Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

Next year will be an interim project, thus requiring resubmission of the project proposal prior to the 2008 meeting. A writing subcommittee will need to be appointed and proposal submitted following the 2006 meeting. Administrative advisor report included the following: The NCR-205 (now NCERA-205) committee had its midterm review. This committee received very high marks from the NCAC committees (made up of department chairs in the region) and the Multistate Research Committee (MRC). The MRC identified the high level of productivity in a short period of time, its very strong level of participation by committee members, identification on extension activities to distribute information to stakeholders, and the strong industry participation at committee meetings. Also, the committee was commended for the degree of collaboration among committee members in their research, education, and extension activities. Perhaps the only "negative" item was that the committee should continue to interact with NCR-84 when possible (i.e., joint meetings on occasion). In response to this criticism, members of the NCR-84 committee participate in the NCR-205 committee and several major objectives are related to activities in the NCR-84. State Reports NDSU: Susie Thompson - focus on development of management practices for newly emerging potato varieties, selection of disease resistant clones, and development of new varieties with specific quality traits. MSU: Ed Grafius - focus on issues with neonicotinyl resistance in Colorado potato beetles, and integrated pest management practices for fields with resistant beetles including use of trap cropping. WI: AJ Bussan - focused on recap of 2005, events planned for 2006 in WI (including the Potato Association of America meetings which will include a discussion on nutrient management led by NCR-205 committee members; completion of the Potato Storage Research Facility, national seed meetings, and Summer NPC meeting), research for 2006 including new faculty at UW Bethke and Colquhoun (horticulture) and Groves (Entomology); and 2005 research report MN: David Ragsdale - Sowokinos discussed development of cold chipping lines and current work at the USDA Potato Storage Research Facility, Rosen discussed current work on slow release N fertilizers, Mollov (Bradeen lab) discussed identification of disease resistant genes in potato (RB gene), Thill discussed PVY symptom expression and MN genetics and breeding program, Ragsdale discussed soybean aphid transmission of virus to seed potatoes. Nominating Committee - AJ Bussan will be chair for 2007 and Willie Kirk will be secretary for 2007 and chair for 2008. Meeting will be held in Stevens Point, WI February 8 and 9, 2007 and in MI in 2008. General Session - Resistance monitoring Insecticide Resistance - Grafius shown increased levels of neonicotinyl insecticides within Colorado potato beetle. Resistance found in ND, MN, WI, and MI. Resistance levels not so high as to inhibit management in all regions yet, but increasing. Cultural management will be necessary to prevent spread of resistance. Fungicide Resistance - Monitoring early blight populations from region for resistance to strobiluron fungicides. Collections were made by Gudmestad in MN and ND, Kirk in MI (sent samples to WI) and Stevenson in WI. DNA were isolated from WI and MI samples and sent to Gudmestad. All samples screened for resistance to strobilurin, boscalid, and Scala. All samples resistant to strobilurin fungicides. Large range of susceptibilities to boscalid and Scala indicated large potential to select for resistance. Will continue evaluations and now ND lab has permits to allow shipping of leaf materials. Central WI has concentrated production with heavy use of strobilurins and expect resistance. In fact resistance is found, but other isolated areas have same level of resistance. Within NC Region, strobilurin (class 11) requires careful monitoring and incorporating products into integrated management program. Rotation modes of action, tank mixing, and other practices are necessary to manage resistance. Herbicide Resistance - Lack of labeling of new herbicides limits modes of action for weed control. Spartan label has been withdrawn from the potato market due to risk of injury in potato. Preventing resistance to metribuzin and rimsulfuron becomes that much more important due to lack of new potential products. New product development and investigation has to proceed with more caution due to issues that arose with Spartan. Injury potential needs to be investigated more thoroughly. Variety trials Limitations in seed available for research trials or farmer evaluations. How can this process become more efficient? Cost is time and space to blow up seed for research and grower trials. Now each of the independent breeding programs is blowing up seed within their own programs. Discussion of coordinated seed production for breeding lines was discussed for the region. Emphasis was placed on the need of virus testing (leaf test or winter test) of breeding lines. Current testing done by ND (indexes lines and does leaf tests for PVY and pays certification) and WI (winter grow out test and are not charged by seed program). There was also much discussion on the amount of seed needed. Cost of breeding line seed production is a huge burden to each individual breeding program Action item - need to have consensus and develop a plan. Rhinelander ARS has agreed to do this if others are interested. Cost of shipping seed should also be considered. Seed certification programs should review process to make sure appropriate safeguards are in place and minimize risk to growers and industry. Nutrient management Rosen summarized MSU, WI, MN, and ND fertility recommendations and found all were variable. At issue is potential use of current recommendations as regulation standards for P application. Inconsistency across states causes concerns about how regulations will be created. Rosen pointed out inadequacies in soil test P procedures. Currently, many soils respond to P fertilizer applications even though they test high and should not have P response. MSU is changing P and K recommendations due to meetings addressing future nutrient management regulation. All growers will be impacted if they are trying to enter conservation programs. NRCS will require nutrient management plan for any growers applying for conservation programs. Action items - potato nutrient management task force to include Carl Rosen - MN, Carrie Laboski - WI, yet to be named contact - MSU, Dave Franzen - NDSU, Mark Otto - MSU, Mike Carter - WPVGA, Duane Maatz - NPPGA, Shawn Kasprick - Simplot, Dale Steevens - RDO. Committee will: 1) prioritize nutrient management issues for committee 2) P workshop at PAA a. Description of different P management recommendations b. Why those differences exist Other nutrient management issues -K - using it to lower gravity on potatoes -fate of fertilizer applications of P -how do you improve efficiency of applied fertilizers -variety differences in ability to mine P Forecasting Disease and Insect Blights - Stevenson discussed need for regional forecasting due to lost extension appointments in potato of vegetable pathology. Forecast for aerial born foliar diseases late and early blight. Why forecast instead of weekly fungicide applications: Data shows can reduce number of fungicide applications without reductions in management of early or late blight. Just as important make applications at critical times for management. Current forecasting tools include WISDOM -> Real Toolbox. New proposed tools include DACOM service provided by chemical companies. Traditional method: How are data collected - in-field and in-canopy collection. Data collection is done in several locations in each of the states by each state's extension plant pathologist or climatologist. Specifics of data collection and generation of application recommendations varies by state. Testing new alternatives that utilize prediction services across the country. All forecast use proportion of foliage predicted and persistence of fungicide. DACOM also predicts infection events and incorporates into forecast. WISDOM compared to DACOM last few years. New comparison funded by RAMP across several states including WI, IA, NY and others in forecasting diseases in vegetables and fruit. New model is ZedX. New algorithms have been developed to use historical weather data to predict in-canopy conditions. Current project is trying to verify accuracy of algorithms for in-canopy predictions. ZedX will also use historical data to predict future conditions for 24 to 72 hrs and thereby predict future impacts on disease development. In addition to comparing accuracy of forecasting, recommended spray forecasting will also be tested with small plot and field scale evaluations. Insects - Radcliffe discussed project on forecasting aphid movements using weather system modeling. Using low level jets to predict movement of aphids. Low level jets influenced by weather systems that move through the Midwest. Critical time were LLJ during May and June. Pre-May aphids likely wont survive. Post June events likely have little impact relative to earlier arriving aphids. Duration of necessary wind events from LLJ during May to June varied from 46 to 213 hr over 11-year period from 1992 to 2003. Basically predicted winged aphids at the end of June based on wind events with >80% accuracy. These data predicted aphid pressure in August during critical management periods. Aphid pressure predicted issues with leafroll fairly effectively, but to a lesser extent PVY. Aphids concentrated of field margins. An aphid population density spike occurred in margins during late July or early August for a 7 to 10 day period where. If margins were sprayed during this 7 to 10 day period, the colonization of potatoes in the field interior were greatly reduced. Seed certification Jeff Davis reported PVYn:o is becoming primary strain in the Midwest. PVYn:o is not visually expressed which indicates rather large potential issues within the certification programs across the region. Aphids typically only transmit one virus at a time. Yet many tests are showing multiple stains within individual plants, suggesting multiple aphid visits. This shows an abundance of innoculum in the environment and abundance of aphids to transmit. Industry Research Needs Glenn Vogt - Simplot Too high of specific gravity has reduced processing quality in some areas. High tuber K has been correlated to increased bruise. Skin blemish diseases such as black scurf (minor), silver scurf, pink eye, and black dot are causing issues with skinning. Pink eye is the key issue. Pressure bruise has been a continual issue. A large amount of breakdown occurred in storage this year due to a warm spell early in the storage season. During the warm spell, many growers did not bring in outside air. Wet bulb temperatures should be used in deciding run times. Duane Maatz - Northern Plains Potato Growers Humidification effects on shrink and cost of lost size. Silver scurf management in storage. Quality specs: 65% of tubers between 6.5 and 10 oz is optimal. Leigh Morrow - McCain Heat stress effects on sugars and solids, tuber size. Should have had more storage issues, but did not materialize. Optimal gravity is not the same across varieties and varies with level of processing (i.e., skin on versus skinless).

1) Held meeting with diverse participants focused on the study of potatoes and the potato production system. Meeting participants included extension and research personnel with areas of focus on soil fertility, entomology, plant pathology, weed science, breeding and genetics, physiology, storage, production, cropping systems, and other areas. In addition, industry participants included personnel from potato processing companies, grower associations, crop consultants, and others. Research projects were discussed and several coordinated projects will be occurring across the region. Potato seed was exchanged to allow for evaluation of different breeding materials across the region. Finally, educational and extension programs were planned to minimize conflicts with meetings between states and develop coordinated programs. 2) Development of North Central IPM working group in potato. The working group met in conjunction with the NCR-205 committee. Resistance management goals were accomplished with NCR-205 supporting the development of National Potato Council publications on fungicide, insecticide, and herbicide resistance management. 3) Regional screening of pesticide resistance was completed. Colorado potato beetle resistance to neonicotinoid insecticides is well characterized for ND, MN, WI, and MI due to coordinated efforts of NCR-205 committee members. Early blight resistance to strobilurin fungicides has also been characterized in the region through coordinated efforts of NCR-205. Characterization of the levels of resistance of these pests has been critical for development of management strategies. 4) Regionally coordinated trials evaluating forecasting models for late blight and early blight have been ongoing for the past 3 to 4 years. DACOM model developed in the Netherlands has long been the focus of this committee.

Andow, D. W., G.P. Fitt, E.E. Grafius, R.E. Jackson, E.B. Radcliffe, D.W. Ragsdale, L. Rossiter. 2006. Pesticide and Transgenic Plant Resistance Management in the Field, In M.E. Whalon [ed.] Resistance Management, CABI. Davenport, J. R., P. H. Milburn, C. J. Rosen, and R. E. Thornton. 2005. Environmental impacts of potato nutrient management. Amer. J. Potato Res. 82:321-328. Davis, J. A., E. B. Radcliffe, D. W. Ragsdale. 2005. Soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura, a new vector of Potato Virus Y in potato. Amer. J. Potato Res. 81: 101-105. Groza, H.I., B.D. Bowen, D. Kichefski, S.J. Peloquin, W.R. Stevenson, A.J. Bussan, and J. Jiang. 2005. Millennium Russet: A Dual Purpose Russet Potato Variety. Am J. Potato Res. 82:211-219. Groza, H.I., B.D. Bowen, W.R. Stevenson, J.R. Sowokinos, M.T. Glynn, A.J. Bussan, and J. Jiang. White Pearl - A Chipping Potato Variety with High Resistance to Cold Sweetening. Am. J. Potato Res. (accepted) McKenzie M.J., Sowokinos J.R., Shea I.M., Gupta S.K., Lindlauf R.R. and Anderson J.A.D. 2005. Investigations on the role of acid invertase and UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase in potato clones with varying resistance to cold induced sweetening. Am. J. Potato Res. 82:231-239. Miller, J. S. and C.J. Rosen. 2005. Interactive effects of fungicide programs and nitrogen management on potato yield and quality. Amer. J. Potato Res. 82:399-409. Olson, K., T. Badibanga, E. Radcliffe, M. Carroll, I. MacRae, and D. Ragsdale. Economic analysis of using a border treatment for reducing organophosphate use in seed potato production. Staff. Paper P04-8, Department of Applied Economics, University of Minnesota, 2004. Ragsdale David W., Edward B. Radcliffe, and Kathy L. Flanders. 2006. Managing Aphids and Leafhoppers. In D. Johnson, [ed]. Potato Health Management, American Phytopath. Society Plant Health Management Series, APS Press, St. Paul, MN. Thompson, A.L., Novy, R.G., Farnsworth, B.L., Secor, G.A., Gudmestad, N.C., Sowokinos, J.R., Holm, E.T., Lorenzen J.H. and Preston D.A. 2005. Dakota Pearl: an attractive, bright-white skinned, cold chipping cultivar with table stock potential. Am. J. Potato Res. 82:481-488.