Idaho potato growers, used to fighting pests and challenges, are now naming Potato Leafroll Virus as their No. 1 enemy.
This declaration comes even after the devastating late blight fungus showed up in the state a few years ago and caused great concern and hundreds of thousands of dollars to control.
The PLV, vectored by the Green Peach Aphid, causes net necrosis in potato tubers and leads to whole-lot rejections, and big discounts on process contracts. This brown netting spreads through the tuber pulp causing undesirable coloring and dark spots in fries.
To help educate growers to the control options available, two workshops will be held on Feb. 15, 16. Twin Falls, ID, will be the site of the Feb. 15 meeting to begin at 9:30 a.m. at Cavanaughs Hotel and run to noon with lunch provided.
The second meeting will be Feb. 16 from 9:30 a.m. to noon (with a sponsored lunch) at the U of I Research and Extension Station in Aberdeen, ID.
Speakers include Dr. Robert Thornton of Washington State University; Dr. Tom Mowry of the University of Idaho; Pete Thomas from the USDA, and Dr. Jim Zalewski of NatureMark. The meeting will be hosted by NatureMark.