Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

Call to order: William Kirk (chair) called the meeting to order at 1:20 p.m. on Thurs., March 13. Introductions: Members present introduced themselves. Selection of officers and future meeting places: Chair for 2009--Samuel Essah Secretary for 2009--Nick David Venue for 2009 meeting--Denver, Colorado Venue for 2010 meeting--North Dakota Venue for 2011 meeting--University of Nebraska Revisiting NCERA-205: William Kirk introduced NCERA-205 to new members of the group. He went through the NIMSS (NCERA-205) website to familiarize new members of what is on the website. The NCERA-205 group involves people who deal with Research, Extension, and growers. The aim of the group is to share information among members. Official states that make up NCERA-205 include Michigan, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Colorado, and Nebraska. Michigan State is officially represented by two delegates to attend the annual meetings. All the other states are officially represented by one delegate each. However, as many people as possible from each state can attend the meetings. Each state is advised to encourage growers and other faculty to attend the annual meetings. Information exchange between potato breeding/genetics and the NCERA-205 group: The group agreed that there was a need to interact and exchange information with breeders and geneticists in the various states so that we can come out with breeding/genetics and production profile of potato cultivars. Expected outcomes and impacts of NCERA-205 activities: Due to the rising cost of importing potatoes from other states and repacking and shipping them out by packers, it has become more important than ever to evaluate storage management of different varieties for extended period of time in various storages. Storage of red potatoes over a longer period of time without losing the red color was discussed extensively. Black Dot: A grower present at the meeting brought up the problem of Black Dot Disease. This disease is known to be a huge problem in some operations but difficult to control compared to other diseases. Not much research attention has been given to black dot. The group agreed that it is an issue that needs to be addressed both at the pathological level and also need to be incorporated into breeding programs. State Reports-- Wisconsin: A.J. Bussan focused on Best Management Practices for new cultivars grown in Wisconsin. He emphasized the importance of storage management for individual cultivars. Michigan State: David Douches gave a presentation on the breeding and genetics program at Michigan State University. 2007 NCERA-205 Michigan 2007 Crop Update The 2007 growing season in Michigan is best characterized as warm and dry. The average monthly maximum and minimum temperatures in the months of May, June and September were above the 15-year average. No extreme highs or lows were reported. Relative humidity was lower overall, resulting in less physiological stress and disease pressure. Rainfall for the season was approximately half of the 15-year average of 21.5 inches. Some localized heavy rainfall was reported in southwest and south central Michigan resulting in field rot and subsequent losses of chip and table potatoes in the field. Overall statewide yields were reported as above average with average specific gravity's being noted. GDD base 40 were reported in potatoes at 3300 to 3900 DD or higher in some location. The potato crop experienced a moderately hotter growing season in 2007. Fall harvest was warm, with early storage crop being difficult to cool down. Some minor early storage crop wet break down was reported. Storage potatoes table and chip have stored and processed well from December to current. Quality in storage is reported as being very good this season for almost all chip stock with little to no storage pathological problems. MSU will be releasing Kalkaska (MSJ036-A), a round white chip processing variety. New fresh packing shed in White Pigeon, MI to package 3000-5000 acres of potatoes. Resistance monitoring: Significant levels of resistance to imidacloprid were again present in Michigan. Beetles from Sackett Potatoes, fields 26-29 were 32-fold resistant to imidacloprid, compared to the susceptible strain. An additional five fields on the home farm (field 1, field 4, fields 5-8&31-32, field 12, and field 25) were also greater than 20-fold resistant to imidacloprid. In total, 14 samples were tested with imidacloprid from the Sackett Potatoes home farm, all but two were greater than 10-fold resistant to imidacloprid. In 2007, 14 additional sites away from the Sackett Potatoes home farm showed greater than 20-fold resistance to imidacloprid, contrasted with only three sites in 2006, and all Michigan samples had significantly higher LD50 values than the susceptible New Jersey strain. These sites were all within approximately 10-12 km from Sackett Potatoes home farm, but in several different directions (i.e. Paul Main Rodney Farm to the northwest, Paul Main HB-S site to the southwest, and Sackett Potatoes fields 101-103 to the northeast). The overall LD50 values were lower than last year; this year's highest LD50 value was 1.563 ¼g/beetle (Sackett Potatoes field 155) compared to last year's 3.244 ¼g/beetle (Sackett Potatoes fields 47&48), but the proportion of samples greater than 10-fold resistant was up from 50% in 2006 to 67% in 2007. No Michigan populations had greater than 10-fold resistance to thiamethoxam. However, of the 34 sites sampled, all but four had LD50 values significantly higher than the susceptible New Jersey strain. The thiamethoxam results mirrored those of imidacloprid, overall resistance values were lower this year, but the proportion of sites exhibiting significant differences from the susceptible strain increased from the previous year. Susceptibility to imidacloprid (as measured by LD50) in field-collected Colorado potato beetle populations was highly correlated with susceptibility to thiamethoxam. This result was also found in 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006 (e.g. Grafius et al. 2004, 2005; Byrne et al. 2006, 2007). This high correlation is a strong indicator that alternation between imidacloprid and thiamethoxam would not be an effective or wise management technique. Insecticide Trials: The seasonal average number of large larvae was significantly lower in treated plots compared to untreated plots. All treatments resulted in significantly fewer large larvae than the untreated plots. The insecticide treatments kept large larvae below the economic threshold of 1 to 2 large larvae per plant compared to 18 large larvae per plant in the untreated plots. The seasonal average number of egg masses and small larvae, included larvae that had recently hatched and were still on the egg mass, resulting in high variability in these results. All treatments resulted in significantly higher yields than the untreated plots. The 2007 insecticide evaluations tested four non-neonicotinoid insecticides, and combinations of non-neonicotinoid insecticides, all proved to be to effective for the control of CPB. Although these chemicals may have cost limitations, restrictions in number of applications, and timing of application, they are valuable chemicals to slow CPB resistance to neonicotinoids. Disease update for MI 2007 season 2007 storage issues. Some LB from 2006 was processed early and was not stored into 2007. Some storages were affected by Pythium but losses in 2007 generally low. 2007 growing season started early with a warm spring and again there was survival of volunteers from 2006/2007 season in most areas in MI. Ideal growing conditions resulted in few issues with stand establishments caused by Fusarium and Rhizoctonia was moderate in 2007. Still some issues with bacterial soft rot. Hot and very dry summer resulted in no LB being reported in crops. Common scab was relatively widespread in 2007. LB reported on a tomato sample in September and a home gardener tuber sample in December. Corky ring spot (tobacco rattle virus) officially reported in state in 2006 and published in Plant Disease in 2008. So far, soil temperature over winter has been moderate at 6' depth and we are likely to see survival of volunteers. Colorado State: Breeding and Selection Program: Major emphasis is placed on the development of early maturing russet cultivars. Reds, Specialty and Chipping cultivars are also being developed. Selection emphasis is on the development of 'low input' cultivars, primarily for reduced nitrogen and fungicide input. Currently, emphasis is also being placed on selection for PVY immunity and Nematode resistance. Two cultivars were named in 2007--Rio Grande Russet and Canela Russet. Colorado is trying to come up with a grading standard for fingerlings. Pathology Program: Studies conducted in 2007 include early blight fungicide trials, early blight degree days, root knot nematode degree days, late blight forecasting in the San Luis Valley, pink rot fungicide evaluation, powdery scab trials, seed piece treatment trials, and advance clone disease assessment. Potato Management and Physiology: In 2007, horticultural evaluations were conducted on 36 potato cultivars and clonal selections. These evaluations assessed the influence of different management practices on growth, development, tuber bulking rate, tuber yield, tuber size distribution and tuber quality of cultivars studied, in an effort to establish optimum management guidelines for each cultivar. Post Harvest Research: Studies were initiated on the effect of 1,4-DMN on pressure bruise and tuber dormancy. North Dakota/Minesota: Nick David presented a brief outline of activities in 2007. He gave a presentation on Corky Ring Spot (TRV) - Tobacco Rattle Nematode. Action Items: - A look into changes in virus diseases - Home page of NCERA-205 needs to be updated to include Colorado State and the State of Nebraska. - A distribution list needs to be created. A.J. Bussan was asked to help in compiling the distribution list. - We need to identify speakers to talk on PVY and Black Dot during the 2009 meeting in Denver. Funding the speakers for their travel is a question. - The U.S. Potato Board needs to be invited to talk about the downward trend in potato acreages. A formal invitation is to be sent to the US Potato Board to attend the 2009 meeting. - The annual meetings should be publicized to industry members/growers. The NCERA-205 web site address should be given to mailing list. - The NCERA-205 group needs to state agenda items or action items that the group needs to pursue. - The group will want to decide whether to write a proposal to address an issue that cuts across all participating states.

Accomplishment: Activities of NCERA-205 were introduced to new members of the group. Summary and Wrap Up: It was suggested that environmental concerns influencing potato production and the economic implications of such practices should be part of the focus of this group. David Douches suggested the need to breed for nutrient efficient varieties to help in improving ground water quality and reducing the cost of fertilizer input. Nick David suggested an across the state TRV Project. Adjourn: Meeting was adjourned at 12:10 p.m. on Friday, March 14, 2008.

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