May/June 2020 - 35

KNOW SOMEONE WHO SHOULD BE FEATURED?
Email Zeke Jennings at zjennings@greatamericanpublish.com
or call 616-520-2159
Spudman7
Q&A
WITH
Mark Pavek
At its core, Mark Pavek describes his professional focus as " finding the smartest and
most profitable agronomic practices and varieties for (Pacific) Northwest growers. " Pavek is
a Research and Extension Potato Specialist at Washington State University and a principal
investigator for the university's Potato Research Group. He's been with WSU since 2004,
but also has experience as a field researcher in the private sector.
1
Could you share a little on your
background?
I was born in American Falls, Idaho, during a
snowstorm on the first day of spring. I grew up in
a potato family in potato country - we lived and
breathed potatoes. Ironically, all professional positions
I took were in the potato industry. At 10, I started
pulling wild rye in wheat fields for around $3.10 per
hour. I was driving tractors by age 12. Although I
had an interest in farming professionally, it wasn't in
the cards. Schooling at University of Idaho, followed
by schooling at (WSU) directed me into my current
position. I think I got it right.
What are you currently
working on?
Potato variety development trials are
always in the mix. Current agronomic research
includes trials to prevent potato greening, improve
irrigation management, fertilizer source and rate
by variety, identify best seed size by variety and
several others. We are also wrapping up some
direction of planting research - the short story
is that growers should avoid planting in the W/E
direction due to inefficient use of the sun's path.
3
6
4
What do you enjoy doing away from work?
Everything outdoors with my wife and labrador retrievers - mostly hiking in the
backcountry. We make our dogs pack in our wine, along with their stuff. No worries
though, the extra weight doesn't slow them down. I also bake artisan sourdough bread. When I find
a loaf I like from a bakery, I tweak recipes at home until I produce a bread that I consider to be very
similar. There is a lot of science in making bread, let alone sourdough bread. One of my favorites is
whole wheat potato sourdough with chunks of yellow and or purple potatoes inside. I was forced
into baking when our local baker passed away and I couldn't find a similar potato bread anywhere.
2
What does your job entail?
A quote from Jack Welch, former and successful CEO
of GE, brings my relationship with the NW potato
industry into perspective: " An organization's ability to learn,
and translate that learning into action rapidly, is the ultimate
competitive advantage. " Concisely, this is the mission of the
WSU Potato Research Group. We facilitate learning for the
NW potato industry relative to cultural management by
conducting timely, relevant research, deciphering complex data
sets, and translating the results into applied management
recommendations. In addition to conducting research, training
our future leaders (graduate students) is an essential and
rewarding component of what I do.
What has been one of
your more memorable
research projects?
Conducting similar research trials in
Washington, Cambridge, England and
Wisconsin for my Ph.D. The differences
in production practices and climate
between the regions was eye-opening.
Some of the best education I received
was due merely to the fact that I got
outside of the area I grew up in.
5
If you had one
piece of advice
for growers,
what would it be?
Question everything you
do in potato production.
Ask " can I do it better? " or
" why am I doing this? " If
no science-based answer
exists, let me know; I will
research it.
7
What is
your favorite
way to
eat potatoes?
French fried, of course.
Does anyone ever
crave baked, boiled
or mashed?
Spudman * May/June 2020
35

May/June 2020

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