IDAHO, USA — Wildfire smoke has reared its ugly head across the Northwest with various intense and prolonged smoke events this year. According to the findings of a recent study, potato crops may be affected by it.
A variety of specialties from the University of Idaho (UI), Boise State University (BSU), and private companies worked together on a two-year study to understand how wildfire smoke may impact one of Idaho's most well-known crops.
While the study was done in two years, the idea was born long before, as Dr. Addie Waxman with Mcain's Foods wanted to know if the smoke affects crop growth.
"It was 2012, I was out walking fields with a grower in the state of Washington. And, it had been a very smoky year. I saw a field that just looked distressed. So, I asked the grower, 'What's going on over here?'. And he said, 'That variety just doesn't do well in smoke. But, you plant in the spring and you don't know if you're going to have a smoky year or not.' That was 12 years ago now," Dr. Waxman said.
Dr. Waxman helped get the study off the ground, and we now have the results.
Dr. Owen McDougal, a professor of chemistry and biochemistry at BSU, was another one of the many scientists involved in the study. He summarized the study's findings, "I think what we found is that based on the variety of potato, the smoke can dramatically affect the tuber growth and development."
The study found that in smoky conditions potatoes were smaller, more misshapen, and darker when fried, among other factors that make them less valuable.
"One of the most disconcerting results that came from it was that the smoke decreased what we call number ones," Dr. Waxman elaborated. She went on to say that U.S. number ones are the most desirable type of potatoes for both growers and processors.
"It's a quality. It's a specific gravity, size, shape, length, and width," Dr. Waxman detailed. She said the U.S. number ones are an ideal shape for making French fries. If the size or the shape is off, they will be turned into other potato products like wedges or hash browns, which are less valuable.
Depending on their contract, potato growers can also take a hit if they don't meet a certain benchmark.
"The mark is about 50%, so if they're bringing in less than 50% number ones, they could take a financial hit with their contract," Dr. Waxman elaborated.
But there is some good news, some potato varieties fared better than others in the smoke. So, if a busy fire season is expected, growers can adjust the variety they plan in the spring.
"The ultimate value of the study was intended to provide growers the opportunity to work with processors for contracts that made sense for seasons where they expect high smoke," explained Dr. McDougal.
Again, this was a joint study with multiple disciplines involved. Dr. McDougal shared, "It was a great collaborative experience."
Along with Dr. McDougal and Dr. Waxman, Dr. Michael Thornton, Dr. Joe Guenthner, Laura Bond, AJ Atkins and Mark Skinner also contributed to this study among others.