A SPECIALIST potato growing training program organised by the German Potato Trade Association (DKHV) recently attracted 46 participants, ranging from newcomers to seasoned professionals.
The training event, which took place in Hermannsburg, in Germany’s Lüneburg Heath, provided an opportunity to learn more about potatoes and gain hands-on, practical training.
DKHV representative Jutta Becker-Ritterspach gave an introduction, speaking about the origins, botany, and cultivation conditions of potatoes in Germany. Instructors then delivered lectures on modern breeding techniques, growth conditions, and requirements for quality and crop rotation. Plant protection was a key topic, with a special focus on pests, diseases, and proper field inspection in line with the Berlin Agreements.
Practical applications were demonstrated at the teaching and demonstration garden of the Lower Saxony Chamber of Agriculture, where the differences between healthy and affected crops was highlighted and participants learned how to identify typical damage patterns, with explanations on biological development phases, such as that of the Colorado potato beetle.
