J U L Y / A U G U S T 2 0 1 9 16 POTATO GROWER blight spores in the air. NDSU Potato Breeding Pro- gram Dr. Asunta (Susie) Thompson, NDSU Potato Breeder In 2019, irrigated potato trial sites include Oakes, Larimore and Inkster, North Dakota, and Park Rapids, Minnesota. The Oakes Research Extension Center is site of a small fresh market trial including red and yellow skinned genotypes. A second trial is evaluating 11 dual-purpose russet selections compared to industry stan- dards. The Larimore trial site is hosted by Carl, Michael and Casey Hoverson at Hoverson Farms, and includes the processing trial (20 selections, cultivars and industry standards), the prelimi- nary processing trial with 58 entries (advancing dual-purpose russet selec- tions compared to industry standards), maintenance of out-of-state selections, and an irrigated preliminary chip pro- cessing trial with 106 entries. The National French Fry Processing trial (NFPT), supported by Potatoes USA, is grown at this site, with the goal of identifying processing selections with superior French Fry processing poten- tial with low acrylamide levels; there are 48 entries in 2019, including 33 Tier 1, 6 Tier 2, and 7 Tier selections from US breeding programs are com- pared to industry standards Russet Burbank and Ranger Russet. NDSU NFPT entries include ND113100-1Russ, ND13242B-8Russ, ND13243B-3Russ, ND13243B-14Russ, ND13288-2Russ (all Tier 1), and ND12241YB-2Russ in Tier 2. Additional trials include the Dakota Russet planting depth study, and the Dakota Ruby vine kill trial. Three trials are planted at Inkster, including the metribuzin sensitivity trial conducted in collaboration with Dr. Harlene Hatterman-Valenti’s pro- gram, the sugar end screening trial, and a vine kill study conducted in col- laboration with Drs. Gary Secor and Andy Robinson. The latter is a project funded by a North Dakota Specialty Crop Block Grant (SCBG) in response to a problem identified by North Dakota certified seed potato growers; the metribuzin screening is also sup- ported by North Dakota SCBG fund- ing). Trials at Park Rapids, Minnesota, on the RD Offutt Farm include a pro- cessing trial with 15 entries, a common scab screening trial with 64 entries across market types, and a replicated Verticillium wilt resistance screening trial (25 genotypes across market types) conducted in collaboration with Dr. Neil Gudmestad’s program. Non-irrigated research sites include Crystal and Hoople, North Dakota. The fresh market trials are conducted on the farm of Dave and Andy Moquist (O.C. Schulz), north and east of Crystal, North Dakota. The fresh mar- ket trial has 30 entries, 20 advancing selections compared to 10 industry standards. The preliminary fresh mar- ket trial includes 90 entries, 73 selec- tions compared to 17 industry stan- dards; selections include red-skinned white-fleshed, yellows, specialty types, and 12 Chilean selections in collabora- tion with Dr. Gary Secor. Chip process- ing trials are located just north of Hoople, North Dakota and are hosted by Lloyd, Steve and Jamie Oberg. The chip processing trial includes 13 advancing chip selections compared to 9 industry standards. The National Chip Processing Trial (NCPT), support- ed by Potatoes USA, with a primary goal of rapidly identifying superior alternatives for Snowden (long-term chip processing potential) and Atlantic (susceptibility to internal heat necro- sis) includes 95 unreplicated selections (Tier 1) and 34 replicated entries (Tier 2) from US potato breeding programs, compared to four industry chip selec- tions. The non-irrigated preliminary chip processing trial includes 18 selec- tions compared to 12 chip industry standards. The NDSU potato breeding program seedling nursery, seed maintenance plots, and increase lots are planted south of Baker, Minnesota, on the James F. Thompson Farm. All lots are entered for certification with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. The seedling nursery includes single hills from 115 families and new in 2019, is the inclusion of out-of-state seedlings from Idaho, Maine and Texas; single hill selection will begin in early September. Maintenance and increase lot production is used to maintain the genotypes via phenotyp- ic recurrent selection and is the seed source for research trials conducted by our program, collaborators at NDSU, and research and industry collabora- tors in North Dakota, Minnesota, and beyond. As in previous years, 24 Chilean selections from the INIA pro- gram at Osorno, Chile, are being eval- uated in collaboration with Drs. Gary Secor and Julio Kalazich. We look forward to sharing our