Dr. Chad Hutchinson


Dr. Chad Hutchinson
Dr. Chad Hutchinson, Ph.D.
Chad Hutchinson is the Global Director of Potato Research and Market Support for the TriCal Group. He received his degree in Plant Physiology/Horticulture from Purdue University in 1997. Chad was on the faculty of the University of Florida and the state potato specialist for ten years. He has worked with potato producers around the world on topics ranging from variety selection, crop nutrition, soil health, and soil disease suppression helping potato farmers be successful.

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Article
Strike out Soil Disease in Onions
Strike out Soil Disease in Onions

Strike soil fumigants provide a barrier of protection from soil borne disease in the first 6 to 8 weeks, buying time for the onions to yield a healthy and vigorous root. Soil health studies prove that Strike suppresses disease while also supporting biological diversity and soil health overall.

11/8/2024
Article
Increased Yields Equals More “Servings”
Increased Yields Equals More “Servings”

Whether you side with organic or conventional, soil fumigation or in-crop disease management, no-till, cover crops or part of the sustainability discussion; what matters is that sustainability’s definition prioritizes both environmental and economic longevity is to be be functional.

10/8/2024
Article
It’s ‘Harvest Earned, Not Harvest Given’
It’s ‘Harvest Earned, Not Harvest Given’

Our goal is to help you reach your growing potential. This is your livelihood, and you put in a lot of work. We see our role as being partners in farmers’ efforts. We can’t put in the hours in the tractor, but we can support soil health and effectively suppressing soil-borne pathogens.

10/1/2024
Article
Agricultural Science Done Right Resolves Social Science Intentions
Agricultural Science Done Right Resolves Social Science Intentions

Farmers are hungry for tangible ways to increase their sustainable efforts while maintaining economically viable yields. A lot of voices are calling for farming reform. However, feel good soundbites don’t feed the world. Potato producers are keen for real solutions.

9/10/2024
Article
Do You Know (And Appreciate) the Hidden Heroes Beneath Our Feet?
Do You Know (And Appreciate) the Hidden Heroes Beneath Our Feet?

One gram of soil can hold more than 50,000 species of microbes, all living, breathing, interacting and impacting our soil, land, and air. Swiss researcher Mark Anthony recently calculated that soil is home to 59% of Earth’s total life, the most biodiverse habitat on Earth!

8/15/2024
Article
A top read Spud Smart article on Verticillium Wilt Management
A top read Spud Smart article on Verticillium Wilt Management

The farmers are dealing with verticillium. The table of farmers started by laying out the stark reality: “Verticillium is trouncing our crops.” The agronomists and plant pathologists present spent the discussion recommending: “Try cover crops”, “Try manure”, “Try compost”.

7/13/2024
Article
Up to 68% of Potato Seed Could be Infected with Verticillium
Up to 68% of Potato Seed Could be Infected with Verticillium

68% of all seed potatoes sold in the Pacific Northwest are infected with verticillium. If you are a potato farmer who doesn't currently battle verticillium and you’re buying seed potatoes, you have a more than two in three chance that you’ll bring verticillium in.

6/29/2024
Article
Are you a Potato Seed Farmer?
Are you a Potato Seed Farmer?

We conducted a two-year trial comparing potatoes grown in soil where disease was managed with Strike (chloropicrin). Based on what we observed in the field regarding tuber set increase, we developed a model that incorporated the benefit of set increase from Strike in a seed production system.

6/22/2024
Article
Soil Fumigation Changes the Game for Potato Seed Farm Economics
Soil Fumigation Changes the Game for Potato Seed Farm Economics

In today’s potato growing reality, a calculator is as critical to business success as good field management skills. We conducted a two-year trial comparing potatoes grown in soil where disease was managed with the soil fumigant Strike versus untreated potatoes.

5/13/2024
Article
The Unintended Limits of Organic Farming
The Unintended Limits of Organic Farming

“Organic has its place, but it’s really important to define what organic is — and what it isn’t — especially in the context of sustainable ag. Organic has rules and limits, but it doesn’t necessarily always translate to maximum actual regenerative impact.”

2/29/2024
Article
Finally: A New (Desperately Needed) Solution for Potato Wart?
Finally: A New (Desperately Needed) Solution for Potato Wart?

Potato wart strikes fear in the bravest among us and at every level of the potato value chain. 36 fields have been identified as infected in three counties since 2000, leading to major trade disruptions, the destruction of hundreds of millions of kilograms of potatoes.

2/12/2024
Article
A High-tech Look Inside Soil’s Microbiome
A High-tech Look Inside Soil’s Microbiome

Chad Hutchinson is pleased to discuss soil microbes and sustainability with Joy Youwakim, an agroecology scientist at Biome Makers, an independent, third-party genomics company that specializes in DNA sequencing of agricultural soil samples.

1/30/2024
Article
Pushing for Sustainability Is Good, But Only If We Know What We’re Aiming For
Pushing for Sustainability Is Good, But Only If We Know What We’re Aiming For

You’d be hard pressed to look anywhere in agriculture today without running into the word ‘sustainability’. The whole industry is pressing forward on sustainability…but what does sustainability really mean? How do we define sustainability’s goals?

12/19/2023
Trial
Field Trial Data that Inspired our Latest Campaign
Field Trial Data that Inspired our Latest Campaign

“The farmer says he doesn’t want other growers to know the secret of his competitive advantage. I know he can’t help himself. I know he’s telling his neighbors what he can’t believe is happening in his fields.” What Is Quickly Becoming The Worst Kept Secret? Strike Soil Fumigant.

10/31/2023
Article
Short-term Thinking Costs Long-term Benefits
Short-term Thinking Costs Long-term Benefits

I convinced the director of agronomy for a large company that grows chipping potatoes to try soil fumigation with chloropicrin (sold as Strike). He appreciated the soil health and yield gains he achieved in year one, but he hasn’t been seeing the longer-term soil health gains.

10/17/2023
Article
Potatoes Following in Strawberries’ Footsteps, But Can Potatoes be as Nimble?
Potatoes Following in Strawberries’ Footsteps, But Can Potatoes be as Nimble?

The parallels between where we are in the potato industry today compared to where California’s strawberry industry was in the 1950s are quite amazing. Strawberries are very sensitive to verticillium. Do I think chloropicrin is coming in potatoes? Absolutely.

9/27/2023
Article
Sustainability and profitability: two sides of one well-managed coin
Sustainability and profitability: two sides of one well-managed coin

Sustainability is a priorities in agriculture today. Recognizing that responsible management of resources is critical to ensuring agriculture can meet the world’s food, feed, and fiber needs today and tomorrow too, farmers are supportive of improving sustainability.

9/15/2023
Article
STRIKE is Fast Becoming the Potato Industry’s Worst-Kept Secret
STRIKE is Fast Becoming the Potato Industry’s Worst-Kept Secret

Soil fumigants have suffered from an image problem, Strike is different – it’s a modern, highly-selective, soil health-promoting tool. There’s more and more awareness that Strike’s active ingredient, chloropicrin, suppresses all the major soil-borne potato diseases.

8/23/2023
Article
Managing the Good and the Bad of Soil Microorganisms
Managing the Good and the Bad of Soil Microorganisms

If you’ve farmed for several decades, you’ve seen firsthand the shift from broad spectrum to targeted pest management. Partially, the change has occurred because today’s available technologies are so vastly more precise than what our parents and grandparents used.

8/5/2023
Article
Incremental Yield Improvement Is Good, But It’s Not Where the Money Is
Incremental Yield Improvement Is Good, But It’s Not Where the Money Is

Soil health is the basis of the entire crop. Healthy soil is the most important step towards your crop’s yield potential. Plant into unhealthy soil and, no matter how much effort and investment you shovel into those acres, your crop won’t reach its potential.

7/10/2023
Article
Potato Farming Realities and Sustainability
Potato Farming Realities and Sustainability

It seems everyone is talking sustainability today. But, what does sustainability really mean in the context of today’s farming realities, and how do we achieve it in practical, real-world application?

6/27/2023
Article
“Am I Willing to Share? Heck No, It’s My Competitive Advantage”
“Am I Willing to Share? Heck No, It’s My Competitive Advantage”

"Ultimately, potato growers are all in competition with each other. Strike lets me grow more yield and better quality than the guys down the road or – since it’s a global market – in another state or country. The longer I can keep that edge to myself, the more money I make.”

6/21/2023
Article
Does Soil Fumigation Have a Place in Regenerative Agriculture?
Does Soil Fumigation Have a Place in Regenerative Agriculture?

Over the past handful of months, I’ve attended a whole pile of potato seminars, expos, forums and conferences around the world. Regenerative agriculture and sustainability are almost always top of the agenda.

6/6/2023
Article
Reduced Irrigation Yet More Yield and Better-quality Potatoes
Reduced Irrigation Yet More Yield and Better-quality Potatoes

One grower trialed soil fumigation with Strike (a chloropicrin-based product) on a handful of acres in 2020, mostly to better manage common scab and other soil borne diseases. Pleased with the results, he’s increased his treated acreage each year. Last fall, he fumigated several hundred acres.

3/16/2023
Article
Potato School Snapshot - Can Fumigation and Sustainability Align?
Potato School Snapshot - Can Fumigation and Sustainability Align?

As an agronomist and potato scientist, I’m always fascinated to hear the latest research from potato experts around the world. That’s why the TriCal Group’s Potato School with its focus on grower education is one of my favorite events.

1/3/2023
Article
Make the first – and biggest – step toward sustainability
Make the first – and biggest – step toward sustainability

Potato farmers today are pushing hard for sustainability. Regenerative, soil-health promoting practices like reduced tillage, cover cropping, and planting into more residue to reduce erosion are all increasingly mainstream.

1/1/2023
Article
Why Paul is Guilt-free About Doubling his Yield with Soil Fumigation
Why Paul is Guilt-free About Doubling his Yield with Soil Fumigation

Over the last couple articles, I’ve told you about Paul: a highly experienced, sustainability-focused Ontario potato producer who saw yield skyrocket when he started using chloropicrin (the active ingredient in Strike) as a soil fumigant.

10/27/2022
Article
As Promised Here’s How Paul Doubled His Yield
As Promised Here’s How Paul Doubled His Yield

Last week we shared the first article in a 3-part series published in SpudSmart titled, “Ontario Potato Farmer Notches 100% Yield Increase”. This week we are sharing the second article in the 3-part series published in SpudSmart titled, “As Promised Here’s How Paul Doubled His Yield”.

10/18/2022
Article
Ontario Potato Farmer Notches 100% Yield Increase
Ontario Potato Farmer Notches 100% Yield Increase

Four years ago at a farm show, I happened to cross paths with a long-time, forward-thinking potato grower from Ontario named Paul. He had the walk of a guy who wasn’t planning to stop. But four words on our signage literally caught him mid-stride: Strike supports soil health.

9/22/2022
Article
Are Lurking Pathogens Already Wreaking Havoc Below Ground
Are Lurking Pathogens Already Wreaking Havoc Below Ground

Farmers usually feel pretty hopeful about the potential of their crops at the start: the most common comment I hear in early summer is “This is going to be my year!” Those same farmers are often disappointed what they saw in June and July didn’t translate to yield.

9/19/2022
Podcast
How to Avoid “What Happened to my Crop?!” Disappointment

An interview with Chad Hutchinson by Ashley Robinson Seed World Group

7/5/2022
Article
Do You Miss the Money You Could Have Earned?
Do You Miss the Money You Could Have Earned?

For a variety of agronomic, environmental, and management reasons, some potato producers choose not to apply soil fumigants to manage disease. The industry standard fumigant doesn’t allow for a winter cover crop to protect your soil and requires a great deal of management.

6/6/2022
Article
Disease Management vs. Sustainability — Does it Have to be a Choice?
Disease Management vs. Sustainability — Does it Have to be a Choice?

The push for sustainability in agriculture: cover crops, reduced tillage, planting into more residue to reduce erosion, and choosing more sustainable chemical inputs are priorities for our whole industry. Is there a way to do that while controlling disease and staying profitable too?

5/18/2022
Article
Soil Fumigation Treatment Zones — What You Don’t Know Could be Stealing from Your Investment
Soil Fumigation Treatment Zones — What You Don’t Know Could be Stealing from Your Investment

When growers apply Strike soil fumigant under their carefully managed field conditions, they get impressive results — control of rhizoctonia, black dot, common scab; boosted crop yield and improved sustainability.

3/29/2022
Article
Are You Throwing Money Away on Your Soil Fumigation?
Are You Throwing Money Away on Your Soil Fumigation?

You’ve seen the research study results that show soil fumigation with Strike can effectively subdue rhizoctonia, black dot, common scab, and early die complex. You’ve heard experts explain how chloropicrin can boost soil’s health and potato production’s sustainability.

3/8/2022
Article
What Patates Dolbec Learned About Soil Fumigation Could Make You Money
What Patates Dolbec Learned About Soil Fumigation Could Make You Money

Scab steals a costly percentage of the potatoes produced at Patates Dolbec, one of Quebec’s largest farms. Patates Dolbec’s director of quality assurance and agronomy, coordinated a soil fumigation trial last year to see how Strike might impact his soil’s health and productivity.

1/31/2022
Article
Tackling Early Die Complex — a Sneak Peek from Potato School
Tackling Early Die Complex — a Sneak Peek from Potato School

If potato producers could snap their fingers to solve the most costly and frustrating production challenge they face, almost all would snap away early die complex. Early die can cost five to 30 per cent of yield. Yes, early die is difficult to manage. However, the more you know, the better you’ll be able to tackle it.

12/3/2021
Article
What’s Biting into Your Farm’s Economic and Environmental Sustainability?
What’s Biting into Your Farm’s Economic and Environmental Sustainability?

Up to 58 per cent of all the food produced in Canada is lost or wasted each year. Think about that: nearly two of every three potatoes you grow get chucked. If you are like most farmers I know – strong and honorable people who are proud to be part of feeding the world – knowing that so much of your effort is wasted is nothing short of offensive.

11/3/2021
Article
Tackle Verticillium Wilt and Take Back Control
Tackle Verticillium Wilt and Take Back Control

Farmers have a lot on their minds: pests, frost, heat, commodity prices, too much rain, drought, labor, regulations and even more. To succeed at farming, a thousand things have to go right. Farming is stressful on its own. Add in supply chain issues and you are left with tough decisions regarding the best way to move forward for the success of your farming operation. Don’t panic, we’ve got you covered.

10/12/2021
Article
Tired Soils Aren’t an Inevitable, Unwinnable Battle
Tired Soils Aren’t an Inevitable, Unwinnable Battle

I receive countless from frustrated potato growers who tell me they are throwing costly inputs at their fields, yet not seeing the yields they need. Production costs are increasing while water resources grow tighter. If you’re not satisfied with your yields, it’s time for a change.

9/1/2021
Article
Sustainability = Environmental Stewardship, But Economic Success Too
Sustainability = Environmental Stewardship, But Economic Success Too

Sustainability is one of the more commonly misunderstood concepts in agriculture today. At times agricultural success, especially higher productivity, is put at odds with ‘sustainability’. This is not necessary, and here’s why.

7/13/2021
Article
Spudman announces potato industry Dream Team 2021
Spudman announces potato industry Dream Team 2021

As the global director of potato research and market support for TriCal Group, Hutchinson is a master of soil health and disease suppression. He is the industry’s leaders in research and isn't shy. He is often a speaker at potato-related educational opportunities, like Potato Expo.

2/8/2021
Article
Fumigation reduces soilborne diseases, which helps sustainability
Fumigation reduces soilborne diseases, which helps sustainability

Improving sustainable potato production is a goal for the potato industry. The basic concept of sustainable crop production is to produce an economically viable crop while maintaining or improving soil health and reducing the potential environmental impacts.

2/1/2021
Article
A Crisp Autumn Morning
A Crisp Autumn Morning

Picture a crisp, autumn morning. The sun is starting to rise above the tree line that edges up close to the field that stretches before you. The air is still but sweet with the smell of season’s end. You step into the taller grass that grows just beyond the end of the field. The grass is wet with dew. In a heartbeat of time, all that has happened to get to this point passes before you.

11/17/2020
Article
Climate Change, Agriculture, and Chloropicrin Soil Treatment
Climate Change, Agriculture, and Chloropicrin Soil Treatment

Climate change is a politically divisive topic. It is advisable for those with a stake in agriculture to explore the ramifications of potential weather changes on business. As weather instabilities or weather extremes become more common, farming will need to change.

2/19/2020