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Webinar February 18, 2021 at 9:00 am EST with Dr. Peter VanderZaag

World Potato Congress Inc. Webinar February 18, 2021 at 09:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time – “Aeroponics for Nuclear Seed Potato Production: History, Status and Challenges” with Dr. Peter VanderZaag

The World Potato Congress is extremely pleased to present its next webinar on Thursday, February 18, 2021 with Dr. Peter VanderZaag, a potato farmer in Canada and due to COVID-19, now an arm chair consultant involved with numerous potato projects in Asia and Africa.

Presentation Outline

The presentation entitled: “Aeroponics for nuclear seed potato production: history, status and challenges” will primarily focus on the development of the technology in China over the last 14 years. Dr. VanderZaag will share some of the major successes and failures with doing minituber tuber production with Aeroponics. Research work being done collaboratively in Chengdu, China into understanding the complex physiology of the potato plant will also be touched on.

Dr. VanderZaag completed his BSc at Cornell University and his PhD studies at the University of Hawaii. Peter was a regional scientist with the International Potato Center (CIP) in Central Africa, SE Asia and established the CIP program in China from 1986. After retiring from CIP, Peter and his wife, Carla, established their own potato farm in Ontario, Canada. The farm is now a multigenerational farm with daughter, Ruth and son-in-law, Nick as partners. Peter has spent considerable time with international work, including serving on the Board of Trustees of CIP. The past six years Peter also served as a visiting Professor at Yunnan Normal University.

Webinar Registration

The host for this webinar will be WPC Director,
Dr. Nora Olsen (norao@uidaho.edu). To register in advance for this February 18, 2021 webinar at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (USA and Canada) go to:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_tTd_dJRHRJuA_E6ZCEtCYQ

Following your registration, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about how to join the webinar.

Upcoming 2021 World Potato Congress Webinars

March 2021 – Albert Schirring, Strategy Lead Vegetables & Potatoes, Bayer AG

April 2021 – Dr. Paul Horne, Director/Entomologist, IPM Technologies PTY, LTD.

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