WPVGA & UW Division of Extension Grower Education Conference & Industry Show

Attendees, exhibitors & solutions

Who this event is for

Industry trends

Key trends shaping this market and its wider industry.

Arrival airports

Choose from the following airports, with convenient access to the event and venue.

Hotel tiers

A range of accommodation options near the venue and across key areas.

Local transport

Get around the city with these convenient transport options.

Frequently asked

Glossary

1

WPVGA

Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association, the Antigo-based grower organisation that publishes the annual conference and trade show in Stevens Point. Its research and promotion arms fund variety, storage and pest work presented at the event.

2

Seed potato

Planting stock grown under a disease-tested certification programme (in Wisconsin administered through the state seed potato certification service) and sold by generation class; a core exhibit category on the trade floor.

3

Generation (G1-G6)

The number of field generations a certified seed lot has been through since laboratory propagation. Lower generations carry a price premium because virus and disease risk accumulates with each field year.

4

Chip stock

Potato acreage contracted for processing into potato chips, judged on specific gravity, sugar content and fry colour rather than fresh-market appearance.

5

Specific gravity

A density measure of potato dry-matter content, used by processors to price chipping and frying contracts and to predict yield and oil uptake.

6

Late blight

A fast-spreading oomycete disease (Phytophthora infestans) that can destroy a field within days in cool, wet weather; scouting and fungicide programmes are a recurring education-track topic.

7

Cyst nematode

Soil-borne nematodes (including pale cyst and golden nematode species) that attack potato roots and persist for years in soil; soil sampling and rotation planning are standard controls discussed at grower meetings.

8

Cull potato

Tubers removed at harvest or grading because of rot, greening, damage or off-size; cull management and disposal rules matter for disease pressure and for storage hygiene.

9

Suberization

The wound-healing process in which stored tubers form a corky layer over cuts and bruises; correct temperature, humidity and airflow during the first weeks of storage protect the crop.

10

Bulk storage

Ventilated or refrigerated potato stores holding tonnes of crop in large bins or piles; the show's storage exhibitors cover airflow design, humidification, sensors and sprout suppressants.

11

Sprout suppressant

A treatment applied in store to stop tubers sprouting during long holding periods, allowing growers to ship against later contracts.

12

Chemigation

Injecting fertilizer or crop-protection products through an irrigation system; widespread on central Wisconsin sandy soils where pivots are the main delivery route.

13

USDA grade

The official US marketing standard (for example U.S. No. 1) that defines size, defect and quality tolerances for potatoes and vegetables sold in interstate trade.

14

UWSP

University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, whose campus adjoins the convention centre district in Stevens Point and provides overflow parking and student staffing for local events.

15

CWA

Central Wisconsin Airport at Mosinee, the closest commercial airport to Stevens Point, with regional jet service through hub connections.

16

Wisconsin Idea / extension

The state's model of university research carried into farm fields by county extension educators; extension specialists routinely present trial results in the conference education programme.