2024 Miller Research Potato Pest Management Meeting

Miller Research will be holding its annual Potato Pest Management Meeting on February 21, 2024, at the Historic Wilson Theater in Rupert, ID. The meeting will run from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm with a 20-minute break at 10:30 am. Credits have been awarded for CCA (3 IPM) and pesticide recertification for ID (3), WA (3), and OR (3, 2-core 1-other).

For those not able to attend in person, a virtual option will be available. If you want to participate by Zoom, contact Cheryn Suarez ([email protected]) after registration and she will send you the link to attend. Virtual attendees will need to answer questions on Zoom to verify participation. Thus, each person desiring credits needs to be logged in and stay logged in for the duration of the meeting if you want credits. Contact us if you have questions on this.

Registration is $20 to cover the cost of the meeting. After covering meeting costs, additional proceeds will be donated to the local 4-H program.

Meeting agenda:

8:00 am – 9:00 am: Registration

9:00 am – 9:30 am: Bacterial Bad Guys – Jeff Miller
Blackleg and aerial stem rot are two bacterial diseases that make potato stems look bad. How do these diseases get started? How effective are the recommended control measures? We will answer these questions and provide an update on results from a new research project funded by the Northwest Potato Research Consortium focused on managing these diseases.

9:30 am – 10:30 am: Fighting Foliar Foes with Fungicides – Trent Taysom
Managing foliar diseases in southern Idaho requires the use of foliar (and occasionally soil-applied) fungicides. This presentation will present data related to the following questions:

• How many applications do I need to apply?
• What is the most effective timing of premium fungicide products?
• How important is it to tank-mix a premium fungicide with a protectant fungicide?
• Why does it matter to pay attention to FRAC group labels?
• How many times should I apply products from the same FRAC group in a season?

10:30-10:50 am: Break

 10:50 – 11:50: Name that disease!
This quiz will test your ability to differentiate among disease symptoms that can look similar. After each question, we will compare and contrast how fungicides can (or cannot) be used to manage these diseases.

11:50 am – 12:20 pm: Can I Chemigate?
How effective is chemigation for fungicide application? How do fungicide residues from chemigation compare to those from aerial application? What are some different options for chemigating? We will summarize data from over a decade of research evaluating the efficacy of using chemigation to apply fungicides for disease control.

Due to the logistics of using the Wilson Theater, lunch will not be provided. However, we encourage you to visit one the local non-chain restaurants in Rupert for lunch:

• Acapulco – 710 Onieda St.
• Boondocks Grill – 1224 S. Oneida St.
• Burgers Etc. – 124 S. Oneida St.
• E Street Deli – 542 E St. (on the Square)
• El Sartenazo – 507 F St. (on the Square)
• Drift Inn – 545 F St. (on the Square)
• Doc’s Pizza – 514 6^th (on the Square)
• J’s Bar and Grill – 902 S. Oneida St.
• La Divina – 524 1^st
• Las Piñitas – 501 Scott Ave.
• Riviera’s Kitchen – 802 S. Oneida St.
• Sophie’s Chatterbox – 530 E St. (on the Square)
• The Kings Café – 102 S Oneida St.