1. NB POTATO CONFERENCE FEBRUARY 5 2015

2. OUTLINE Background NBPITI - Structure - Activities - Soil Health - Seed Improvement ARGENTINA STUDY TOUR

3. The Scope Focus Areas: 1) Water and Soil Management 2) Seed Improvement 3) Agriculture Science & Technology 4) Economics New Brunswick Potato Transformation Initiative Scope Definition

4. NBPITI Organization Project Sponsors C Wentworth (McCain Foods), M Hemphill (PNB) Project Lead Joe Brennan Advisory/ Steering Committee: Matt Hemphill, PNB Ryan Culberson / Joey Toner Kevin McCully, Greg Toner, NBDAAF Edward Hurley, Potato Research Centre, AAFC Yves Leclerc, McCain Foods Janet Reid, McCain Foods PMO Team: Project Manager –Janet Reid Project Administrator - TBD Financial Controls – Robert Corriveau Water & Soil Management Gordon Fairchild–CCNB ECSWCC Bruce Kinney, NBDAAF Walter Allison, W.A. & Associates Mike Bragdon MPG Industry Rep (ME) Marcel Ouelette Gilles Moreau, MFC Robert Anderson Seed Improvement Jacques Lavoie, NBDAAF Stephen Pray Gary Hawkins, MFC Edward Hurley Gary Hawkins Emily snowden Loretta Mikitzel Agriculture Science and Technology Khalil Al-Mughrabi Gordon Fairchild, Denis Laforge, John Deer Rep. Randy Darrah, Tom Dixon, MFC Kevin Floyd Economics Shirley Stubble, Dino Kubik Louis Ouellette, PNB Nathan Niu, AAFC Roy Culberson

5. Soil & Water Group Soil Health - Organic Matter - Compost Trials - Crop Rotation - Cover Crops – in season - Compaction - Deep Tillage - in season, inter row tillage - Compaction Workshop

6. Soil & Water - New methods of primary tillage - Evaluation of Veris mapping - Soil Fumigation - Chemical, natural - Drainage, Soil Conservation - Irrigation - Exploring fertility programs

7. ORGANIC MATTER It is key to water and nutrient management Should be between 3.5 and 6 % Good Organic Matter helps : - prevent erosion - retain soil moisture - reduce compaction - warm the soil - aids root development

8. Seed Improvement Seed Class Comparison Seed handling/management - pre-conditioning - spacing, mother seed profile - cutting,bruising CIPC Sensitivity Seed Specific Gravity ** AAFC Breeding Program

9. SEED QUALITY Consider planting E2 vs E3 Should have less disease - virus Should have more consistent plant stand Should have more uniform type Should have more vigour- even emergence Russet Burbanks E2 @ $26/cwt vs E3@$14/cwt. Plant 15cwt/acre. Cost difference is $ 180/ac – that’s 15cwt / 5%

10. WHAT’S DIFFERENT? Bringing more focus to yield improvement Engaging more people / sectors Leveraging more resources- private and public The stakes are higher!!

11. ARGENTINA Facing Same Pressure to be Competitive Tremendous Potential Doing A Very Good Job On Seed And Soil Management

12. Soil and Water Management Long rotation - 5-7 years Pivot Irrigation High Organic Matter Soils Minimum Tillage Zone Management / Precision Agriculture

13. Seed Management Plant E1 (equivalent) for commercial production Grade seed into storage and price accordingly Modern Seed Storages Control of ‘mother seed’ profile Uniform seed ; Uniform plant stands

14. Seed Cutter Knives

15. Disenfectant System

16. Liquid Seed Piece Treater

17. Seed Drying Hood

18. Seed Storage

19. INNOVATORS

20. A January Day.

21. THANK YOU