Rich Novy, USDA-ARS research geneticist at the Aberdeen, Idaho, USA, facility, is the new president of the Potato Association of America (PAA).

For four days, beginning on Sunday, July 22, more than 300 people, from 16 countries came to the Boise for the 102nd annual meeting of PAA.

University and private researchers, extension agents, growers and industry representatives came to Idaho’s state capital to see and hear presentations on the status of the latest research papers.

Shelley Jansky, 2017-2018 PAA president and a research scientist with the USDA-ARS and horticulture professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said that attendance was so good that they had to close registration because they couldn’t accommodate any more people.

“We are the go to place for information outcomes related to potato,” Jansky said of the PAA’s mission.

Succeeding Jansky as PAA president was Rich Novy, who said that he wants to continue the PAA’s role continuing to develop collaboration among researchers and the industry and encourage young researchers to stay involved in the potato industry during his one-year term as president.

“One thing that we’re looking at is trying to facilitate new researchers, graduate students, keep their interest in being involved in potato and continuing their research role to help the industry,” Novy said.

“We have an aging population, like many aging populations we need to have the young researchers ready with the retirements that are coming down the pipeline,” Novy said of the PAA membership base.

The 2019 PAA annual meeting will take place in Winnipeg, Manitoba from Sunday, July 28 to Thursday, August 1.

Photo: http://capitalpress.com