Idaho potato growers brace for poor crop amid drought, heat

POCATELLO, Idaho (AP) — The hot, dry and smoky growing season has left some Idaho potato farmers bracing for a poor crop. Randy Hardy of Oakley told the Idaho State Journal that his harvest will likely be the worst of his career. Statewide, spud farmers conducting test digs or early harvest are uprooting plants supporting no tubers. Where there are potatoes, there are fewer than normal, and most of the tubers are undersized and misshapen. Many fields lacked deep soil moisture when the potatoes were planted. Then the state was hit with record-high heat in June, contributing to fewer potatoes growing beneath each plant.