Potato Country January 2019

PotatoCountry.com • January 2019

SCHNEIDER FARMS

A Smooth Transition PLUS:

In the Weeds Putting a Price Tag on Potato Psyillids Western Seed Reports Plant With Caution in 2019 Dying for Nematode Control

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ROOT HEALTH IN POTATOES

Why It Pays to Focus on Root Health A plant’s root system is not only responsible for water and nutrient uptake, it is especially critical for crops like potatoes, where healthy roots support tuber development which determine both production yield and quality.

“Good root health is vital when plants are in good condition and even more important when plants are facing stress from weather, pests or disease,” said Dr. Mike Thornton, Extension Plant Physiologist and Professor at the University of Idaho.

Soil Pests At least 18 species of nematodes are known to cause yield and quality issues in the U.S. Yield losses due to nematode infestation vary depending on potato cultivar and level of infestation, but research has shown that yield loss can range from 19 to 90 percent, according to a USDA APHIS publication.1 “Growers need to be vigilant and prepared for nematodes every season,” says Kelly Luff, Senior Technical Representative for Bayer.

Soil Diseases Several of the pathogens that cause the most damage in U.S. potato production originate from soilborne inoculum such as Rhizoctonia, leading to diseases that can affect both crop development and tuber quality.2

Comprehensive Approach A comprehensive approach to root health includes both management practices and product solutions. Bayer has introduced a full range of solutions that allows potato growers to get their crops off to a strong start leading to successful harvests. The comprehensive program also provides sustainability and crop management benefits, requiring fewer applications and lower dose rates.

Research has shown that nematode

yield loss can range from 19 to 90 percent.

A strong root system is the foundation of potato plant health and tuber development, leading to higher quality and higher yields for potato growers.

Start with the Seed Potato growers can build the best foundation for their crops by treating seed pieces with Emesto® Silver. Emesto Silver provides good activity on seedborne Rhizoctonia and Fusarium (including resistant strains) and Silver scurf.

Protect Against Soilborne Diseases Serenade® ASO fungicide can be foliar or soil-applied to provide disease control against foliar and rhizospheric bacterial and fungal diseases.

Serenade ASO also plays a key role as a root health activator and can change the interaction between the soil and the plant, leading to healthier roots and improved, vigorous tubers.

In-season Nematode Management An innovative combination from Bayer, the V+M Solution provides a cost-effective, convenient solution for managing a broad spectrum of insect and nematode species and several diseases. The V+M Solution combines the wide-spectrum nematicidal activity of Velum® Prime with the sustained in-season nematode and insect protection of Movento.®

Summary Combining effective management practices from seed treatment through harvest with a comprehensive package of fungicides, nematicides and insecticides from Bayer can give potato growers confidence in their crops’ root systems producing healthy plants and generating higher yields.

Learn more at: www.CropScience.Bayer.us

Significant Protection Against Nematodes and Diseases

Untreated

Velum® Prime + Serenade® ASO

Dr. Saad Hafez, University of Idaho.

USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Golden Nematode Program Update, Daniel Kepich.

Management of soilborne diseases of potato. N.C. Gudmestad, R.J. Taylor and J.S. Pasche, Department of Plant Pathology, North Dakota State University.

1 2

IMPORTANT: This bulletin is not intended to provide adequate information for use of these products. Read the label before using these products. Observe all label directions and precautions while using these products. © 2019 Bayer Group. Always read and follow label instructions. Bayer, the Bayer Cross, Emesto, Movento, Serenade, and Velum are registered trademarks of the Bayer Group. Not all products are registered for use in all states. For additional product information, call toll-free 1-866-99-BAYER (1-866-992-2937) or visit our website at www.CropScience.Bayer.us. Bayer CropScience LP, 800 North Lindbergh Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63167. CR0218MULTIPB247S00R0

w w w . Po t a t o Co u n t r y . c o m

Vol. 35 No. 1

PO Box 333 Roberts, Idaho 83444 Phone: (208) 520-6461

Country Western focus. National impact.

Table of Contents

January 2019

Contacts Dave Alexander ...........................dave@ColumbiaMediaGroup.com Publisher, Advertising

Denise Keller ..............................editor@ColumbiaMediaGroup.com Editor

Andy Jensen.......................................... www.nwpotatoresearch.com Insect Identification

Jeff Miller .....................................................jeff@millerresearch.com Disease Identification

6 A Smooth Transition

Bruce Huffaker ................................................. napmn@napmn.com Market Report

Schneider Farms

Dale Lathim ............................................................... dale@pgw.net

10 Dying for Nematode Control 14 Western Seed Reports 22 Irrigation Essentials

Potato Growers of Washington

Brian Feist ...................................brian@ColumbiaMediaGroup.com Operations Manager, Advertising

Buyers' Guide

EDITORIAL INFORMATION Potato Country is interested in newsworthy material related to potato production and marketing.

Contributions from all segments of the industry are welcome. Submit news releases, new product submissions, stories and photos via email to: editor@ColumbiaMediaGroup.com.

National Potato Council

ADVERTISING For information about advertising rates, mechanics, deadlines, copy submission, mailing, contract conditions and other information, call Dave Alexander at (208) 520-6461 or email dave@PotatoCountry.com.

26 2018 Ends With a New Trade Agreement 30 Putting a Price Tag on Potato Psyllids 36 In the Weeds

Weedy Sanctuaries and Non-Host Whistle Stops for Potato Psyllid

39 Top 10 Tips

SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION U.S. $24 per year / Canada $40 per year / Foreign $80 per year Subscriptions can be entered online at www.potatocountry.com or call (503) 724-3581.

Email address changes/corrections to brian@ColumbiaMediaGroup.com or send to Potato Country, PO Box 333, Roberts, ID 83444.

Potato Country magazine (ISSN 0886-4780), is published eight times per year and mailed under a standard rate mailing permit at Idaho Falls, Idaho and at additional mailing offices.

Top 10 Production Practices

It is produced by Columbia Media Group, PO Box 333, Roberts, ID 83444

42 Plant With Caution in 2019

Copyright 2019. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, for any purpose without the express written permission of Columbia Media Group. For information on reprints call (208) 520-6461.

Potato Growers of Washington

Editorial Board

Bill Brewer

Chris Voigt

Some seed production areas reported ideal growing conditions in 2018, while others were troubled by rain and wildfire smoke. Find out what this means for the 2019 seed supply in our Western Seed Reports beginning on page 14. Photo courtesy Lane Farms, La Grande, Ore.

On The Cover Grant Morris is involved in the Washington State Potato Commission and National Potato Council and is preparing to take over Schneider Farms in the near future.

See the story on page 6.

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Potato Country

January 2019

Executive Director

Executive Director

Washington State Potato Commission

Oregon Potato Commission

(509) 765-8845

(503) 239-4763

Departments 24 28 29 34 40

Insect Quiz Calendar Disease Quiz In the News Market Report

Nina Zidack

Frank Muir

Jim Ehrlich

Montana Seed Potato Certification

Idaho Potato Commission

Colorado Potato Administrative Committee

Director

(406) 994-3150

President/CEO

(208) 334-2350

President/CEO

(719) 852-3322

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A Smooth Transition

Story and photos by Denise Keller, Editor

T

hey say if it’s not broken, don’t fix it. With that in mind, there isn’t much Grant Morris plans to change as he prepares to take over Schneider Farms in the near future. A conservative approach to business has served the Pasco, Washington, farm well for more than 50 years. Going forward, Morris intends to stay the course while also keeping the farm in position to seize an opportunity when it comes along.

A Work in Progress

Grant Morris and Ed Schneider, partners in Schneider Farms, grow 1,600 acres of potatoes for the processing market. The acreage includes 750 acres of Ranger Russet, 600 acres of Clearwater Russet, 250 acres of Bintje and a small trial of Dakota Russet in 2018. Another 300 acres are planted in grass seed.

The farm’s potato program is effective, but never perfected. The growers are always fine-tuning growing practices from planting depth, seed spacing and hill shape

to now spraying herbicide with a dammer diker as opposed to a ground rig or through the water. Recent changes in irrigation and fertilizer applications have improved tuber size and specific gravity.

With potatoes being such a highly managed crop, Morris tries to visit each field two to three times a week during the growing season. In addition to the usual soil, petiole and insect sampling done on the farm, Morris also began pulling his own samples based on heat units after the 2016 season. That year, temperatures were unseasonably high at certain stages of the crop’s growth, Morris recalls, and plants died early. Through the additional sampling, Morris hopes to be able to predict how the crop will react to heat in order to adjust management practices accordingly.

From weather conditions to cultivation, Morris keeps very detailed records of activity on the farm. This allows him to better understand what factors might have

Crews at Schneider Farms harvest Clearwater Russets in mid-October 2018.

Grant Morris removes debris from a load of potatoes coming in from the field.

Schneider Farms made a year particularly good or bad and helps him make better informed crop management decisions in the future.

“You can never know exactly what you did right. It’s much easier to know what you did wrong in a lot of cases, but I am able to look back at the end of the year and point to something as the reason we had a good crop or bad crop,” Morris explains. “I feel that if you have a good year and you don’t know why or you have a bad year and don’t know why, you’re lucky you did so well or didn’t do worse. I try to learn as much or more from a bad year as I do from a good year.”

Morris says he is still learning the nuances of growing baby potatoes.

Schneider Farms’ Bintje potatoes are roasted and frozen through the specialty potato program the farm helped develop with Simplot in 2007. Since that time, the farm doubled the total yield and increased the usable size profile from 60 to 90 percent by changing the irrigation regime, refining the vine kill method and decreasing row spacing from 34 inches to

22 inches to improve uniformity. Growing baby potatoes is all about plants per acre and tuber set, Morris says. Sampling is intensive at the end of the season to achieve the desired size profile of 28 to 41 millimeters.

An Important Job

Morris’ interest in research is useful on the farm and in his role with the Washington State Potato Commission (WSPC). Morris has been a WSPC commissioner since July 2017 and is a member of the research and government affairs committees. He also is on the National Potato Council (NPC) board of directors and the NPC environmental and legislative affairs committees.

The experience has given Morris a broader perspective of how operations on his farm affect sales, trade, processors and other market sectors. Serving on the WSPC is fun, and it’s important, he adds.

He finds value in communicating the industry’s issues to lawmakers, and he sees commission-funded research directly

Grant Morris checks in at the trans-load site, where potatoes are being loaded into a truck bound for the processing plant.

Grant Morris and Ed Schneider, partners in Schneider Farms, pin their potato-related travels on this map in their office.

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Potato Country

January 2019

benefitting growers.

“When I’m in a research meeting and helping select projects to get funded, I know that in five years, something is going to come out of it that will help me on the farm and help other growers. It makes me feel good to know that I’m making a difference and helping out,” Morris shares.

For example, Morris says, the WSPC recently worked through the Northwest Potato Research Consortium to secure an Agriculture and Food Research Initiative grant to fund research related to potato blemish diseases. Other priorities have included funding a study to reassess the water conditions of the Odessa sub-aquifer in the Columbia Basin, as well as lobbying to free up a USDA-ARS potato breeder position that was locked due to a hiring freeze. Nationally, the WSPC and NPC have been working to remove restrictions on potatoes in the school lunch and breakfast programs.

connections with processors.

“Grant is bright,” Schneider says. “His work ethic is really good. He understands the ins and outs of this business. I have no doubt he’ll be successful.”

Looking ahead, the farm’s current program and business philosophy will be key to continued success, Morris says.

“I don’t have a whole lot to change. If you’ve been growing potatoes for 40 years like Ed, you’re doing something right,” he points out. “We try to stay away from the big risk, big reward for the most part, but we will try it when we feel we can do it successfully.”

“There’s no one way to do things. I don’t ever want to feel like I know it all because the fun part is learning it,” Morris continues. “I fully expect to be learning as many things about potatoes the year I retire as I did my first year on the farm.”

A Perfect Opportunity

Referred to by some in the industry as “Ed’s guy” and occasionally mistaken as Schneider’s son, Morris plans to buy out Schneider in the next couple years.

Morris has been with Schneider Farms since 2005 when his uncle introduced him to Schneider, whose family had been farming in Pasco since the 1960s and first planted potatoes in the mid-1970s.

“Ed was looking for a guy, and I was looking for a job,” Morris smiles. “It was as simple as that.”

Morris began managing the farm’s irrigation, but knew from the beginning that he wanted to be part of the business.

After a few years, he became a partner. By design, he has been slowly taking over the day-to-day operations as Schneider nears retirement.

“Ed has been the reason I’ve gotten to where I am now. He’s given me the opportunities and helped me and encouraged me and showed me the way,” Morris says. “There aren’t many people in the industry like Ed. He’s very well respected. That has opened up a ton of doors for me. People know Schneider Farms.”

Schneider, a former WSPC chair and NPC president, has tried to lead by example, encouraging Morris to be active in industry leadership and to build

Grant Morris digs a sample of Clearwater Russets.

PotatoCountry.com

9

This potato field shows early dying complex.

Dying for Nematode Control Story and photos by Bayer CropScience

C

all a problem a complex and it sounds, well, complex. Almost unmanageable. Early dying complex in potato, for instance, seems baffling. It’s not. Those potato plants are simply dying for nematode control.

“Early die complex is several pathogens working in union because of opportunity.

Nematodes provide the opportunity for fungi,” says Justin Luangkhot, a nematologist and Bayer technical service representative for Washington state.

Nematode pressure tends to be heavier in Washington, increasing the risk of early die complex, because the number of growing degree days for potatoes is higher than in other production areas.

Consequently, Washington fields are likely to produce more generations of nematodes and see more incidence of early dying disease caused by the fungus Verticillium dahliae.

“To get early dying complex, you’ll have a lesion nematode present feeding on the plant. As it enters the roots, wounds are created in the root system and then fungi such as Verticillium move in,” Luangkhot explains. “Verticillium species develop in the vascular system, which blocks the

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Potato Country

January 2019

movement of nutrients from the roots to the canopy. So the plant is not able to move the nutrients and water needed to produce tubers, to grow roots or to grow foliage.”

If the nematode is present but the fungus is not, a grower might still escape the disease. Those who take that chance, however, choose to ignore an economically damaging pest and risk a disease they can’t control in season, according to Luangkhot.

When high populations of nematodes are present, they can damage plants and reduce yield and quality.

“Growers need to stay in front of the population. You don’t want to plant potatoes and then decide a month later that you need to manage nematodes. You’re already a month late,” he says.

Options to Manage Nematodes

The time to lock in a nematode management plan is before planting. Start with soil sampling to learn which species are present at what levels.

“A grower really wants to have a grasp of what nematode species is present because plants have varying levels of tolerance to different nematodes,”

Luangkhot says. “Some nematode species are more aggressive, so they cause more damage with fewer nematodes. If you have them, you have to do something to manage the population. For root-knot or lesion, you need to establish what the population is and you have to look at that field and make your decision on what you want to do to manage them.”

The Meloidogyne genus of root-knot nematodes is most prevalent in potatoes.

With the pressure Washington potato growers face, Luangkhot favors a fumigation-based management program.

“For the Meloidogyne genus, typically what you want to do is start prior to plant with fumigation, and then use an in-furrow application of a product like Velum Prime at planting. A month later, at your first irrigation, you’re going to put in your second application of Velum Prime,” Luangkhot says.

In American Falls, Idaho, Kamren Koompin samples annually and uses crop rotation to help push down nematode levels to avoid using fumigation. Koompin reports success with combining crop rotation with Velum Prime and a doubleshot of Movento.

Nematode Control “The Movento fits in really nicely with our integrated pest management program,�

Koompin says. “Using Movento twice in a row does a better job on any lateseason nematode control, and also two is better than one when it comes to thrips control, too. Having that added nematode management benefit – along with the Velum Prime – on those fields, I think, really helps with late-season plant health.�

Pay-Off Is Higher Yield

Data across potato country shows a Velum Prime plus Movento program increases yield on average up to 82 hundredweight per acre. With systemic activity, Movento offers sustained in-season nematode management and prevents juvenile nematodes from developing. The pest control benefits of Velum Prime add to the return on investment. Velum Prime offers widespectrum nematocidal activity, including highly effective management of root-knot and root lesion nematodes. Velum Prime also suppresses early blight and white mold. The overall impact of improved root health helps create a healthy bottom line.

Management options for growers vary because not all products are registered in all states. Before settling on a management plan, growers should read label instructions and then follow them when carrying out the plan.

Whichever direction a grower takes, the goal is an efficient, effective nematode management program to improve root health, and thus yield and quality. Good nematode management and root health also makes the season go smoother. “If the plant cannot take up nutrients and water, due to nematode damage or lack of nutrients, growers are going to lose yield because the plants are not going to perform at their peak,� Luangkhot says. “They’re having to fight pathogens and nematodes and insects all season long.�

Ultimately, he says, a grower who doesn’t manage nematodes can increase the potential of early dying in potato fields. “If growers don’t manage for what causes the early die complex, the plants can die early in the fall, and the tuber set won’t size as large as they could. Tubers will be smaller and will grade lower,�

Luangkhot says. “If root-knot nematodes

are present, then the field will have cosmetic damage to tubers, as well. Your profits will drop considerably.�

A grower who does manage nematodes can reap a financial benefit. “Very intensive nematode management is expensive,� Luangkhot adds. “But it will pay off with the return on yields.�

Justin Luangkhot, a Bayer technical service representative, takes soil samples to evaluate nematode pressure.

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Montana Seed Potato Crop Western Seed Reports

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ontana seed potato acreage was up slightly to 10,355 acres in 2018, compared to 10,220 acres in 2017. Russet Burbank is still the dominant variety, holding steady at 3,921 acres. Clearwater Russet acreage continues to rise dramatically with 1,016 acres in 2018 compared to 698 the previous year, representing a 31 percent increase. Umatilla Russet is the second most widely produced variety in Montana, but was down 16 percent from 1,789 acres in 2017 to 1,509 acres in 2018. Ranger Russet acreage is steady at 1,172 acres, and the Russet Norkotah selections increased by 13 percent to 997 acres. Alturas continues to decline from 637 acres in 2017 to 588 acres in 2018. Standard Norkotah acreage dropped precipitously and now only accounts for 54 acres in Montana. There are a total of 57 varieties of potatoes registered for certification.

2018 was a year of early extremes followed by warm, mild conditions. Some Montana growers were planting in early May, and some got a late start due to wet conditions in mid-May, finishing planting in early June. In the Gallatin and Beaverhead areas, the early planted potatoes received a hard frost on June 12, and the later planted potatoes ended up staging very similar to the earlier planted potatoes. The rest of the summer had ideal growing conditions throughout the state with plenty of warm days but no

By Nina Zidack, Montana Seed Potato Certification extreme heat or storms. This set up the Montana crop for strong yields of extremely uniform tubers and an optimal size profile.

In Montana, production of seed with very low virus levels is enhanced by growers’ practice of planting all Generation I potatoes as family units. Each unit is planted with the daughter tubers from a single nuclear generation plant. During the summer, each unit is 100 percent tested for Potato virus Y (PVY). If a test comes back positive, the whole unit is removed. In addition to PVY, the state tests for PVX and PVA in the winter grow-out planted in November on the island of Oahu, Hawaii.

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Kimm Brothers Farming, LLC

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From sprout to harvest, Luna® fungicide protects potatoes throughout the growing season, improving plant health for beautiful crops and abundant potato yields. As a breakthrough systemic fungicide, Luna provides unparalleled control of White mold, Early blight and other problematic diseases. Make Luna a cornerstone of your fungicide program to consistently produce a high-quality crop – and more of it.

Find out what Luna can do for you at LunaFungicides.com/potato. © 2019 Bayer CropScience LP, 800 North Lindbergh Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63167. Always read and follow label instructions. Bayer, the Bayer Cross, and Luna are registered trademarks of Bayer. Luna is not registered for use in all states. For additional product information, call toll-free 1-866-99-BAYER (1-866-992-2937) or visit our website at www.CropScience.Bayer.us.

Washington Seed Potato Crop Western Seed Reports

I

deal spring weather brought excellent spring tillage and planting conditions.

This allowed Washington’s seed potato crop to get off to a good start with early emergence and good stands. Planted acres remained constant at 3,681 acres, with slight increases of specialty and proprietary varieties.

A warmer, drier summer resulted

By Jeff Bedlington, Washington State Seed Potato Commission

in minimal disease pressure and no significant late blight detections. This allowed growers to continue with preventative sprays and focus on irrigation.

Foliage growth and plant health was exceptional.

Fall harvest began earlier than in 2017. It was interrupted with some rain showers, but wrapped up at the beginning

of November. Overall crop quality is excellent, with yields average to slightly above average.

The majority of the crop is contracted, but growers expect a strong demand for any remaining high quality seed. Postharvest testing is conducted as a winter grow-out beginning in November, with results to follow in January.

Organic seed from Irish Eyes Garden Seed farm in Ellensburg, Wash.

Oregon Seed Potato Crop Western Seed Reports

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he Oregon Seed Certification Service (OSCS) had a fairly average year in 2018, accepting 2,842 acres of seed potatoes for certification. This was a slight decrease from 2017 when 3,181 acres were certified. Most of the reduction in acreage can be attributed to a decrease in organic potato seed production in northeast Oregon, as well as the retirement of longtime central Oregon producer Jim Carlson. We continued to see increases in the north-central area of the state.

The yellow-skinned, yellow-fleshed variety Gala was the number one variety certified in Oregon in 2018 with 462 acres, followed by an assortment of Frito-Lay varieties at 327 acres. Specialty red- and yellow-fleshed varieties continue to gain a foothold in Oregon seed production areas;

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Potato Country

January 2019

By Jeff McMorran, Oregon Seed Certification Service

however, russet white-fleshed varieties for processing or fresh market still made up the bulk of the rest of Oregon production in 2018. A complete listing of the varieties and acres produced in Oregon can be found at www.seedcert.oregonstate.edu/ potatoes.

Summer field readings for disease were low. None of the acres entered for certification were downgraded or rejected due to disease or off-type (as per the field inspections). Blackleg and white mold levels were considerably lower than previous years, and mosaic levels remained low.

Heavy smoke continued to blanket much of our growing areas again in 2018.

Growers reported that the smoke tended to slow down bulking rates, but did not seem

to affect the number of tubers produced.

In some cases, this improved the sizing profile of the seed, which helped satisfy contracts, even though yields may have been reduced somewhat.

Harvest wrapped up in early November.

Tuber quality seems to be above average with few internal issues. The post-harvest winter grow-out has begun. This year, OSCS is conducting all its grow-outs in trays in the greenhouse rather than direct planting into the greenhouse soil. This should speed up the process and get results back to growers earlier. It will also help avoid areas of the greenhouse where slow emergence has been a problem in previous years.

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Idaho Seed Potato Crop Western Seed Reports

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any Idaho seed growers had a difficult planting season with significant delays due to rain. As a result, yield reports are mixed with some growers reporting average to good yields, while others are reporting lower than average yields. Quality going into storage is reported as good to excellent. Overall, the 2018 crop had a higher set than normal and appears to have a very nice size profile. Seed health appears to be steady from 2017. The number of seed lots with visually detectable levels of Potato virus Y (PVY) decreased slightly compared to 2017. There were no bacterial ring rot detections during field inspections.

Seed availability is predicted to be impacted by not only an overall lower to average yield, but also by a significant reduction in certified seed acreage. At the conclusion of the second round of field inspections, a total of 29,295 acres are eligible for final certification in 2018. This

18

Potato Country

January 2019

By Alan Westra, Idaho Crop Improvement Association

is down approximately 10 percent from 2017.

Excluding proprietary genetics, the 2018 acreage accepted for certification represents a total of 149 varieties, selections and advanced clones. For 2018, the top varieties were Russet Burbank (41 percent of total acreage accepted), Russet Norkotah (all strains, 18 percent), Ranger Russet (12 percent), Clearwater Russet (4 percent), Alturas (3 percent) and Umatilla Russet (3 percent). Seed acreage of Russet Burbank, Russet Norkotah and Alturas is off approximately 7 percent compared to 2017. Clearwater Russet acreage increased by 3 percent, while there was a 15 percent reduction in Umatilla Russet acreage compared to 2017. A complete listing of the seed potato crop is available in the 2018 Idaho Certified Seed Potato Directory, posted on the Idaho Crop Improvement website at www.idahocrop.com.

Arnold Farms in Felt, Idaho

Buyan Ranch

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Canela Russet Mesa Russet Rio Grande Russet Colorado Rose

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Colorado Seed Potato Crop Western Seed Reports

2018

was a very unique year as far as weather goes in the San Luis Valley in south central Colorado, where most of the state’s potatoes are grown. In typical years, winter temperatures can drop to 20 or 30 below zero. This past winter, temperatures rarely dropped below zero. This was in large part due to lack of snowpack in the surrounding mountain ranges. The warm temperatures continued through May and June, resulting in a fast growing potato crop.

Harvest of the potato acreage in the San Luis Valley wrapped up at the end of October. Overall, yields have been above average, due in part to the warm weather in the summer. Certified seed growers have already submitted seed lot samples for the post-harvest test, which takes place

at the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii. An official 2018 certified seed directory is posted online at http://potatoes.colostate. edu/potato-certification-service, and an interactive version is available at www. coloradocertifiedpotatogrowers.com.

In 2018, Colorado certified seed potato acreage was up overall from 10,093 acres in 2017 to 10,282 acres in 2018 (1,469 of these acres qualify for grower plant-back only). The total accepted certified acreage after summer field inspections was 9,306 acres. Rejections were primarily the result of Potato virus Y (PVY)/mosaic, with a few rejections caused by blackleg and variety mix. The 2018 top five certified potato varieties in Colorado are Russet Norkotah selections, Canela Russet, Centennial Russet, Teton Russet and

Price Farms in San Luis Valley, Colo. Photo courtesy Bill Schaefer

20

Potato Country

January 2019

By Andrew Houser, Colorado Potato Certification Service Lamoka.

The Colorado Seed Act requires all seed lots imported into Colorado to undergo a post-harvest test or winter grow-out. A PVYN tolerance of 1 percent is in place for all seed coming into Colorado. Also, there is a late blight quarantine in effect for all seed coming into the San Luis Valley.

This test needs to be conducted by a qualified lab prior to shipment. For testing specifics, visit http://potatoes.colostate.edu/ wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Late-BlightQuar-2014.pdf.

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21

Irrigation Essentials Water Treatment Resources

www.watertreatmentresources.com Accu-Tab Tablet Chlorination System

The Accu-Tab tablet chlorination system by Water Treatment Resources provides a cost-effective, low-maintenance solution to many of the irrigation and processing industries’ operational concerns. Accu-Tab effectively chlorinates well water, surface water and reuse water supplies used for irrigation, processing, post-harvest and Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) purposes. The Accu-Tab system helps reduce maintenance by controlling algae and iron buildup that can cause clogs in irrigation systems. It also kills harmful bacteria in irrigation water, making farms FSMA compliant. As an effective alternative to gas and bleach, the system combines uniquely designed chlorinators with slow-release 68 percent 3-inch calcium hypochlorite tablets in a complete system that delivers consistent and controllable chlorine doses.

Valley Irrigation

www.valleyirrigation.com X-Tec Motor, Valley Scheduling

High-value crops require high-tech irrigation solutions.

The Valley X-Tec motor is the perfect combination of speed and power, allowing pivots to complete a circle in half the time. Use it to apply pesticide and fertilizer through the pivot or to create a cooling canopy, protecting crops from heat and maintaining surface moisture during germination. Plus, eliminate erosion and prevent leaf damage in early stages.

Valley Scheduling advanced management software provides easy-to-understand irrigation recommendations based on real field data. Save resources by applying water and nutrients most effectively; reduce crop stress due to over- or under-watering; improve crop health and reduce disease; and increase yield potential, quality and profitability.

22

Potato Country

January 2019

Jain Monitoring & Control

www.jainsusa.com/monitoring-control Jain Logic

Utilizing the combination of a robust software platform and field-rugged hardware, Jain Logic field monitoring technology has been trusted by growers since 2006. Jain Logic delivers real-time data from sensors in the field to any internet-connected mobile device, tablet or computer in an easy-to-use and intuitive interface. From soil moisture monitoring, evapotranspiration forecasting and irrigation scheduling, Jain Logic is designed to help farmers achieve more crop per drop.

Jain has spent over a decade going beyond simply providing data. The Jain Logic platform analyzes the data, then puts it in a format that helps customers better manage resources and increase crop yield. Understanding when and how long to irrigate to meet crop needs while managing inputs to the root zone saves water and nutrients.

Lindsay

www.myfieldnet.com FieldNET Mobile App

Lindsay Corporation has released a new FieldNET mobile app. Available on Apple App Store and Google Play, the app includes enhancements that provide a more user-friendly experience with improved access, visibility and control of center pivots and lateral irrigation systems. The new FieldNET app has an extremely intuitive and faster user interface, offering an enhanced level of mobility and precision.

The platform, which is compatible with almost any brand of electric pivot, delivers real-time information so growers can monitor and control their irrigation systems quickly and easily from a smartphone, tablet or computer.

With the new app, potato growers can also access FieldNET Advisor, advanced technology that helps growers decide precisely when, where and how much to irrigate.

Skone Irrigation

(509) 545-8420 in Pasco, WA (509) 349-7364 in Warden, WA Reinke GPS Guidance

Reinke has released a new application for its GPS guidance system.

Skone Irrigation, a Reinke dealer in Pasco and Warden, Washington, is now able to install Reinke’s GPS guidance on any Valley corner machine. This is a very reliable system and is a great option for systems that are encountering issues with buried wire guidance.

This system can replace a current pathway or allow a user to realign the pathway to accommodate a newer structure or circle design. A simple download from a zip drive program and even in-field realignment is possible with this system. With a new install of the guidance system, irrigators can fix longstanding areas of concern, and the system can be moved onto machines purchased in the future.

Irrigation Inc. PASCO & WARDEN, WA

www.skoneirrigation.com PotatoCountry.com

23

Insect Biology Quiz

This material is provided courtesy of Andy Jensen, Ph.D., Manager of the Northwest Potato Research Consortium. For more information, visit www.nwpotatoresearch.com.

Dr. Andy Jensen

There are many species of beneficial insects in potato fields. Some are easily seen and recognized, others less so.

Here, the top row of photos shows two beneficial insects that you probably rarely notice.

What is each one, and which of the pests in the bottom row of photos does it specialize in attacking?

Answers Page 28

BENEFICIAL INSECT A

PEST 1

BENEFICIAL INSECT B

PEST 2

Our isolated northern location along with our group of 10 experienced growers have been producing exceptional seed potatoes with increased energy and the lowest possible disease levels for over 50 years.

Our longevity and historical performance have made us a valued resource and seed potato supplier to growers across North America and the world.

With over 100 varieties including main crop and specialty selections, we invite you to give us a call to discuss how we can help you make this growing season the best one yet.

Contact Darcy Olson for the latest info on availability of varieties & generations

Toll Free: 1 (800) 362–9791

(780) 447-1860 • darcyo@epg.ab.ca Edmonton Potato Growers 12220 – 170 Street, Edmonton, AB T5V 1L7

24

Potato Country

January 2019

Spudequipment.com Pilers

2007 Milestone 42” all belt, 230 3ph remote 2003 Milestone 42” all belt, 230 3ph remote 1998 Spudnik 560 hyd 36”x 49’ BC, 480 volt 3ph 1999 Double L 831 36” x 49’ BC, 3ph, Remote 1997 Double L 831 36” x 49’ BC 3ph Remote 1989 Spudnik 550 30” BC, 3phase

Scoopers

Spudnik model 150 24” 3ph

Conveyors - Telescopic

1999 Double L 820 TC 30” x 60’ 3ph 1998 Spudnik TC 36/42/60 3ph Refurbished 1994 Spudnik 1250 TC 30/36/ 60 3phase 1992 Double L 810 Tel. conv. 30’’x50’ 3ph

Conveyors - Straight

Spudnik 30” Conveyor Line 250’ 3ph Double L 30” Conveyor Line 250’ 3 ph

Sizers/Eliminators

2009 Double L 978 DE/sizer 3ph 2002 Spudnik 925 72” 3ph 1997 Double 807 Dirt Elim. 62” BC 3ph Stingers 72” Sizer 03 Spudnik 995 72” BC Peg Belt, Finger rolls, sizer, 3ph 1997 Milestone MSDES 72” 3ph Dirt Elim Sizer 94 Spudnik 900 Sizer 60” 230V 3ph 89 Milestone 72” Belt, Finger Rolls, Sizer, Table 1ph

Dirt Eliminators

99 Milestone 60” Finger rolls, Table, 3ph 97 DL 807 62” BC with 3 stingers 3ph 1995 Double 806 Collector 44” 2-pups, 87 Spudnik 900 48” 220 volt 1ph

Rock/Clod/Eliminators 2014 Spudnik Air Sep 2014 Lockwood Air Vac 2014 Harriston Clod Hopper 4240 x 4-96”drums 2010 Harriston Clod Hopper 3240 x 3-96” drums with sizer 2007 Harriston Clod Hopper 240 x 2 -96” drums 1996 Harriston Clod Hopper 200/80” 230 Volt 3ph 1994 STI 1260 Sand Machine

Even Flows

2002 Spudnik 1000 cwt 3ph 2000 Spudnik 1800 600cwt 3ph 48” elev.

1998 Spudnik 1800 600cwt 3ph 48” elev.

1995 Agritech 250cwt 1ph /Stinger Agritech 100cwt elevator with eye

Stingers

2015 Logan 30” x 10’ belt 230 Volt 3ph 1990 Double L 832 30” BC/Finger rolls x 2 1988 Spudnik 2200 30” x 10’ BC/ fingers x 2

Beds

2011 Logan LP24 PTO only 2010 Double L 20’ 901 Elec. White EZ Tarp 2010 Double L 20’ 901 Elec. White EZ Tarp 2010 Double L 20’ 901 Elec. White EZ Tarp 2009 Logan LP 24’ bed PTO blue 2004 Spudnik 2100 bed 24’ PTO 1997 Logan 20’ bed Electric, ext. tail white

Trucks

2007 Sterling 13spd MB 425hp, no bed, frame for 22’ bed, has PTO. 1995 Ford 13spd Cat 425hp, lift axle, 2004 Spudnik 24’ bed PTO 1991 Ford Aero/Max L9000 Cat 425hp 9spd 260K original miles, DL 20’ bed dual drive 1985 IH 5000 Pay-Star 290 hp Cum., manual

Crossovers/Wind Rowers

2012 Double L 951 Four Row RH 50/50/45 2008 Spudnik 6140 Four Row LH 50/50/50 2008 Spudnik 6140 Four Row RH 40/40/36 2003 Lockwood 5000 Four Row LH 50/50/50 1998 Double L 851 Four Row RH 50/50/45 1990 Lockwood 2000 2 row LH

Harvesters

2014 Lockwood 574 4 row 2010 Lockwood 474 50/56/56/56/50 2010 DL 953 4 row 36” row 2009 DL 973 4 row 36” row 2009 Spudnik 6400 50/50/45/45/45 2008 DL 973 4 row return flo, galaxy table 2008 DL 953 4 row 36” 2008 Lockwood 474H 4 row 2007 Double 853 4 row 50/50/45/45 2002 Spudnik 5640 4 row 1996 Lockwood 4620 two row 1994 Logan 90 series two row

Seed Cutters 2013 Better Built 72” 2011 Milestone 72” 2009 Milestone 72” 1998 Milestone 60” 1999 Milestone 48” 1993 Milestone 36”

Treaters

New Excel 10”x 10’ Liquid/ powder Stainless New Excel 10” x 10’ Liquid/powder Mild Steel 2012 Better Built CDT10 – 10 AF Duster 1ph 1998 Milestone 42” duster

Planters

2009 Harriston cup planter 8 row pull loaded 34” 2009 Underhaug 3760 8 row 34” Raven controls 2 products 2007 Gruse Bed planter 4 row low acres 2005 Harriston model 4016 cup, Raven Controller 36” 2005 Lockwood 6 row Pick 36”

2003 Kverneland 3300 Six row 34” 2002 Spudnik 8400 cup 4 row 36” 1995 Kverneland 3300 6 row 34”

Planter/Tare/Piler

990 Milestone Utility PIler 16” Double L 24” x 30’ BC HYD, drive, swing, up down, hopper,Tip Double L 30” x 24’ BC HYD, drive, swing, up down, hopper, Tip Double L 815 24” x 24’ 3ph

Water Dammers

2006 Spudnik 8060 Cultv. Bed Shaper Diker 1994 Ag Engineering 4 row Tillage Master 9 shanks Hyd reset

Shredder/Vine Beaters 2012 Newhouse P1952 Pull hitch Tire Roller 36” 2005 Alloway/Woods 6 row

Warehouse/Packaging

WYMA Wet Hopper & Floating Debris Remover WYMA Vege-Polisher Roller Table 5’8” W x 22’6”long Incline conveyor 6’ 2” W x 19’L x 1’6” H, 12” flaps x .75’’ Brush Roller Table with Nozzles 5’10” W x 8’L Stainless Stainless Sponge Drying table with offset squeeze rollers 7’6” W, 10’6”L 3’7” H Stainless incline Elevator 3’9” W x 27’L 1’4” H Flap Height 3” Air Knife Drying system 5’3” W x 7’L x 10” H Holding Bins 280 cwt 5’8” W x 23’ L x 12’6” H. discharge H 3’10” adjustable, fall breaker, feed conveyor Holding Bins 140 cwt and 160 cwt Morray Bagger and Auto Bag Placer M720 & M958 WASP Tilt belt Warehouse Even flow 600cwt 8’6” x 26’ x 14’ 30” belt 230 V 3ph 2012 Kwik Lok 865 Bag closer

Bruce: (208)390-5120 | brucen@tristeelmfg.com Evan: (208)757-8481 | evann@tristeelmfg.com

PotatoCountry.com

25

National Potato Council

2018 Ends With a New Trade Agreement

By John Keeling, NPC Vice President and CEO

O

n Nov. 30, 2018, the leaders of the U.S., Mexico and Canada jointly signed a new free trade deal intended to update the current North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). During the G20 meeting in Buenos Aires, President Donald Trump, President Enrique Pena Nieto and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stood together and announced their intention to ask their legislatures to approve the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

Combined, the three countries represent one of the most significant trading blocs in the world. For potatoes, Canada and

Mexico represent the second and third largest export markets with a combined value of over $575 million annually.

For such obvious reasons, the National Potato Council (NPC) has advised the administration to modernize NAFTA but not give up its benefits. The threat of losing duty-free access to these key markets for potatoes came with a very large price tag. “Mend it, don’t end it” was the beginning of every conversation on how the administration should deal with NAFTA. Ultimately, the new agreement fulfills our original goals. It maintains the zero duties that were in place under NAFTA. Additionally, it includes a new provision that makes it more difficult for countries to illegitimately use pest and disease issues as a trade barrier. These issues can lock an

agricultural commodity out of a market for years or even decades. The potato industry knows this all too well, as fresh access to Mexico has been restricted for just this reason.

Two major issues will not be immediately resolved by the new USMCA. First, the retaliatory tariffs against U.S. frozen fries won’t be solved directly.

Those tariffs were imposed by Mexico in response to U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum. It is unlikely that the Mexicans will remove them before the U.S acts. We are urging the administration to do that immediately.

Despite the strong provision on illegitimate pest and disease claims, the new USMCA won’t immediately solve the issue of fresh market access to Mexico.

In that specific instance, the Mexican

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Potato Country

January 2019

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Tracks from known locations in the field to precise layers and areas in storage government has taken steps to allow the market to open, but in response their domestic industry has sued the government to block that action. Those cases must work their way through the Mexican courts, and we are urging that action to occur rapidly.

All in all, the revised NAFTA is not a huge departure from its predecessor, but it does return stability to a trading relationship that has been challenged over the past two years. We believe that the new Congress and the administration should rapidly approve the USMCA, remove the steel and aluminum tariffs impacting our frozen fry exports and allow the potato industry to get back to work.

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Know Your Insects Answers (from page 24)

Beneficial insect A is a parasitoid wasp (family Braconidae). There are many kinds of parasitoid wasp that attack many kinds of insects. This particular species attacks moth caterpillars, the wasp larva developing inside the living caterpillar, as seen in the photo labeled “Pest 1.”

Left to right: Sid, John, Jonathan, Carl, Nick and Cliff.

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Beneficial insect B is a predatory gall midge (adults are small gnat-like flies, family Cecidomyiidae). Many gall midges attack plants and live inside galls, but some species are predatory.

Gall midge larvae are often red or orange. This species is a predator of aphid, the insect pictured in “Pest 2.”

See the Online Seed Directory

at: PotatoCountry.com/seed-directory

Calendar Jan. 9-10

Jan. 22-24

Austin Convention Center Austin, Texas www.potato-expo.com

Pond Student Union Building and Holt Arena Pocatello, Idaho Jill Randall, jillr@uidaho.edu

Potato Expo 2019

Jan. 11

Jan. 23-25

Hilton Austin Austin, Texas Hillary Hutchins, hillaryh@nationalpotatocouncil.org

Three Rivers Convention Center Kennewick, Wash. www.potatoconference.com

NPC 2019 Annual Meeting

Washington-Oregon Potato Conference

Jan. 22

Feb. 25-28

11:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Red Lion Hotel Pocatello, Idaho Pre-registration and $25 fee required by Jan. 11 Ann Burks, (208) 522-9198 or aburks@idahocrop.com

Capital Hilton Washington, DC Hillary Hutchins, hillaryh@nationalpotatocouncil.org

Idaho Crop Improvement Seed Seminar

28

Idaho Potato Conference and Ag Expo

Potato Country

January 2019

Potato D.C. Fly-in

Editor’s note:To have your event listed, please email Denise Keller at editor@ColumbiaMediaGroup.com.

Please send your information 90 days in advance.

Know Your Potato Diseases

Disease Identification Quiz Dr. Jeff Miller, a plant pathologist, is the president and CEO of Miller Research, Rupert, Idaho.

He can be contacted by phone: (208) 531-5124; cell: (208) 431-4420; jeff@millerresearch.com

Just exactly how do you define a plant disease? How do you define a plant disorder? How are they similar and how are they different? For this month’s quiz, can you tell the difference between a disease and a disorder?

These four photos show internal tuber problems. Which represent disease and which represent disorder?

Dr. Jeff Miller

A

B ANSWERS, PAGE 26

C D Photo courtesy Jonathan Whitworth

Answers Page 34

For a FREE CertiďŹ cation Directory, email Dr. Nina Zidack at potatocert@montana.edu

Uncompromising Standards, Generation after Generation. We have the seed for you! www.montanaspud.org

PotatoCountry.com 167820MonPot13h.indd 1

9/18/17 11:45 AM

29

Putting a Price Tag on

Potato Psyllids

By Gina Greenway, Agricultural Economist and Assistant Professor, College of Idaho I don’t know if it is human nature,

or just my nature, but when any particular problem arises, I feel better if I can blame someone or something for my troubles.

Growing up, it was easy; regardless of the squabble, I always just blamed my two older brothers equally.

In the potato industry, the blame game is tougher. Trying to figure out how much to blame each pest for changes in pesticide use is challenging. The potato psyllid certainly deserves some blame for recent changes in patterns of input use, but

30

Potato Country

January 2019

accurately assigning the right amount of blame hasn’t been easy. Psyllid pressure has varied from year to year and by location. Another challenge is that many of the products labeled for control of psyllids are also used for control of other insects common in Idaho and the Columbia Basin of Oregon and Washington. As a result, I have to be cautious of carelessly passing the buck to psyllids, when aphids, beet leafhoppers or other sucking insects may have been to blame.

The Process

To try to arrive at an estimate of what psyllids are costing the potato industries in Idaho, Oregon and Washington, I generated baseline estimates for the cost and use of insecticides commonly applied in major potato growing regions in all three states. To do this, I combined the most recent USDA chemical use survey information for potatoes with pesticide label information, planted acreage estimates, pesticide price information and application cost information.

In the Columbia Basin, I generated baseline estimates for seven active ingredients: abamectin, esfenvalerate, flonicamid, imidacloprid, pymetrozine, spiromesifen and spirotetramat. In Idaho, baseline estimates were estimated for six active ingredients: abamectin, esfenvalerate, flonicamid, imidacloprid, pymetrozine and spirotetramat. The baseline estimates did not distinguish use of active ingredients by target pest, but did give me a benchmark from which to work.

The next step was to think about how much of the baseline use and costs should be blamed on the psyllid. To figure this out, I asked a panel of experts representing a cross section of growers, crop consultants and extension professionals to estimate reductions in use of the seven active ingredients commonly applied in the Columbia Basin and the six active ingredients commonly applied in Idaho if zebra chip disease did not exist. Basically, I wanted the panel to think about a crop protection scenario that did not involve having to control for psyllids and zebra chip. Survey respondents represented the upper and lower Columbia Basin in Oregon and Washington, southwest Idaho (Treasure Valley) which included Malheur and Baker counties in Oregon, southcentral Idaho (Magic Valley) and eastern Idaho.

Inconsistent psyllid and Liberibacter pressure continues to make zebra chip disease management challenging. Foliar symptoms of zebra chip disease can be seen here. Photo courtesy Erik Wenniger, University of Idaho

The Results

I estimated the total expense for the seven active ingredients tracked in the Columbia Basin at about $ 6.5 million. If dedicated application costs are added to the cost of insecticide, the estimated total jumps to about $9.4 million. However, if growers are using tank mixes, then the application costs would decrease.

Survey respondents in the Columbia Basin estimated that without the presence of potato psyllids, the use of spirotetramat and abamectin could decrease by as much as 70 percent and 67 percent, respectively.

However, some products would be used even in the absence of zebra chip to protect against other pests. Experts estimated minimal reductions in use of imidacloprid (4 percent) and esfenvalerate (10 percent).

Moderate reductions were estimated for flonicamid (43 percent), pymetrozine (38 percent) and spiromesifen (42 percent).

Applying the survey results to the baseline estimates suggests that if growers in the Columbia Basin did not have to manage potato psyllids, they could save as much as $2.9 million. When pesticide and dedicated application costs are considered, savings could be as much as $3.7 million in the absence of potato psyllids and zebra chip.

I estimated the total expense for the six active ingredients used in the Treasure Valley of Idaho at just over $1 million.

When pesticide and dedicated application costs are considered, expenses would push upward to about $1.2 million. However, using tank mixes would reduce the application charges. Survey respondents in the Treasure Valley estimated the absence of zebra chip could reduce use of abamectin, esfenvalerate, flonicamid and

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Psyllids Price Tag spirotetramat by as much as 80 percent.

Use of pymetrozine was estimated to decrease by about 50 percent. However, experts estimated no change in use of imadiacloprid, indicating it would be used for protection of other pests. Applying survey results to all of the baseline estimates suggests that if growers in the Treasure Valley did not incur management expenses for control of psyllids, they could save about $673,000. When pesticide and application costs are considered, growers could save as much as $787,134 in the absence of psyllids and zebra chip.

In the Magic Valley, I estimated the total cost of the six active ingredients at about $2.8 million. When pesticide and dedicated application costs are considered, the estimate reaches about $3.5 million.

Depending on use of tank mixes, this estimate could be reduced. Survey respondents estimated as much as a 90 percent reduction in use of spirotetrimat, an 80 percent reduction in use of pymetrozine, and a 70 percent reduction in both abamectin and flonicimid, in the absence of psyllids and zebra chip.

Respondents noted an estimate of a 50 percent reduction in use of Esfenvalerate, while estimating no reduction in use of imidacloprid. Applying the survey results to all products considered suggests the absence of psyllids and zebra chip in southcentral Idaho could save growers an estimated $1.6 million on product costs.

When product and application costs are considered, savings could reach as much as $1.9 million.

In Eastern Idaho, I estimated the total

percent reduction in use of spirotetramat, under a no zebra chip scenario. Flonicamid use could decrease by about 35 percent in the absence of psyllids. Respondents estimated no change in use of imadacloprid and a 20 percent reduction in use of esfenvalerate. The total savings on product costs in eastern Idaho could reach about $3 million if growers did not have to manage potato psyllids. When considering product and application costs, savings could be as much as $4.5 million.

This analysis captures a snapshot in time and relies on the expert opinion of a small sample of potato industry professionals. Pesticide use and costs vary from year to year, by region and by individual farm. Pest pressure also varies from year to year, by region and can be dependent on a myriad of environmental factors.

A big-eyed bug feeds on an adult potato psyllid.

Photo courtesy Bill Snyder, WSU

cost of the six active ingredients to be about $6.1 million. When pesticide and dedicated application costs are considered, expenses are estimated at about $7.9 million. Again, it’s important to recognize use of tank mixes could bring down the application costs. Survey respondents in eastern Idaho estimated they would not use pymetrozine at all in the absence of psyllids. They estimated a 90 percent reduction in use of abamectin and an 80

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Potato Country

January 2019

The Goal

The good news is that a group of talented and dedicated researchers at Washington State University, Oregon State University, University of Idaho and USDA-ARS are working hard to develop a better knowledge of psyllid genetics and to improve understanding of how the psyllid travels. The ultimate goal is to develop a variety of tools that will empower growers with the information needed to make informed decisions. The ability to make risk-based decisions regarding timing and necessity of insecticide applications has the potential to reduce the high cost of controlling the psyllids that carry zebra chip.

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In the News

Simplot Grower Solutions Receives Recognition

Potato Country Launches Podcast

Simplot Grower Solutions has claimed the title of Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) 2018 Retailer of the Year.

Simplot Grower Solutions, the retail arm of the J.R. Simplot Company, was started in 1945 as Simplot Soil Builders. Simplot Grower Solutions provides customers with advice and products for hundreds of crops, multiple cropping systems and a wide variety of soil types.

The ARA’s president and CEO called Simplot Grower Solutions an innovator, community leader and environmental steward.

Potato Country has a new podcast. You can listen to The Potato Podcast on the Potato Country website or download it to listen to in the field or on the road. The podcast discusses a variety of topics relevant to the potato industry.

So far, the following episodes are online: • What are universities teaching about potatoes today?

• Spore samplers are some of the newest technology in the industry.

• NAFTA. TPP. Retaliation. Mitigation. Huh? • Meet the Tater Twins from the Big Idaho Potato Truck • Frank Muir from the IPC discusses football and marketing.

New episodes will be added often.

To sponsor or participate in a podcast, contact dave@potatocountry.com.

To listen to the podcast, visit thepotatopodcast.com.

Know Your Disease Answers (from page 29)

A plant disease is defined as the malfunctioning of plant cells and/or tissues that results from an interaction between a pathogen and the plant which leads to the development of symptoms. A plant disorder is the malfunctioning of plant cells and/or tissues that results from an interaction between an environmental factor and the plant which leads to the development of symptoms.

Diseases and disorders are similar in that they both refer to a malfunctioning of the plant. The difference between the two is that diseases are caused by interactions with pathogens (such as bacteria, fungi, viruses and nematodes), and disorders are caused by interactions with the environment (abiotic influences).

In this month’s quiz, photos A, B and D are disorders. Photo C is a disease.

Photo A is the disorder known as brown center. Brown center can begin when tubers are very small. Development of this disorder is influenced by temperature. Periods of cool soil temperatures (below 55 degrees Fahrenheit) during tuber initiation and early tuber bulking followed by rapid growth favors the development of this symptom. Uneven tuber growth causes cells to rupture and die, turning brown.

Photo B is a disorder known as stem end discoloration or vascular necrosis. Symptoms like this can also be caused by potato leafroll virus, Verticillium dahlia (cause of Verticillium wilt) or Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum (cause of zebra chip). No definitive associations have been made for the cause of this disorder. Rapid death of green, healthy vines, and high temperature stress or low soil moisture at vine killing have been associated with these symptoms.

Photo C shows symptoms of Potato virus Y (PVY) infection in Alturas. This is a disease caused by the interaction between the virus and the potato host. These symptoms closely resemble pink eye, which happens to be a disorder.

Photo D is the disorder known as hollow heart. Brown center and hollow heart can be considered different phases of the same disorder and caused by uneven or fluctuating tuber growth, and brown center has been sometimes called incipient hollow heart.

Uneven growth of the tuber causes dead cells to split apart, leaving a cavity in the tissue. Brown center can occur anytime during tuber development, and the location of the hollow heart in the tuber will tell you when the stress occurred. Symptoms on the stem end resulted from early-season stress, symptoms in the middle result from mid-season stress, and symptoms on the bud end result from late-season stress.

The fact that many disorders and diseases can look alike underscores the importance of performing the proper laboratory tests to verify the actual causal agent of any symptom.

Thanks to Nora Olsen for her review of the quiz this month. Much of the information was taken from the Compendium of Potato Diseases, 2nd Edition, W.R. Stevenson, R. Loria, G.D. Franc, and D.P. Weingartner, editors, APS Press, 2001.

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Potato Country

January 2019

Ag World Golf Classic Donates $91K to Charity

Ag World ended 2018 by presenting a $91,487 check to the Ronald McDonald House Charities Inland Northwest. Columbia Basin potato producers, processors and industry supporters raised the money at the fifth annual Ag World Golf Classic held in June. Nearly 150 golfers, along with more than 100 sponsors and donors took part in the tournament.

In the last five years, the tournament has raised $325,967 for the charity. The Ronald McDonald House Charities Inland Northwest provides temporary lodging, comfort and support for families with children receiving medical services in Spokane, Washington, and supports related efforts to improve children’s health in the region. The charity is building a new facility across the street from its current location to serve even more families.

The 2019 tournament is set for June 12 at Canyon Lakes Golf Course in Kennewick, Washington. Register at www.agworldgolf.com.

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Liphatech is in the process of renewing the Idaho aerial use label for Rozol Vole Bait, a restricted-use pesticide. The product is a vole control rodenticide designed for use in agricultural fields. It is approved for aerial use in Idaho. Rozol pellets are paraffinized and are said to weather well through rain or snow. According to Liphatech, voles often feed continuously under snow cover, making Rozol ideal for fall use to lower vole populations before harvest and winter breeding, as well as for spring use to reduce vole feeding on newly-planted seed.

For more information, contact Chuck Hathaway at hathawayc@liphatech.com.

Lindsay Corporation’s new FieldNET mobile app, released in 2018, has been selected as an AE50 award winner for 2019. Presented by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, the award recognizes the year’s most innovative designs in engineering products or systems for the food and agriculture industries.

FieldNET technology offers remote monitoring and control of Vole damage to alfalfa. irrigation systems. The new app includes additional precision variable rate irrigation functionality, new endgun control options and the ability to enable or disable auto-restart and autoreverse. It also allows users to check soil water depletion and irrigation recommendations from FieldNET EFFECTIVE www.DammerDiker.com Advisor.

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In the Weeds

Weedy Sanctuaries and Non-Host Whistle Stops for Potato Psyllid

By W. Rodney Cooper and David R. Horton, USDA-Agricultural Research Service

P

otato psyllid has long been associated with foliar symptoms known as “psyllid yellows” caused by large populations of nymphs. However, the pest status of this native insect has grown substantially in the past two decades with the emergence of zebra chip disease.

Zebra chip is caused by a bacterial plant pathogen called Liberibacter, which is transmitted among plant hosts by potato psyllid.

Potato psyllid colonizes potato in early summer from any number of weedy hosts, but we do not know which of these weedy hosts are the primary sources of infective psyllids moving into potato. This uncertainty makes it impossible to predict where psyllid infestations are likely to begin or whether the colonizing psyllids are likely to be carrying the zebra chip

pathogen.

Recent research has shown that one weed host, matrimony vine, has traits which may increase this plant’s risk as a source of psyllids. Matrimony vine shuts down and loses its leaves in response to summer conditions, forcing psyllids to disperse and colonize other host plants.

This plant breaks summer dormancy after autumn rains, and psyllids then reappear on the newly flushed shoots. Potato may be a destination for psyllids displaced by summer defoliation and may be a source of psyllids recolonizing matrimony vine in fall, yet direct evidence is lacking for this association.

Studying the landscape-level movements of psyllids between weeds and crops has proven challenging largely because of limitations in the use of existing

Symptoms of zebra chip disease can be seen in these raw potato tubers.

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Potato Country

January 2019

methods on a small yet highly mobile insect that occurs on a large diversity of plant species. New methods are therefore needed to study the landscape ecology of potato psyllid.

Tracking Psyllids’ Movements

Researchers at the USDA-Agricultural Research Service laboratory in Wapato, Washington, have recently demonstrated that prior landscape-level movements of potato psyllid can be tracked by identifying what plants the psyllids previously fed upon. To do this, the researchers use highthroughput sequencing of plant-barcoding genes to identify plant DNA from the guts of the psyllids.

To demonstrate how this method can be used to track landscape movements of psyllids, potato psyllids were collected

from matrimony vine in autumn when psyllids return to this host plant. These collections were made after psyllids were thought to have dispersed from harvested potato fields and the dried-down annual weedy hosts.

Gut content analysis revealed that a portion of these psyllids had previously fed upon potato, confirming that at least some of the collected psyllids had migrated to the stand of matrimony vine from fields of potato. Results also found evidence that some of the psyllids had colonized the stand of matrimony vine from annual weedy nightshades that would have dried down in late summer, forcing the psyllids to disperse.

Intriguingly, many of the plant sequences identified from potato psyllids were identified as prickly lettuce, which is not a reproductive host for the psyllid.

Prickly lettuce is a common weed that grows in a variety of habitats, remains green late into the growing season and would have been abundant at the time of the year that psyllids move from vinekilled potatoes or dried-down annual weed hosts. The presence of prickly lettuce

From left to right, these photos show the life stages of the potato psyllid, from egg, to nymph, to adult.

Photos courtesy Andy Jensen, Northwest Potato Research Consortium

Brown discoloration caused by zebra chip disease becomes more pronounced when potatoes are fried.

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In the Weeds sequences in psyllids indicates that psyllid colonized and fed from these plants during their movements from potato or other true host plants preceding colonization of the matrimony vine host. Potato psyllids likely acquire water and other resources from non-host plants that are vital to their longdistance movements in their search for suitable hosts.

Gut content analysis of other psyllid species including pear psylla, citrus psyllid and several non-pest psyllids has revealed that feeding on non-host “whistle stop” plants is an unexpectedly common behavior of dispersing psyllids. These whistle stops likely allow the psyllids to survive long intervals in which the developmental host is not readily available.

Gut content analysis is now being used to identify the weed sources of Liberibacter-infected potato psyllid colonizing fields of potato. This information will help growers and researchers predict psyllid pressure from year to year and to develop a more targeted approach for controlling potato psyllid and zebra chip disease.

Matrimony vine has traits that may increase its likelihood of being a source of potato psyllids.

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Top 10 Tips

Diez Consejos Principales

In response to a quality initiative by the Idaho Potato Commission, Nora Olsen and Mike Thornton, researchers with the University of Idaho, developed a list of the top 10 best practices for potato growers.

En respuesta a una iniciativa de calidad de la Idaho Potato Commission [Comisión de la Papa de Idaho], Nora Olsen y Mike Thornton, investigadores de la Universidad de Idaho, prepararon una lista de las 10 mejores prácticas para los agricultores que cultivan papas.

Top 10 Production Practices Las 10 mejores prácticas de producción

1 2 3

4

Find suitable fields. Pick fields that do not have the potential for excessive clods and rocks that make soil separation at harvest difficult.

Encuentre campos adecuados. Elija campos en los que no hayan demasiados terrones y piedras, porque estos dificultan la separación de la tierra durante la cosecha.

Fertilize properly. During the season, maintain a balanced fertilizer program that avoids deficiencies or excesses of nutrients, such as nitrogen or potassium, that can lead to increased susceptibility to bruising and skinning.

Fertilice de manera adecuada. Durante la temporada, mantenga un programa de fertilización equilibrado que evite las deficiencias o excesos de nutrientes, tales como el nitrógeno o potasio, los cuales pueden hacer que las papas sean más susceptibles a magullarse y pelarse.

Manage moisture. At harvest, manage moisture conditions so that soil is relatively easy to separate from tubers on the primary chain and so that tubers are neither dehydrated nor overly hydrated.

Controle la humedad. Durante la cosecha, controle las condiciones de humedad para que la tierra se separe de manera relativamente fácil de los tubérculos en la cadena primaria,y para que los tubérculos no se deshidraten ni estén demasiado hidratados.

Monitor tuber temperature. Monitor the temperature throughout the harvest period, and stop digging when pulp temperatures are below 45 degrees Fahrenheit or above 65 degrees to minimize bruise and decay.

Controle la temperatura de los tubérculos.

Controle la temperatura a lo largo del periodo de cosecha y deje de cavar cuando la temperatura de la pulpa sea menor de 45 grados Fahrenheit o superior a los 65 grados, para minimizar el riesgo de que se magullen o se pudran.

5 6 7 8 9 10

Avoid large drops. Avoid drops of more than 6 inches onto hard surfaces on all machinery.

Evite caídas grandes. Evite caídas de más de 6 pulgadas en las superficies duras de toda la maquinaria.

Run conveyors at capacity. This reduces the relative drop height between pieces of equipment.

Utilice las cintas transportadoras a plena capacidad. Esto reduce la altura de caída relativa entre las piezas del equipo.

Pad all impact points. Use padding at all impact points, and replace when worn out.

Recubra todos los puntos de impacto. Utilice un material blando para recubrir todos los puntos de impacto, reemplácelo cuando se haya desgastado.

Pile potatoes in stages. This helps to prevent rollback.

Amontone las papas en etapas. Esto ayuda a prevenir que las papas se regresen.

Reduce pressure bruise potential. Match pile height to ventilation design capacity for the storage, maintain high humidity and avoid large delta T differentials.

Disminuya el potencial de que se magullen por la presión. Adapte la altura del montón a la capacidad del diseño de ventilación para el almacenamiento, mantenga una humedad alta y evite los grandes diferenciales delta T.

Educate equipment operators. Provide education so they understand the first nine items on this list.

Enseñe a los operadores de los equipos.

Proporcióneles la instrucción necesaria para que entiendan los nueve primeros elementos de esta lista.

Find a list of the top 10 best practices for packer-shippers in the December 2018 issue of Potato Country.

En la edición de diciembre de 2018 de Potato Country encontrará una lista de las 10 mejores prácticas para los empacadores y transportistas.

Cut out this handy chart and post it for all to read.

Market Report

Shades of 1976?

R

eports from Europe are comparing the 2018 potato supply situation to conditions during the 1976-77 marketing season. Though estimates vary, it is clear that 2018 potato production in Europe’s major exporting countries is at least 15 to 20 percent below the 2017 crop.

Production in other European countries also is down from 2017 levels, but probably not as much. This year’s crop loss appears to be the largest percentage decline since 1975. (The reason that Europe looks to the 1976 downturn is that it was a 13.7 percent decline following a 22.9 percent decline in 1975.) Though this year’s European downturn is the most severe in more than 40 years, there are numerous differences between now and then. Some of those differences will tend to mute the global market response to this year’s supply shortage, while other factors will have a tendency to magnify it.

2018 Versus 1976

This year’s European crop losses are severe, but there are several factors that make the current situation much different than what occurred with the 1976 crop.

Perhaps most important is that 1976 was the second year of a two-year downturn in production, while the 2018 downturn followed a record crop in 2017. Carryover from the 2017 crop is mitigating this year’s crop losses. Processors in the Netherlands and Belgium were able to continue running plants at record rates through at least October. Much of that was due to supplies

of old-crop potatoes that would have been discarded were it not for the shortfall in 2018 production.

Not all of the differences between 1976 and 2018 will mitigate the market response to this year’s shortfall. Global potato markets are much different now. In 1976, European producers were focused on selfsufficiency. In recent years, the European industry has become the world’s largest supplier of processed potato products including French fries and potato flakes.

As a result, this year’s shortfall is likely to have a much larger direct impact on global potato supplies and pricing than was the case for the 1976 crop.

EU-28 countries exported 3.9 billion pounds of frozen potato products and 381 million pounds of potato flakes to countries outside of the EU during the year ending Sept. 30, 2018. Frozen product exports have grown at a 13.5 percent per year annual rate for the last five years. The growth in potato flake sales was “only” 9.6 percent per year. Three EU countries, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany, are responsible for the bulk of the EU exports.

All three experienced major crop losses this year. Quality factors have reduced their available supplies even more. The Netherlands and Belgium rely on imports to feed their processing industry. Most of those imports come from France and Germany. The French crop is in better condition than crops elsewhere in the EU, but that country’s production is reported to be down 10.6 percent from last year.

In 1976, North America was dealing with a record crop. Exporters shipped substantial quantities of bulk potatoes to Europe, to take advantage of price differentials, with varying degrees of success. Experienced exporters succeeded, but there was a steep and sometimes painful learning curve for parties that were NEW/USED WALK-IN COOLER-FREEZER REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS HUGE INVENToRy-ALL SIZES BUy  SELL  NATIoNwIDE 

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Potato Country

January 2019

getting into the export business for the first time. Bulk fresh potato shipments are a thing of the past. While increased sales of containerized fresh potatoes are possible, North America does not have a surplus of potatoes from the 2018 potato crop.

Although USDA reported the largest potato crop since 2012 in its November Crop Production report, that number appears to be inflated. In addition, quality and storability issues will reduce usable potato supplies throughout the upper Midwest and in eastern growing areas. Canadian growers were unable to harvest at least 13,000 acres of potatoes before winter weather set in, which has reduced that country’s potato supplies to their lowest level since 1994.

Market Impact

Capacity constraints and raw product shortages will limit North America’s ability to fill the supply gap left by the European potato shortage. Nevertheless, European losses will impact North American and global potato markets in several ways.

First, North American processors will need to replace much of the product that U.S. importers purchased from Europe during the last 12 months. That included 56 million pounds of potato flakes and 141 million pounds of French fries. In addition, processors will be called on to cover the supply gap left by the European crop shortfall, as well as the growth in global demand for potato products. Dehydrators are in a much better position to cover those needs than fryers, but it is doubtful that they will be able to fill the developing supply gap. The result is likely to be a bidding war for finished product. Longterm relationships and the ability to pay are likely to determine which customers are able to cover their needs, and which will either end up on allocation or be cut off from supplies.

When will the supply shortfall manifest itself in North American markets?

Domestic issues continue to dominate the raw-product market for fry-quality potatoes. Buyers are paying premiums for western potatoes that can be moved to

By Bruce Huffaker, Publisher North American Potato Market News

fry plants in the Midwest and in Canada.

Pacific Northwest fry plants are running at capacity. They will be able to run primarily on contract potatoes throughout the season.

It is difficult to judge how much of any finished-product price increases will be passed on to growers. Dehydrators are paying extra for distressed potatoes, as they seek to cover new orders for potato flakes.

It may take some time for the crunch in the potato flake market to develop. There is a 12 million pound gap between reported EU potato flake exports to the U.S. and U.S. reported imports for the year ending Sept. 30. That suggests that there was a large block of product on the water at the end of September. Europe may have been able to maintain export volumes through the end of December. They were using up marginal raw product at a rapid rate to salvage as much of the crop as possible.

Therefore, the supply crunch is likely to worsen through the next six months, and may continue through most of 2019, even if Europe’s production returns to normal in 2019.

The long-term consequences of this year’s European crop shortfall are likely to be long lasting. Europe has long had a reputation for having more volatile potato production than North America. North American product has been preferred for both quality and reliability. However, that started to change as Europe beefed up production and managed to hold exports stable during production downturns in 2012 and 2015. The 2014-15 West Coast Longshoremen’s labor dispute gave North American processors a black eye on the reliability front. North American French fry exports have stagnated since then, as long-term customers have sought to diversify their supply chain. In addition, North American fryers have been slow to ramp up capacity, making it difficult to compete against Europe’s rapid growth. New capacity is coming online, with more in the pipeline. This year’s European crop shortfall will encourage customers to maintain or redevelop longterm relationships with North American suppliers, though increases in exports may

have to wait until next year.

Early new-crop production will be critical for both Europe and North America. Buyers are ramping up early contract volume to help offset this year’s shortfalls. History shows that production in the year following a crop disaster usually exceeds industry needs. However, there

are exceptions. In Europe, the biggest exception was 1976. For the U.S., we would go back to 1989. The industry will be watching closely to see whether potato crops rebound in 2019. If they don’t, 2019 truly could resemble 1976.

HUFFAKER'S HIGHLIGHTS • Europe’s 2018 potato crop decline is the steepest since 1975.

• A substantial portion of U.S. imports of European French fries and potato flakes will dry up in the coming months.

• Global trade in potato products is likely to decline. North American processors will not be able to replace the European crop shortfall.

• The industry can expect permanent changes in potato product trading patterns as a result of this year’s crop losses.

• A rebound in potato production, both in Europe and in the U.S., will be critical for stabilizing potato markets. Another crop failure in 2019 could bring back the turmoil of 1976.

Editor’s note: To contact Mr. Huffaker, or to subscribe to North American Potato Market News (published 48 times per year), write or call: 2690 N. Rough Stone Way, Meridian, ID 83646; (208) 525-8397; or e-mail napmn@napmn.com.

PotatoCountry.com

41

Potato Growers of Washington

Plant With Caution in 2019

By Dale Lathim, Potato Growers of Washington

D

uring my years in the potato industry, I have always enjoyed this time of year as we have a very good understanding of the prior year’s crop and optimism from growers as they plan for the coming year. With that being said, this is the most important time of year for all contract potato growers.

Looking back at last year, the Pacific Northwest was the only area of the potato growing world that had a very good crop.

Our crop in the Columbia Basin started out very good, then had a disappointing middle of the harvest before finishing very strong in terms of both yield and quality.

Our neighbors in Idaho had one of the best, if not the best, crops in their history. Our neighbors to the north in Alberta, Canada, also had a good, but not bumper, crop.

Anywhere you go beyond the Pacific Northwest, growers will be talking about weather-related losses of 10 to 30 percent caused by drought, too much rain or frost that froze potatoes in the ground prior to harvest. Many potatoes that were harvested on the late end in those areas are not

processing well and even totally breaking down. The weather-related quality issues are further shortening up the 2018 crop.

"Trying to outguess processors and think they will need more than they contract has never paid off."

The common thought that goes through many growers’ minds when faced with similar scenarios is that processors are going to need more potatoes next year so this would be a good time to plant a few extra acres. While processors will indeed need more acres to refill what should be a very empty supply line by the start of next harvest, they will know that and contract accordingly. Trying to outguess them and think they will need more than they contract

has never paid off.

The reason that it never pays off is that the processing industry in general, not any one company, tends to overreact to supply situations and, if anything, will over contract potato acres for 2019 in case similar weather conditions occur. If that happens and every area has even an average crop, contract overages and open potatoes will be nearly worthless.

Further, the shorter supply of potatoes worldwide in 2018 should be a prime opportunity for processing companies to raise finished product prices even more than they have been the past four years as demand has outpaced processing capacity.

Even one year of over supply of potatoes could wipe out much of those gains.

With the 2019 contracts already in place as the second year of our multi-year agreement, we anticipate that both growers and processors in the Columbia Basin should be in a great position for a smooth transition into a new crop year. During the upcoming year, we will have a new processing line coming online, and our segment of the potato industry will continue to grow and prosper. Please be very careful to do all that you can to keep this growth and profitability continuing.

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January 2019

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