Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF MAINE COOPERATIVE EXTENSION
5741 LIBBY HALL
ORONO,ME 04469-5741
Performing Department
Cooperative Extension
Non Technical Summary
The billion dollar Maine agriculture industry is the most diverse agricultural system in New England. Maine farms produce a wide variety of agricultural commodities including grain crops such as corn, soybeans, and canola, fruit crops such as apples, strawberries, and blueberries, as well as broccoli, dry beans, peas, and multiple other vegetable crops. The potato industry, however, is the top agricultural sector in the State of Maine with a total economic value to the state of over $500 million, including farm-gate receipts of $100 million, and employing over 6,000 individuals. In order to ensure the sustainability and economic viability of Maine's potato industry, timely and efficient management of pests is crucial. A successful IPM program can not only potentially reduce production costs through decreased pesticide applications but, through the use of effective monitoring techniques, can ultimately save growers millions of dollars in potential crop losses. Integrated pest management programs, such as those offered by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Service, play a pivotal role in supporting the Maine potato industry by offering assistance directly to growers. The University of Maine Cooperative Extension's Potato Integrated Pest Management Program impacts approximately 56,000 acres of potatoes. The program employs 18 seasonal program aides, maintains nearly 150 specialized insect traps, coordinates a statewide network of electronic weather stations, and surveys 100 potato fields on a weekly basis for weeds, insects and diseases. The data produced helps IPM scientists track potential pest outbreaks and helps provide growers with current information on specific and timely treatments in order to minimize the number of pesticide applications and maximize potato yield. The current market demand for perfect, pest and damage-free produce and crops, combined with the public's desire to decrease pesticide use for human health and environmental reasons, creates a difficult challenge for Maine potato growers. Homeowners and growers are increasingly at odds over the application of pesticides on farms adjacent to new or existing housing developments. The Potato IPM Program plays an integral role in ensuring that Maine's potato crop is pest and damage free while attempting to minimize the amount of pesticides that are applied. The presence of late blight in Maine during the 2009 crop year has produced the potential for inoculum to be widespread in 2010. Although, potato late blight does not typically survive Maine winters, early snow cover, could facilitate the proliferation of volunteer potatoes, which could serve as a host for late blight. This potential inoculum source, combined fungicide resistance of the late blight organism, and the confirmed presence of both the US-8 and the US-14/17 late blight strains, have the potential to create a considerable threat to the Maine potato industry's 2010 crop. For the 2010 crop year and beyond, it will be imperative for growers to eliminate all inoculum sources by controlling volunteers, cull piles, and by planting only late blight free seed.
Animal Health Component
100%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
100%
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
To improve and expand the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Potato IPM Program through collaboration with State of Maine agencies, grower organizations, and through other cooperative efforts; and to provide growers with pertinent educational information regarding potato pest management. Short Term Objectives Increase grower awareness of potato pest problems through: Insect identification Disease identification Weed identification Identify and respond to insect pest issues Implement effective, economic, and environmentally sound insect pest management strategies Utilize applicable economic thresholds for insect pest management Provide growers information regarding insect vectors of potato diseases Identify and respond to plant diseases and disorders Provide growers information regarding the field management of the late blight races Provide potato disease forecasting Implement strategies and provide information regarding the disposal of cull potatoes Increase grower knowledge of pesticide risks (high vs. low environmental and personal risks) Long Term Objectives Have IPM implemented as the standard potato pest management practice Adopt and maintain integrated pest management strategies that are economically sound Adopt appropriate technologies Help growers make better decisions regarding potato pest management Increase potato pest knowledge base through enhanced applied research efforts Reduce risks to people and the environment through minimized pesticide use Help growers use pesticides safely and judiciously Utilize relevant University of Maine Extension web-based resources
Project Methods
The program employs 18 summer aides, maintains 150 insect traps, coordinates a network of electronic weather stations, and surveys 100 potato fields weekly for pests. The program will process over 1.5 million data points for disease forecasting and insect surveys. This level of monitoring will lead to improved disease identification, computerized late blight forecasting to improve fungicide scheduling, and will provide growers with current information on treatments to minimize the number of pesticide applications and maximize potato yield. To facilitate adoption of IPM practices and the proper disposal of cull potatoes, educational programs will continue to be implemented through the University of Maine Extension Potato IPM Program. Specific information regarding management of potato late blight and other diseases will be provided. Secondary insect pests such as European corn borer, cutworm, potato leafhopper, and flea beetles have become important pests. Thus, increased education concerning these insects will be continued. Information gathered through many sources, including observation, traps, weather data, and prediction models, is delivered to growers through newsletters, websites, and telephone message centers. A potato seed screening process, developed by Extension, will continue to be used to screen seed lots for late blight. Extension has modified an existing predictive model to Maine's conditions, which is used to predict late blight occurrence based on severity values calculated through local weather conditions, which is transferred to growers through multiple media outlets. Research and educational outreach conducted through the Potato IPM Program provides a connection between Extension and potato growers. The Program will educate growers in Maine and New Brunswick on the identification and management of potato late blight. Educational materials for the Program are constantly being created and revised. Program staff have developed ways to convey pest information to the agricultural industry, including the use of computer IPM games, fact sheets, and specific how-to brochures. Not only are these materials developed by Extension, but training of farmers, consultants, and coordinators is also undertaken in order to provide them with information regarding pest management. Growers and technical staff are also trained in the identification and control of hairy nightshade, a potential host for potato late blight. For 2010, a series of programs in cooperation with the Maine Potato Board have been planned to perform trainings on sprayer calibration and late blight identification for potato industry personnel. An annual Pest Management Conference will also be designed and held for the field and technical potato industry representatives. We will continue to hold a minimum of six grower/producer training sessions during the winter months to acquaint them with Potato IPM and how to integrate IPM techniques into their farming operation. In addition to IPM, an educational program to address the cull potato problem in Maine must be continued to promote awareness among growers and packers of the need for sound methods of disposing of cull potatoes.