2026 Miller Research Potato Pest Management Seminar
The 2026 Miller Research Potato Disease Management Seminar will be held on Thursday, February 26, 2026, at the Historic Wilson Theater in Rupert, ID (610 Fremont Street). Registration begins at 8:00 AM and the meeting will run from 9:00 AM to 12:20 PM with a 20-minute break. The meeting will be in-person this year and we will not have a Zoom option. ISDA pesticide (3) and CCA Pest Management (3) credits have been awarded for the meeting.
Registration is $30 to cover the cost of the meeting and can be done at the door. If you want to pay in advance, you can register below on this page. (If no payment is made, the online registration will not work – sorry!) After covering meeting costs, remaining funds will be donated to the local 4-H program. Lunch will not be provided.
Meeting agenda:
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM: Registration
9:00 AM – 9:30 AM: Should I Buy This Fungicide? When you look at scientific data, how can you tell if the difference between two values is significant or not? What does it even mean when you hear the term “significant differences?” This presentation will explain how to evaluate information you may see in advertisements in order to determine if money you would spend on a fungicide will be worth the payoff in the end.
9:30 AM – 10:00 AM: Effect of Fungicides on the Tuber Phase of Black Dot. This presentation will share research results for a project funded by the Northwest Potato Research Consortium on fungicide use for black dot control on tubers. We will discuss the relative importance of seed and soil-borne inoculum as it relates to effective disease control. The role of the black dot pathogen (Colletotrichum coccodes) in the potato early dying complex will be discussed, along with the difficulties of managing the tuber phase of this disease.
10:00 AM – 10:30 AM: Efforts to Reduce Powdery Scab and PMTV. We will share results of several fungicide trials conducted over the years targeting powdery scab. We will also discuss recent work sponsored by the Northwest Potato Research Consortium on the effect of alternative treatments for reducing disease.
10:30 AM – 10:40 AM: Break
10:40 AM – 11:10 AM: Tuber Soft Rot Potential and Bruising from Storage to Box. The Northwest Potato Research Consortium funded a two-year study evaluating the effect of handling and treatment of tubers from storage to box in packing operations on bruise and soft rot development. In this presentation we will share how disinfectants and other handling procedures can effect soft rot potential.
11:10 AM – 11:40 PM: Effect of Fumigation on Verticillium Wilt and Black Dot. Multiple field trials have evaluated the effect of metam fumigation on Verticillium wilt and black dot development. We will share results from field trials evaluating alternative programs and how these have compared to metam fumigation.
11:40AM – 12:10 PM: Fungicide Trial Update. This presentation will share results from recent foliar and soil-borne disease trials. A summary of research relating to the use of metconazole for its effect on yield will also be presented.