting in early May, while some got a late start due to wet conditions in mid- May, finishing planting in early June. In the Gallatin and Beaverhead, the early-planted potatoes received a hard frost on June 12, and the later-planted potatoes ended up staging very similar to the earlier-planted potatoes. The rest of the summer, Montana had ideal growing conditions throughout the state, with plenty of warm days but no extreme heat or storms. This set the Montana crop up with strong yields of extremely uniform tubers and an optimal size profile. In Montana, production of seed with very Mid-season look at russet seed at Ed Starkel Farms in Polson, Mont.