Seed Potato Production in Montana

Dr. Nina ZidackDirector, Montana Seed Potato Certification

Montana Potato Industry

• 9,800 Acres in 20089,800 Acres in 2008

• 14.4% of seed 14.4% of seed potatoes for US croppotatoes for US crop

• $38.4 million$38.4 million

Montana Acreage since 2000

MT Rules for Certification

• No out-of-state seed potatoes can be grown for certification– All new varieties must come through MSU

Certification lab

• 100% testing on nuclear and Generation 1– No nuclear or Generation 1 potatoes sold

outside of state

• Post Harvest Test Required for all lots– 100% tested for 3 potato viruses

Limited Generations

• Tissue Culture– Plantlets, Microtubers

• Nuclear

• Generation 1

• Generation 2

• Generation 3

• Generation 4

Field Inspections

Important Diseases and Pests for Certification

Potato Virus Y (PVY)• Yield Limiting

• Tuber borne

• Aphid transmission

• Multiple strain types– PVYO, PVYN, PVYN:O,

PVYNT PVYNT:N

– High Recombination Frequency

Vectors of Concern for Certification – Aphids

Circulative or persistent transmissionCirculative or persistent transmission

Process may take 24 hrs or more!

Stylet borne or non-persistant transmissionStylet borne or non-persistant transmission

Process is virtually instantaneous!Process is virtually instantaneous!

Virus sticks to mouthpartsVirus sticks to mouthparts and is wiped off during and is wiped off during next probing eventnext probing event

Leafhoppers – Phytoplasma Diseases

Potato Psyllids – Zebra Chip

Stubby Root Nematode – Tobacco Rattle Virus (Corky Ringspot)

Aphid Control• Carbamates

– Aldicarb™, Vydate

• Organophosphates

– Methamidophos (Monitor™)

• Pyrethroids

– Cyfluthrin (Baythroid™, Leverage™)

– Esfenvalerate (Asana™)

• Mineral Oils

• Neonicotinoid - Seed Treatments, In-Furrow, Foliar

• Feeding Inhibitors

– Pymetrozine (Fulfill™)

Neonicotinoids

Common Name Trade Name Seed Piece

In-Furrow

Foliar

Imidacloprid Admire Pro™ x x x

Gaucho™ x

Provado™, Leverage™ x

Thiamethoxam Cruiser™, Platinum™ x x

Actara™ x

Clothianidin Belay™ x x x

Acetamiprid Assail™ x

Resistance Management• Neonicotinoids

– Chemistries provide multiple options for application

• Colorado Potato Beetle Resistance• White fly resistance development

– Only use one application per growing season

• Strobilurins– Azoxystrobin (Quadris™), Pyraclistrobin (Headline™)

• Contact Fungicides– Chlorothalonil (Bravo™), Maneb™, Mancozeb (Dithane™,

Manzate™)

• Carboxamides– Boscalid (Endura™, Flutolanil™)

• Phenylamide– Metalaxyl (Ridomil™)

• Cyanoacetamide– Cymoxanil (Curzate™)

Foliar Disease Control

Seed Piece Treatments

• Benzamidazoles– Thiabendazole (Mertect™)

• Aromatic hydrocarbon– PCNB (Blocker™)

• Thiophanate– Thiophanate-methyl (Tops, Topsin M™)

• Carboxamide– Flutolanil (Moncoat™)

• Phenylpyrrole– Fludioxonil (Maxim™)

IR-4 Projects

• FENPYROXIMATE - Miticide

• FLUDIOXONIL + AZOXYSTROBIN – postharvest

• Foliar Disease Biological Control – Bacillus mycoides

Needs for Montana Seed Potato Production

• Diverse modes of action in chemistry

• Diverse tactics