1. Conference detail

The University of Idaho will host the 57th annual Idaho Potato Conference and trade show Jan. 22-23 at the Idaho State University Pond Student Union Building in Pocatello.

Attendance of up to 900 is expected, according to UI. Industry updates from representatives of organizations including the Idaho Potato Commission, Potatoes USA and the National Potato Council are planned.

A committee that includes researchers, growers, consultants, crop advisers and chemical company representatives suggests topics.

“This is a great opportunity for people to network with each other, make connections, learn something new and engage,” Kasia Duellman, a UI Extension seed potato specialist, said in a news release.

Washington State University potato researchers Tim Waters and Jacob Blauer are scheduled to present on insect management and potato agronomy, respectively.

Duellman will discuss incorporating biopesticides into potato disease management programs. Biopesticides, important to organic farmers, are gaining interest among conventional growers who are seeking ways to document how they’re moving toward sustainable production in response to consumer demand, according to UI.

Verticilium wilt and powdery scab, which is caused by an organism that can transmit potato mop-top virus, had significant impact on the 2024 crop, according to UI plant pathologist James Woodhall. He led verticilium field trials and lab work on varietal susceptibility and disease severity.

Verticilium wilt causes early die in potatoes. Alternatives to fumigation and sustainable approaches to management are to be discussed by Jeff Miller of Miller Research and Phillip Wharton of UI.

Wharton received a federal Specialty Crop Block Grant to develop a new test and to evaluate alternative chemicals and biological products for control in the field. Duellman and her team helped Whorton by collecting samples from commercial fields.

The recent rise in potato mop-top virus cases will be discussed by Woodhall, Miller and Idaho-based USDA research plant pathologist Jonathan Whitworth, who in 2012 documented the state’s first case.

“We’re getting a lot of interest for testing for PMTV and a lot of interest for research, as well,” Woodhall said in the release. “Once it gets into the soil, there are no decent control options except for keeping it out.”

Vole damage to the 2024 potato crop, and related economic impacts, will be discussed by UI Extension agricultural economist Patrick Hatzenbuehler. UI Extension educator Jason Thomas, who specializes in managing insects and rodents, will invite growers to complete a survey to document the severity of the vole problem in the state’s south and east.

Spanish language sessions, pesticide recertification credits and Certified Crop Adviser credits will be offered.

The cost of attending the conference is $50.

The potato conference is organized in conjunction with the Eastern Idaho Ag Expo, set for Jan. 21-23 at ISU Holt Arena, 550 Memorial Drive, according to UI. Many conference and expo attendees also participate in the Idaho Crop Improvement Association’s annual seed potato growers’ seminar, slated from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan. 21 at Red Lion Hotel Pocatello, 1555 Pocatello Creek Road.