A total of seven potato research projects are under way this year as the result of block grants obtained by the Colorado Potato Administrative Committee, and CPAC Executive Director Jim Ehrlich said soil health, new variety potato breeding guidelines, post-harvest physiology and integrated management of silver scurf are among the issues being studied.

“We just finished with our research funding,” Ehrlich told The Produce News in early April. “Now we’re trying to put that together with the block grant project.”

Ehrlich said two block grants were approved last year for funding this year, which will be used to study means of improving soil health through rotation, cover crops and green manure.

“We’re tying to narrow it down,” he said of researching ways that “promote more knowledge of soil health.”

Another study will look at nematode control using biological controls, and Ehrlich said scientists will be “looking at native soils here in the San Luis Valley that have never had nematodes.”

The soil is found in several valley locations, and Ehrlich said researchers are eager to find why those particular spots have been, thus far, removed from the problem of nematodes.

As the research continues, so do efforts to bolster trade with Mexico.

The executive director said SLV shippers traveled to the recent ANTAD trade show held in Guadalajara, Mexico.

“Farm Fresh Direct, Skyline and RPE Colorado had people attend, and reports were that it was a good show,” he said of the March event. “We continue to get new customers for the 26-kilometer border region, and figures from Potatoes USA show that shipments from the United States continue to increase to that region.”

Regarding the 2016 crop, Ehrlich said that San Luis Valley acreage is expected to be “about the same as last year,” which was, according to CPAC information earlier in 2016, 51,000 acres. Conventionals comprised 47,000 acres, and organics accounted for 4,000 acres. Russets made up 38,540 of the conventional acres and 3,280 of the organics. In reds there were 2,820 acres in conventional and 240 acres in organics. Yellows had 3,290 acres in conventional and 280 in organics. And specialties had 2,350 acres in conventional, 200 in organics.

“I don’t anticipate we’ll be down much if at all,” Ehrlich said.

Organics continue to increase in demand, and Ehrlich said the area’s fingerlings are also seeing growing demand.

“There’s also more and more demand for petites,” Ehrlich  said.

In terms of snowpack, the San Juan Mountains were at 84 percent of normal in early April but were as high as 110 percent during the winter.

“We’re not in bad shape,” Ehrlich said, “but we could use more snow.”