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LATEST INFORMATION
November 6, 2006: Potato Cyst Nematode (PCN) Stakeholder Update
SITUATION UPDATE
Officials of USDA's
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Idaho State
Department of Agriculture (ISDA) announced the detection of potato cyst
nematode (PCN), Globodera pallida, in two additional fields, one in
Bingham and one in Bonneville County near Shelley. The identifications
of the nematodes were confirmed October 30. The two new fields are
within the regulated area and all infested fields are within one mile of
a central point in the regulated area. This brings the total number of
infested fields to seven.
SITUATION SUMMARY
On April 19, 2006
officials of USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
and the Idaho State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) announced the
detection of potato cyst nematode (PCN), Globodera pallida, a major pest
of potato crops. This is was the first detection of the pest in the
United States. The nematode cysts were detected during a routine survey
of tare soil at an ISDA grader facility in eastern Idaho. In that
survey, more than 3,500 samples were analyzed, and only one was
positive.
On August 29, 2006,
state and federal officials announced the establishment of a regulatory
area near Shelley. The regulated area contains about 10,000 acres. In
this particular area, growers have been advised to have their fields
sampled for potato cyst nematode in an effort to speed the delivery of
their products to market. Growers are also required to have equipment
cleaned and sanitized before they may leave a field in the regulated
area. This process is believed to help prevent the spread of potato cyst
nematode.
SURVEY UPDATE
To date, the
on-going investigation has collected and tested more than 16,603 samples
from approximately 355 fields and facilities. As part of these
investigations, three new additional fields have been identified in
northern Bingham County. That means a total of 5 fields have been
confirmed positive for PCN based on morphological and DNA analyses. All
infested fields are within one-mile of a central point in the regulated
area near Shelley. Survey in the regulated area is nearly complete, and
will be finished by the end of this week. Personnel active in the
incident and currently stands at 107 USDA and 17 state personnel.
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August 10, 2006
ISDA Survey Catches First Potato Tuberworm (PTW)
Adult of 2006 Season
Idaho State Department of Agriculture
entomologist, Ben Simko reported the first potato tuberworm (PTW) adult
moth captured in a pheromone trap near Parma, Idaho on August 1. The
potato tuberworm is a small insect that can infest both potato foliage
and tunnel into tubers with the potential of causing significant crop
damage. “It is important to note that most of Idaho is PTW free, based
on last year’s survey, and no live worms or tuber damage associated with
this insect was ever found despite, extensive inspections,” reports
Michael Cooper Plant Industries, deputy administrator. The pest emerged
as a serious new pest of potatoes in the Hermiston, OR area in 2002. It
has also spread to production areas in the Columbia Basin in south
central Washington State where growers claim spending $150-200 per acre
on PTW control measures. Last year, University of Idaho and ISDA
cooperated on a detection survey to track insect numbers and
distribution in the Gem state. According to Simko, so far, numbers of
PTW in Idaho still remain extremely low based on numbers captured in
special PTW traps. The 2005 survey captured low numbers of PTW in three
counties; Canyon, Elmore, and Payette. With over 450 insect traps
deployed across southern Idaho last season, only 19 moths were confirmed
as PTW positives.
Simko cautions potato growers to stay vigilant until we have a better
idea of PTW population trends and damage threats in the various Idaho
environments. “As with any new pest threat, we need to keep it in the
context of a total potato IPM system, including use of cultural
practices, economic thresholds and applying insecticide treatments only
when necessary,” Simko advises.
More information on the Potato Tuberworm can be found at the ISDA
website, PTW link,
www.idahoag.us
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Potato Cyst Nematode Update
Visit
http://www.ag.uidaho.edu/potatopath/alerts/pcn.html for more
information of the potato cyst nematode
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REMINDER: Cull
Potatoes need to be non-viable
Go to the “Cull and Waste Potato Management”
University of Idaho CIS Bulletin 814 at
http://info.ag.uidaho.edu/pdf/CIS/CIS0814.pdf or contact your local
U of Idaho Extension office for specific management information.
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HAVE POTATO QUESTIONS OR SAMPLES?
Contact
University of Idaho Extension personnel at the
following numbers:
Treasure Valley:
722-6701 (Mike Thornton)
Magic Valley:
736-3600 or 423-6621 (Nora Olsen)
Eastern Idaho:
529-8376 (Phil Nolte), 785-8060 (Bill Bohl), or 397-4181 (Jeff Miller)
Information
on disease management can
be found at:
U of
I Potato Pathology
For information on storage management:
Kimberly
Potato Storage Research Facility
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