Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1420202
WWW.POTATOGROWER.COM 35 • In a typical year, 19 private companies are involved, including commercial growers who provide land to grow out larger quantities of tubers for in-plant tests. • Six chip processors provide time in their plants to help evaluate the candidates. • During the largest NCP variety selection meeting in December 2019, 33 organizations were represented. • Specifications on 18 qualities are tracked. • There are 24,330 variety records, as well as 2,008 varieties for NCP now contained within Medius Ag, the 24/7 tool for collecting and analyzing trial results. During the summer of 2021, the National Chip Program committee met. The NCP steering committee, made up of four representatives from chip processing companies and five potato growers, voted to add a new location to the trial system. After much debate and collaboration, it was decided that the new location will be set in Maryland. A Maryland testing site will put varieties to the test regarding environmental strain and, in turn, will provide NCP members important data for trial varieties. Setting up a new trial site is no easy task; however, the excitement surrounding it energizes the team to make it happen. Potatoes USA focuses on strengthening demand for U.S. potatoes, which is supported by important supply-focused programs like NCP. To put the impact into perspective, in 2020, 5,889 acres of U.S. seed was planted with varieties that were tested in the NCP trialing system, a number that has seen an increase annually. With the addition of the Maryland trial site, candidate selection criteria will be better able to scrutinize selections to see if there are any better than current commercial standards, resulting in a toolbox of better, more desirable chip processing variety options. SCHUTTER SCHUTTER SCHUTTER SEED FARM SEED FARM SEED FARM "S "S "S "S "S "S "S "S "SPECIAL SELECTED" PECIAL SELECTED" PECIAL SELECTED" PECIAL SELECTED" PECIAL SELECTED" PECIAL SELECTED" PECIAL SELECTED" PECIAL SELECTED" PECIAL SELECTED" 3627 Wooden Shoe Rd. • Manhattan, MT 59741 Offi ce: (406)539-6125 • (406)580-6446 Sid • John Jr. • Carl • Nick and Cliff Schutter Russet Burbank Umatilla Clearwater 4082-3SchutterSeed13s.indd 1 4082-3SchutterSeed13s.indd 1 10/7/20 2:03 PM 10/7/20 2:03 PM 4094-9Greentronics13s.indd 1 4094-9Greentronics13s.indd 1 9/30/21 1:26 PM 9/30/21 1:26 PM