Optical potato grading 'quick' and 'accurate'

An Agriculture Canada researcher is eager to try out a new automated potato grading machine on Prince Edward Island.

The optical potato grader uses a camera and special software to sort potatoes based on size, shape and quality. David Main, a biologist with Agriculture Canada, will be taking the machine out to Island farms this fall.

"It'll be quick. It'll be fast. It's very accurate. It's gentle on the product," said Main.

"It also records the number of potatoes going down each size class. So it will speed up our potato grading."

Main grades 1,000 test plots of potatoes every season.

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