European Association For Potato Research:

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES:

• To promote the exchange of general and scientific information relating to all facets of potato growing and utilization between various countries;
• To assist and encourage international cooperation in this field.

From its establishment EAPR has been very much increased by the activities of the Sections that perform the invaluable function to promote interchanging knowledge within specific disciplines. The association has five sections such as, pathology and pests, breeding and varietal assessment, agronomy, post harvest, virology and physiology. Meetings of the sections are organized regularly to discuss the results of research and problems. For the study of special problems, standardizing methods of research or terminology, and for many other scientific purposes they set up working groups.

ACTIVITIES:

The Association organizes a conference in every three years in a different European country. The opportunities to engage in every type of work related to potato crop and meet colleagues from all over the world, for those interested in the potato crop are offered by the conferences. The Association publishes the journal ’Potato Research’ which includes different scientific contributions on both applied and fundamental research on potatoes.

European Association of Potato Research was established on 1955.

PREVIOUS TRIENNIAL CONFERENCES:

XIX Triennial Conference of the EAPR: July 6-11 2014; Brussels (Belgium)

The conference focused the following topics:

1. Recent progress in breeding and genomics
2. Diseases, pests and crop protection
3. Recent advances in plant production, physiology and agronomy
4. Developments in nutritional value of tubers, quality, preservation and post‐harvest
5. Potato and quality agriculture
6. Biological control of diseases and pests
7. Socio‐economy of potato
8. In global food security, the place of potato
9. Connection between end-users and research needs in potato chain and potato production

XVIII Triennial Conference of the EAPR: July 24-29, 2011; Oulu (Finland).

The conference focused the following topics:

1. From genomes to practice: what should be the priorities in utilizing genomic data from the potato and its pathogens and pests?
2. Where is the potato breeding going?
3. Is there a future for cis-genic and trans-genic potatoes in European agriculture?
4. What can be done in potato research to increase potato consumption?
5. What is the requirement in research to make potatoes a true food security crop in the developing world?