Taking on tomorrow’s taters: U of M research chair’s focus is on sustainable spuds

The University of Manitoba has created a special research position dedicated to sustainable spuds.

Linda Schott is the province’s inaugural research chair in potato sustainability, U of M announced in a news release Tuesday.

Schott has been tasked with studying soil productivity, irrigation, disease management and variety development.

“We envision the University of Manitoba becoming a school of choice for students and researchers passionate about the sustainable production of potatoes,” Martin Scanlon, dean of the faculty of agricultural and food sciences, said in a release.

The position will result in more training opportunities for students and build “a strong talent pipeline” for the agricultural workforce, Scanlon said.

Manitoba produced one in five of all Canadian potatoes in 2024.

Potatoes are Manitoba’s fourth-biggest crop. They accounted for $875 million worth of exports last year.

Schott joined the U of M on July 1. She is both a research chair and associate professor in the department of plant science.

Leaders from J.R. Simplot Company and McCain Foods, both of which are major employers in Portage la Prairie, endorsed her appointment Tuesday.

Both agribusinesses have pitched in to support the new role based out of Manitoba’s largest university.

Keystone Potato Producers and Peak of the Market are also involved with what U of M is calling a “visionary partnership” to advance innovation in potato production and processing.

Schott was previously an assistant professor and extension specialist in nutrient and waste management at the University of Idaho.

She has a PhD in biological engineering from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca