The German Potato Trade Association (DKHV) has launched this year’s “Fachkraft Kartoffel” training program with the successful completion of its first module in Hermannsburg, bringing together around 20 participants from across Germany for two days of technical and practical learning.

The professional development course attracted both newcomers to the potato sector and experienced industry specialists seeking to deepen their knowledge of potato production and the wider value chain.

The program opened with an introduction by Katrin Mauthe of the DKHV, who provided participants with foundational knowledge on the origin, botany and cultivation conditions of potatoes in Germany. External speakers and teaching experts subsequently delivered presentations covering cultivation methods, growing conditions, quality requirements and crop rotation systems.

Plant protection was another key focus of the first module. Participants received practical guidance on major potato pests and diseases, as well as professional field assessment methods based on the Berliner Vereinbarungen standards.

The practical component of the training took place at the teaching and demonstration garden of the Lower Saxony Chamber of Agriculture. There, Carsten Tschentscher demonstrated the differences between healthy and diseased plants using a range of field plots and explained the characteristic symptoms associated with various forms of crop damage.

Further practical insights were provided by teaching expert Nikolaus Schackmann, who presented extensive demonstration materials featuring potato plants and tubers affected by disease. “It is important to me to pass on enthusiasm for the potato, and that is exactly what we achieved during these two days,” Schackmann said.

The program also included a networking evening, giving participants the opportunity to exchange experiences and strengthen professional contacts within the industry.

On the second day, teaching expert Max Schümann focused on current developments in potato breeding. Topics included modern breeding techniques, the challenges facing breeding programs and the importance of maintenance breeding in preserving existing varieties.

According to the DKHV, participant feedback on the first module was overwhelmingly positive. Attendees highlighted the expertise of the speakers, the practical relevance of the content and the successful combination of classroom learning and hands-on experience.

“The speakers communicated their expertise exceptionally well through their own experience and practical examples,” one participant said.

The training program will continue in autumn with a second module scheduled to take place in Mönchengladbach. Further information on the “Fachkraft Kartoffel” qualification and registration for future courses is available through the DKHV.