Welcome to the Plant Management Network's Focus on Potato, a web-based portal that includes educational webcasts, searchable resources, and websites that help plant practitioners enhance the health, management, and production of potato crops. en-us http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/infocenter/topic/focusonpotato/ The Plant Management Network Andrew P. Robinson This presentation will assist growers, consultants, and other practitioners involved in all regions of the potato industry to better understand and identify the effects of glyphosate in potatoes and how it can be managed. The presentation provides a short background on glyphosate, describes injury symptoms of glyphosate in potatoes, and details symptoms of glyphosate residues that remain in seed through storage and are planted the following year. Strategies to manage glyphosate in potato are discussed. Wed, 01 May 2013 10:00:00 CST http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/Glyphosate/ http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/Glyphosate/ Bill Fry This presentation will help consultants, practitioner, and growers to understand late blight forecasts and to more manage late blight more effectively. First, the epidemiological basis for (potato) late blight forecasts is described. In the potato production system in most temperate regions where sexual reproduction does not occur, survival from one season to the next is in association with an infected host (typically potato tubers). Most forecasts allow a period of time early in the season before which fungicide sprays are not necessary and the presentation describes the most popular systems in the USA. The presentation then describes a Decision Support System (DSS) that can be used in "real time" as an aid in scheduling fungicide sprays. The DSS integrates the effect of weather, host resistance and fungicide to assure adequate disease suppression. Mon, 01 Apr 2013 10:00:00 CST http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/LateBlight/ http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/LateBlight/ Kyle Coleman For decades, growers of high value crops have relied heavily upon metam sodium and metam potassium products to control weeds, disease and nematodes. Soil fumigation is one of the most costly inputs for crop production, but without it, many crops such as potatoes, onions and carrots would fail. In order to comply with EPA registration eligibility standards, numerous studies and label changes are underway. Label changes and required activities designed to address stewardship of the product are contained with the Phase I and II label requirements. Phase II changes took place in December of 2012, and will be discussed in this presentation. Thu, 28 Feb 2013 9:00:00 CST http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/MetamSodium/ http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/MetamSodium/ Dennis A. Johnson This presentation provides an overview of brown spot of potato. It is intended to help growers, consultants, and students to better understand the epidemiology of the disease and how it can be managed. The presentation shows representative color images of disease symptoms, the pathogen on potential overwintering substrates, and defines environmental and plant growth factors that lead to the development of the disease. The aggressiveness of the brown spot (Alternaria alternata) and early bight (Alternaria solani) pathogens are compared. Brown spot management tactics are discussed. Thu, 31 Jan 2013 10:00:00 CST http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/BrownSpot/ http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/BrownSpot/ Amy Charkowski This presentation will help consultants, growers, and other practitioners understand the fundamentals of early generation seed potato production, from tissue culture to minituber production. Early generation potato production relies on development of disease-free tissue culture plantlet banks, careful production of minitubers, which includes close monitoring of the crop for pests, diseases, and variety mixtures. By the end of the presentation should understand the process of producing a large crop of potato tubers from a single disease-tested tissue culture plantlet and should be able to use this knowledge to help evaluate the health of a seed potato crop. Thu, 20 Dec 2012 11:00:00 CST http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/EarlyGeneration/ http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/EarlyGeneration/ Amy Charkowski This presentation will help consultants, growers, and other practitioners control bacterial blackleg, soft rot, and stem rot in potato by providing information on how to interfere with these diseases at planting, during the growing season and at harvest. Some fundamentals of the biology and ecology of these bacterial pathogens that are related to the control of these diseases is also presented. There are no curative treatments for these bacterial diseases and no resistant potato varieties, so appropriate production practices are required to combat losses faced by these diseases. By the end of the presentation should understand why the recommended cultural practices work to control these diseases. Thu, 29 Nov 2012 10:00:00 CST http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/softrot/ http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/softrot/ Robert D. Davidson This presentation will help consultants, growers, and other practitioners in the U.S. and Canada learn about the basics of seed potato certification. Specifically, in this presentation, the basis for seed potato certification and the current process being followed will be described. Additionally, discussion will focus on which diseases and conditions are the focus of inspections and how these problems are managed through the use of clean, high quality seed potatoes. Finally, viewers will learn how certification is conducted and what clean seed brings to the table for both other seed growers and the commercial industry. Tue, 6 Nov 2012 12:00:00 CST http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/seedpotatocertification/ http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/seedpotatocertification/ N. Richard Knowles This presentation will help consultants, growers, researchers and other practitioners to identify production, postharvest handling and storage factors that influence the physiological age and productivity of seed potatoes. Understanding the physiology of aging and how it affects crop growth and yield will enable the adoption of management practices to control the aging process to optimize tuber set and size distribution for various markets. Effects of seed age on plant growth and development and the utilization of key age-induced growth responses as indicators of the relative physiological age of seed lots will be discussed. The sensitivity of cultivars to environmental conditions that accelerate aging will also be reviewed. By the end of this presentation, the practitioner should have a solid understanding of the physiological basis of aging of seed potatoes and its consequences for production. Fri, 28 Sep 2012 12:00:00 CST http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/AgingOfSeedPotatoes/ http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/AgingOfSeedPotatoes/ Nora Olsen Misdiagnosing a disease can be very costly if unnecessary or ineffective control measures are made. There are many real-life examples where proper identification of a disease was not made until after avoidable inputs were applied, management changed, or rumors started. It would be beneficial to growers, fieldmen and extension personnel to have rapid and simple disease identification test kits available to make accurate initial disease diagnoses in the field. These test kits can also be helpful in eliminating disease misdiagnoses and identifying whether the issue is physiological or chemical and not due to a pathogen. A research and extension program was developed to evaluate the use of commercially available pathogen test kits and determine the accuracy of each test kit. Using potatoes as a test model, multiple test kits for numerous diseases were used, assessed and compared to results from traditional diagnostic methods. Results indicated the kits tested were reliable, easy to use, and accurate. Some limitations were observed but they were not restricting. Overall, the use of disease diagnostic test kits will provide an additional tool for greater accuracy, efficiency and sustainability. Thu, 24 Aug 2012 13:00:00 CST http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/PathogenDetectionKits/ http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/PathogenDetectionKits/ Mike Thornton, Ph.D. This presentation will help consultants, growers and other practitioners throughout North America better understand the key growth stages in potato plant development. It will specifically focus on some of the key factors that influence plant development at each stage of growth, and identify how they impact crop yield. By the end of this presentation, practitioners should be better able to understand how environment and management impact potato growth and yield. Thu, 26 July 2012 15:00:00 CST http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/PotatoGrowthDevelopment/ http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/PotatoGrowthDevelopment/ Philip B. Hamm, Ph.D. This presentation will help consultants, growers, and other practitioners in the US and Canada to identify and manage the fungus that causes silver scurf on potatoes. This disease causes wide spread losses in fresh marketed potatoes throughout North America, and can be particularly damaging on smooth skin potatoes and/or potatoes stored for long periods. Management options are discussed, beginning at planting , at harvest and during storage. Fri, 22 Jun 2012 13:00:00 CST http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/potatosilverscurf/ http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/potatosilverscurf/ Joe Guenthner, Ph.D. This presentation will help growers and other potato industry people understand the economics of potato production, consumption and markets. The first of two presentations to deal with this topic, it lays a foundation of economic principles that apply to potato markets. Viewers will learn about domestic and international issues that can affect the profitability of potato growing, packing, processing and marketing. Mon, 7 May 2012 17:00:00 CST http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/PotatoEconomics/ http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/PotatoEconomics/ Joe Guenthner, Ph.D. This presentation will cover four economic issues that affect the potato industry in 2012. Viewers will learn about market power in the potato marketing chain. The second issue is potato production costs. Crop protection and the influence of pests, such as zebra chip, on the competitive position of potato production regions is discussed next. The fourth topic, marketing, includes discussion of a rapidly growing restaurant chain - Five Guys - that buys a large volume of fresh potatoes. Mon, 7 May 2012 17:00:00 CST http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/PotatoEconomicIssues/ http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/PotatoEconomicIssues/ Craig Yencho, Ph.D. This presentation is on internal heat necrosis of potato. Internal heat necrosis (IHN) is a non-pathogenic physiological disorder of potato tubers. It was originally described in the early 1900s and has also been called internal brown spot, physiological internal necrosis, internal browning, internal brown fleck, and chocolate spot. Potatoes with IHN have light brown to reddish brown necrotic patches in the parenchyma (flesh) of the tuber. There are no aboveground symptoms and no external symptoms on the tubers. IHN is generally a significant problem in the mid-Atlantic and southeastern US, but it can also a problem in other regions of the country when high temperatures and drought prevail. In this talk, Dr. Craig Yencho from NC State University will cover various aspects of IHN including symptoms and control, when a crop is at risk of developing IHN, models to predict the occurrence of IHN, varietal resistance to IHN, and current research efforts to develop IHN resistant potato varieties. Thu, 12 Apr 2012 18:00:00 CST http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/HeatNecrosis/ http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/HeatNecrosis/ Alvin J. Bussan, Ph.D. Sugar management is an important factor for potato crops, particularly those that end up as potato chips or French fries. This talk will help growers, consultants, and researchers--as well as others involved in pre-harvest and post-harvest management--develop potatoes with desirable sugar levels. In this presentation, we will discuss sugar management in various stages of crop management and storage. These stages cover in-season practices, particularly in relation to potato crop maturity and stress; best practices and timing during potato harvest; managing preconditioning in storage, and storage management. Thu, 29 Mar 2012 17:00:00 CST http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/sugarmanagement/ http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/sugarmanagement/ Russell L. Groves, Ph.D. The story of insecticide resistance is again taking place with the battle against the Colorado potato beetle (CPB) in Wisconsin and the upper Midwest. This beetle has a long history of rapid development of insecticide resistance to nearly all classes of insecticides and this fact has been well documented in portions of the northeastern US and specifically Long Island, NY. It has been documented that the CPB has now developed resistance to virtually every insecticide used for its control and this includes over 40 active ingredients across several chemical classes which now, unfortunately, has begun to include the neonicotinoid class of insecticides. Potato growers rely heavily on neonicotinoid insecticides for the control of damaging populations of this insect. Although this resistance has been discrete in its distribution, it stresses the need for continued vigilance in the management of insecticide resistance and strict adherence to integrated pest management strategies which reduce the likelihood and onset of resistance development. Thu, 29 Mar 2012 17:00:00 CST http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/InsecticideResistanceManagement/ http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/InsecticideResistanceManagement/ Neil C. Gudmestad, Ph.D. Bacterial ring rot of potato is one of the most feared tuber borne diseases of potato. On an annual basis economic losses due to ring rot are low, however, it is the constant threat of severe and devastating losses that warrants the continued vigilance of the potato industry. Although the bacterium that causes ring rot is primarily disseminated by seed potatoes, the bacterium is also capable of surviving outside its host for extended periods. Disease management is dependent on an integrated approach using high quality seed, modern pathogen detection technologies and sanitation. Thu, 29 Mar 2012 17:00:00 CST http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/BRR/ http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/BRR/ Joseph E. Munyaneza, Ph.D. Zebra chip, a new and damaging disease of potato is causing millions of dollars in losses to the potato industry in the United States, Mexico, Central America, and New Zealand. The disease is associated with a new species of the bacterium liberibacter, transmitted to potato by the potato psyllid. This presentation will help consultants, growers, and other practitioners in affected areas recognize zebra chip symptoms and understand the disease epidemiology, the biology and behavior of the potato psyllid, and ways to control this insect pest in order to effectively manage zebra chip. Thu, 29 Mar 2012 17:00:00 CST http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/PotatoPsyllid/ http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/PotatoPsyllid/ Gary Secor, Ph.D. This presentation will provide an overview of this new disease of potatoes that has become important in the southwestern and midwest regions of the US since its discovery in the mid-1990s. The presentation is intended to help educate growers, consultants, practitioners and allied industry personnel identify and understand the basic aspects of zebra chip. The presentation shows numerous color photos of disease symptoms, explains the field aspects including host range, pathogen and vector, and management practices that will help manage this disease. Thu, 29 Mar 2012 17:00:00 CST http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/ZebraChip/ http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/ZebraChip/ Thomas A. Zitter, Ph.D. This presentation on Common Scab of Potatoes was developed to help consultants, growers, and other practitioners in all regions of the country on all of the major aspects that need to be addressed to successfully manage this disease. I have divided my presentation into the following major themes: 1.) A general introduction to the disease; 2.) Development and a description of the symptomatology associated with Common Scab; 3.) Illustrations of another disease of potato called Powdery Scab, since it does have some features in common with Common Scab; 4.) Specific characteristics of the organisms involved; 5.) Some specific in-field features of this disease; and 6.) The best management practices necessary for dealing with this disease. Thu, 29 Mar 2012 17:00:00 CST http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/CommonScab/ http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/CommonScab/ Barry Jacobsen, Ph.D. This presentation will help growers, consultants and others understand management of diseases that occur during potato storage. This presentation is most applicable to temperate production areas of North America but does address a few diseases that do not yet occur in North America. Understanding pathogen biology, how they infect and how they can be managed are critical to reducing storage losses. Thu, 29 Mar 2012 17:00:00 CST http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/IntegratedManagementofStorageDiseases/ http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/IntegratedManagementofStorageDiseases/ Howard Neibling, Ph.D. This presentation will help growers, consultants, and other practitoners in the potato industry with mid to late season irrigation management. Recent weather patterns have resulted in more frequent occurrence of above-normal crop water use years. As a result, it appears that the probability of higher than normal water use this year has increased. If this situation develops after planting, options for using a marginal-capacity irrigation system to maintain low water stress conditions for the rest of the year are significantly reduced. This presentation provides suggestions for in-season equipment modification, and additional water management options to obtain the highest yield and quality of potatoes with less than adequate water. Thu, 29 Mar 2012 17:00:00 CST http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/Irrigation_MidToLateSeason/ http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/Irrigation_MidToLateSeason/ Robert D. Davidson, Ph.D. This presentation will aid consultants and growers in understanding how to identify powdery scab of potato and manage this disease using an integrated approach to control. Key symptoms used to identify the various stages of the disease will be described and contrasted with other similar problems. Details of the pathogen, host, disease cycle, and environmental factors affecting symptom development, will be discussed. Much attention will be given to management options for this disease including avoiding the disease, measuring the inoculum load in soil, making the appropriate cultivar selections based upon the field history, resistance of a given cultivar, inoculum levels, and environment, and utilizing specific chemical control when warranted. Understanding the full integration of several different strategies for the producer are key to managing this potentially devastating and hard to control disease. Thu, 29 Mar 2012 17:00:00 CST http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/PowderyScab/ http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/PowderyScab/ Dennis Johnson, Ph.D. This presentation provides an overview of white mold or Sclerotinia stem rot of potato. It is intended to help growers, consultants, and students understand how white mold can be better managed by modifying the canopy environment and by timing control tactics based on the disease cycle. The presentation shows representative color images of the disease, explains the cause, and defines environmental and plant developmental factors that lead to the development of the disease. White mold management tactics are discussed. Thu, 29 Mar 2012 17:00:00 CST http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/WhiteMold/ http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/WhiteMold/ Jeff Miller, Ph.D. This presentation will help consultants, growers, and other practitioners in North American potato production understand the pink rot disease cycle on potato. The presentation will show the various symptoms of pink rot and then focus on pink rot management. The strengths and weakness of different management recommendations will be discussed, including in-season and post-harvest options. Thu, 29 Mar 2012 17:00:00 CST http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/PinkRot/ http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/PinkRot/ Walter R. Stevenson, Ph.D. This presentation will aid consultants, growers and practitioners understand how to identify and manage early blight of potato in the field and storage. Key symptoms are described that help to differentiate this disease from other common diseases. Important details of the pathogen, host and disease cycle are discussed. Managing early blight in the field requires the careful integration of cultural and chemical methods including rotation, choice of cultivar, plant nutrition and fungicide application. Understanding how these elements play a role in managing early blight helps to reduce losses in yield and tuber quality as well as reducing the reliance on weekly application of fungicides. Thu, 29 Mar 2012 17:00:00 CST http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/EarlyBlight/ http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/EarlyBlight/ Howard Neibling, Ph.D. Production of high-yielding, high quality potatoes requires careful irrigation to avoid crop water stress throughout the growing season. This presentation outlines a method of pre-season irrigation planning to evaluate the adequacy of irrigation system capacity under your specific climate and soil conditions for normal and unusually high water-use years. For systems flagged as marginal or inadequate, suggestions are given for pre-season equipment changes and water management strategies to produce a high yield and quality potato crop. Thu, 29 Mar 2012 17:00:00 CST http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/Irrigation_EarlySeason/ http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/Irrigation_EarlySeason/ Nick David, Ph.D. This presentation will provide an overview of Corky Ringspot Disease in potato. It is intended to help educate growers, consultants, and industry personnel identify and manage this costly disease. This presentation discusses the causal agent and vector of Corky Ringspot Disease, illustrates symptoms, and identifies management practices to minimize this disease. Thu, 29 Mar 2012 17:00:00 CST http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/CorkyRingspot/ http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/CorkyRingspot/ Carl Rosen, Ph.D. This presentation will help consultants, growers, and other practitioners manage nitrogen (N) for irrigated potato production in the Upper Midwest. Of the essential elements required for potatoes, N is the one that often has the most important impacts tuber yield and quality. The topics addressed in this presentation include a brief review of potato N needs and the N cycle; N requirements in relation to specific potato growth stages; factors to consider when developing an N management plan; and potato responses to N from various research trials. From this presentation, the practitioner should learn how to make N rate and timing recommendations for optimal potato yield and quality. Thu, 29 Mar 2012 17:00:00 CST http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/ManagingNitrogen/ http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/ManagingNitrogen/ Don Horneck, Ph.D. This presentation will help consultants, growers, and other practitioners in most potato growing regions make a decision on when a chloride or sulfate based fertilizer is appropriate for fertilization. This presentation will discuss both the role of potassium and chloride in potatoes. The misconception that potatoes are "chlorophobes" will be addressed as well as the benefits of potassium fertilization. Historical and recent research will demonstrate potassium effects on petioles and specific gravity. Thu, 29 Mar 2012 17:00:00 CST http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/PotassiumAndChlorideInPotatoes/ http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/PotassiumAndChlorideInPotatoes/ Phil Nolte, Ph.D. This presentation will help consultants, growers, practitioners and allied industries in all regions that produce potatoes to better understand and manage some of the risks associated with the use of cut potato seed. The presentation discusses vegetative propagation, the importance of certified seed, the processes of suberization and wound periderm formation, the effect of temperature and other environmental factors on potato emergence, the interaction between dry rot and soft rot seed decay and provides guidelines on how to properly heal cut seed before planting. Thu, 29 Mar 2012 17:00:00 CST http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/WoundHealingAndEmergence/ http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/WoundHealingAndEmergence/ Barry Jacobsen, Ph.D. Black dot has been proven to be both a widespread and important disease of potatoes. The causal fungus, Colletotrichum coccodes, is found worldwide, has a broad host range and can survive as sclerotia in soils for long periods. Yield losses of up to 40% have been shown for some cultivars in inoculated experiments with many commonly grown cultivars showing yield losses of 10-20%. Yield losses occur both through root rot and premature dying and from tuber blemishes that resemble Silver Scurf. Black dot is commonly involved in the early dying complex with Verticillium wilt and nematodes. Control of this disease can involve soil fumigation with Vapam or KPam, use of seed treatments such as Dynasty to prevent spread by seed, in furrow fungicide applications followed by post emergence fungicide applications, long rotations and production practices that reduce stress. While no cultivars are immune, cultivars with less than 5% yield losses have been identified. Thu, 29 Mar 2012 17:00:00 CST http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/BlackDotRootRot/ http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/BlackDotRootRot/ Juan Manuel Alvarez, Ph.D. This presentation will help consultants, growers, and other practitioners in the United States to develop a better understanding about aphids, which are considered major potato pests in the U.S. Aphids cause direct damage to potatoes by feeding on the phloem of the plant and occasionally high densities can kill plants. More importantly, aphids transmit viruses that cause serious diseases on potato plants that reduce the yield and quality of potatoes. This presentation introduces concepts that help identifying the most important potato colonizing and non-colonizing aphid species in several parts of the U.S. The information presented on the management of aphids includes cultural, biological and chemical control methods. Managing aphids successfully, using any method, depends on being able to reliably monitoring aphid populations in the field. The presentation includes recommendations on how to scout for aphids. This presentation also includes brief explanations about the two most economically important viruses that affect potatoes, the potato leafroll virus, PLRV and the potato virus Y, PVY. Understanding how aphids transmit the two viruses is critical in the management of this pest to prevent virus infections. Even the most intense aphid control may not prevent spread of viruses unless measures are also taken to keep virus-source plants at a minimum. Information is presented about an omnipresent weed plant in the Pacific Northwest of the U.S. that is in the same family as the potato, the hairy nightshade, which is not only a preferred host for potato colonizing aphids but also an additional inoculum source for PLRV and PVY. Research in Idaho has demonstrated that hairy nightshade might play a major role in the epidemiology of potato viruses. The presentation includes a section on this important weed plant that is currently present in many potato-growing regions of the US. Since at this time most of the aphid management in potatoes is done with insecticides, the final part of the presentation is dedicated to chemical control and includes recommended chemistries that not only kill the aphids but also prevent virus transmission. To obtain specific recommendations on insecticide compounds, formulations, or rates, viewers will need to refer to the product labels. Finally, the recommendations presented here are not to be used exclusively; the agricultural clientele mentioned above should adapt them to their own needs and improve upon them while incorporating their own experience and creativity. Thu, 29 Mar 2012 17:00:00 CST http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/AphidManagement/ http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/AphidManagement/ Stewart Gray, Ph.D. This presentation will help growers, seed certification and regulatory officials, consultants, and other practitioners in the United States understand how and why Potato virus Y (PVY) is affecting the seed potato crop and if left unchecked why it will become a major disease issue for the food sector of the potato industry. Specifically we address the reemergence of PVY as a disease problem in seed potatoes, how regulatory, business and science-based activities have addressed the problem, and finally what steps can and are being taken to manage the disease and prevent the newly introduced tuber necrotic strains of the virus from becoming a major quality issue for potato growers. By the end of this presentation, the practitioner should understand the emerging PVY problem and know more about the existing and developing strategies that seed certification programs and growers, especially seed growers, can use to control PVY. Thu, 29 Mar 2012 17:00:00 CST http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/PotatoVirusY/ http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/PotatoVirusY/ Steve Johnson, Ph.D. This presentation will help consultants, growers, practitioners and allied industries in all regions that deal with potatoes understand the devastating disease of late blight. The presentation shows representative color photos of the all aspects of the disease, explains the cause and disease cycle, defines the factors leading to disease, and presents management practices that will reduce losses owing to late blight. Thu, 29 Mar 2012 17:00:00 CST http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/PotatoLateBlight/ http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/PotatoLateBlight/ Gary Secor, Ph.D. This presentation will help consultants, growers, practitioners and allied industries in all regions that grow and store potatoes understand this common and widespread disease, Fusarium dry rot. The presentation shows representative color photos of the all aspects of the disease, explains the cause and disease cycle, defines the factors leading to disease, and presents harvest and storage management practices that will reduce losses due to dry rot. Thu, 29 Mar 2012 17:00:00 CST http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/FusariumDryRotofPotatoes/ http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/Potato/FusariumDryRotofPotatoes/