PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — The Presque Isle office of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension will present the 2015 Pest Management Conference on Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2015 at the Presque Isle Inn and Convention Center from 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Pesticide recertification credits and certified crop adviser credits will be available. The program will feature information on Potato Virus Y, aphids, blackleg, storage management and research updates from the University of Maine and the USDA Agricultural Research Service.
A $15 fee ($20 Canadian) will be charged to cover the cost of room rental and refreshments.
Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m., with topic discussions beginning at 9. The morning moderator will be Andrew Plant, Extension educator, with welcome and call to order by Extension Crops Specialist Jim Dwyer. Participants may enjoy lunch on their own from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., and presentations will resume at 1.
Topics and presenters include: storage, with Steve Belyea, storage engineer with the Maine Potato Board and Potato Marketing Improvement Fund; aphid populations, Dwyer; insect control studies, Aaron Buzza, assistant scientist with the University of Maine; Potato Virus Y management, Dr. Mathuresh Singh of Agricultural Certification Services Inc. in Fredericton, N.B. and Dr. Andrei Alyokhin, UMaine entomologist; Pesticide Control Board update, Megan Patterson of the BPC; soft rot bacteria, Dr. Dave Lambert, Extension plant pathologist; testing procedures with Dr. Larry Feinstein, University of Maine at Presque Isle assistant professor of biology, Maine Department of Agriculture technician Jaylee Fox and MPB director of grower relations Tim Hobbs; soil health, Dr. Robert Larkin, USDA plant pathologist; and site-specific farming with Dr. Lakesh Sharma, Extension soil and crops specialist.
