Growers invited to 27th annual Maine Potato Conference

By Scott Mitchell Johnson
Staff Writer
    CARIBOU — The 27th annual Maine Potato Conference will be held Jan. 18-19 at the Caribou Inn and Convention Center. Presentations on potato late blight, aphids and many other agricultural topics are scheduled.
    “This year’s conference will also feature Dr. Stewart Gray, plant pathologist from USDA/ARS and Cornell University, who will be speaking on potato virus Y,” said James Dwyer, crops specialist with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension. “We have also invited Dr. Russell Groves, entomologist from the University of Wisconsin, who will be speaking on managing aphids and Colorado potato beetles.
    “The Central Aroostook Young Farmers will also be hosting a trade exhibit,” he said. “This conference should be very interesting.”
    Registration is $10 per day, or $15 for both days. Credits will be available for those holding a valid pesticide applicator license or CCA license. Details on credits available can be obtained 24 hours a day by calling 760-9ipm.
    The schedule for the two-day conference is as follows:
Wednesday, Jan. 18
Moderator: Scott Keirstead, ACEA member
8:30 a.m.     Welcome
8:40 a.m.     Identification and Management of Wireworms and Slugs, James Dwyer, crops specialist, UMCE
9 a.m. Aphids: The New Face of an Old Enemy, Dr. Andrei Alyokhin, professor of applied entomology, MAFES
9:20 a.m.     PVY and the National PVY situation, Dr. Stewart Gray, plant pathologist, USDA/ARS
10 a.m. Break, Sponsored by Buck Construction
10:30 a.m. VFDs — Operation and Maintenance, Stephen Belyea, storage engineer, PMIF, MDAF&RR
10:50 a.m. Seed Treatments and Late Blight, Dr. Dave Lambert, assoc. professor of plant pathology, UM
11:10 a.m. Production of High Quality Barley for Malting, Dr. Steven B. Johnson, crops specialist, UMCE
11:30 a.m. Update from the FSA, Donavon Todd, state director, FSA
11:50 a.m.    Adjourn for Lunch — On your own
Moderator: Andrew Plant, Educator, UMCE
1:20 p.m. Late Blight in 2012: A Strategy For Our Industry, Dr. Steven B. Johnson, crops specialist, UMCE
1:40 p.m. Preventative Sprayer Maintenance, George McLaughlin, agricultural engineer, MPB
2 p.m. Tuber Rots: Leak, Pink Rot, and Bacterial Soft Rot, Dr. Dave Lambert, assoc. professor of plant pathology, UM
2:20 p.m. Break
2:50 p.m. Transgenic Potatoes: Status Today and Tomorrow, Dr. John Jemison, water quality and soils specialist, UMCE
3:10 p.m. Late Blight and Homeowner IPM, Griffin Dill, IPM professional, UMaine Cooperative Extension
3:30 p.m. Assessing Maine’s Agricultural Future — 2025: Emphasis Potatoes, Dr. John Jemison, water quality and soils specialist, UMCE
3:50 p.m. Wrap Up
4 p.m. Adjourn
Thursday, Jan. 19
Moderator: Shane Clark, President, CAYF
8:10 a.m.     Welcome
8:20 a.m.     Managing Cutworms in Potatoes and Rotation Crops, James Dwyer, crops specialist, UMCE
8:40 a.m.     The Future of Potato Seed Testing, Dave Lavway, director, MDAF&RR and Don Flannery, executive director, MPB
9 a.m. Modeling Aphid Flights for Accurate Timing of PVY Management, Dr. Russell Groves, Extension vegetable specialist, UW
9:20 a.m.     The Proposed Merger of the Forestry and Agriculture Departments, Walter E. Whitcomb, commissioner, MDAF&RR
9:40 a.m.     Neonicotinoid Resistance and CPB Management, Dr. Russell Groves, Extension vegetable specialist, UW
10 a.m. Break
10:30 a.m. European Corn Borer in 2011, James Dwyer, crops specialist, UMCE
10:50 a.m. Options for Municipalities to Reduce Farm Tax Burden, Stephanie Gilbert, farm viability & farmland protection spec., MDAF&RR
11:10 a.m. Split Applications of Fertilizer, Dr. Gregory Porter, professor of agronomy, UM
11:30 a.m. Micronutrients in Potato Production, Bruce Hoskins, soil scientist, UM
Noon Adjourn for Lunch — On your own
Moderator: Randy Smith, Superintendent, Aroostook Farm
1:20 p.m. Bruise Detection Technology — What’s New? George McLaughlin, agricultural engineer, MPB
1:40 p.m. Update from the Maine Potato Board, Don Flannery, executive director, MPB and Tim Hobbs, grower relations, MPB
2 p.m. Activities of the US Potato Board, John Probasco, past president, chairman, USPB Finance Committee
2:20 p.m. Variety Trial and Breeding Program Results, Dr. Gregory Porter, professor of agronomy, UM
2:50 p.m. Update on the Crop Insurance Program, Tori Jackson, crop insurance coordinator, UMCE
3:10 p.m. 2011 Florida Test Results, Dave Lavway, director, Division of Animal and Plant Health, MDAF&RR
3:30 p.m. Wrap Up
3:40 p.m. Adjourn.