This article appears in the January 2021 issue of Potato Grower. Be sure to join University of Idaho Extension at the Idaho Potato Conference Jan. 19-21!
The 53rd annual Idaho Potato Conference and Eastern Idaho Ag Expo presented by the University of Idaho and Spectra Productions are going virtual in 2021. Set your calendars to attend the 2021 Idaho Potato Conference Jan 19-21.
Given the unusual times of a global pandemic, the conference shifted from the annual in-person event held in Pocatello to three days of virtual presentations. The 20-minute pre-recorded presentations with an additional five minutes of live Q&A will be given throughout the morning of each day (8 a.m. to noon mountain time). In addition, five-minute updates by leading potato industry companies will be included each day.
A Spanish language session will also be offered virtually for 2021. This session will be offered from 1 to 2:30 p.m. on Jan. 19. Topics in Spanish will include reducing bruise, grading potatoes, common storage diseases and much more. There will be short videos and live discussions led by University of Idaho extension educators Joseph Sagars and Jason Thomas.
The virtual format allows us to invite many of our colleagues from outside of Idaho from whom we don’t typically hear. We are pleased to welcome:
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Paul Bethke from USDA-ARS in Wisconsin to discuss tuber lenticels, their function and why they become enlarged;
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Andy Robinson from North Dakota University and the University of Minnesota to elaborate on the seasonal topic of managing brown center and hollow heart;
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Ken Frost from Oregon State University to provide a much-needed summary on the blackleg/soft rot disease in potatoes; and
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Mark Pavek from Washington State University to talk about cultural management updates on Clearwater Russet and Alturas, and his graduate student Francisco Gonzalez to provide new (and old) information on measuring soil moisture in potato fields.
The remainder of the 20-minute presentations will focus on a wide variety of topics:
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Changes in potato quality during packing and shipping
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Factors that impact development of bruises
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Analyzing the annual Idaho potato price change during crop transition
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What makes new varieties better than Burbank?
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Susceptibility of russet cultivars to common potato diseases
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Learning to use growth regulators
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Managing early die in potatoes
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Best management practices for pink rot and Pythium leak
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Soil-borne diseases: What causes them and what you can do about it
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Potato mop-top virus (PMTV) and other viruses
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Diagnosing and predicting foliar diseases in Idaho
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What happened to zebra chip in Idaho?
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Variety reaction to zebra chip and interaction with PVY
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Volunteer potato control
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Using plant-pest interactions to build resistance
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What does healthy soil look like in southern Idaho?
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Sustainability and the potato industry: working together to meet customer and consumer demands
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Idaho Potato Commission update
Each day, virtual attendees will hear five-minute updates from four leading potato industry companies. Programs will be available with contact and virtual trade show vendor information. Idaho Pesticide License Recertification credits will be available on Jan. 20. Attendees are required by the Idaho State Department of Agriculture to pass a short online quiz to receive credits. See the website for more information.
Registration is free, but attendees must register in advance. Additional details regarding the agenda, topics and registration can be found at www.uidaho.edu/cals/potatoes.