b'2020 NPPGA Research Reporting Conferenceby Dr. Andy Robinson, NDSU/UMN Extension Potato AgronomistOne of the joys of having a winter is Therewere30yellow-skinnedand demonstrated heavy levels of resist-we have time to increase our knowl- 18-red skinned advanced selections ance. Neonicotinoids are still work-edge at winter meetings and social orcultivarstestedinHoople,ND. ing,butbestforaphidsandleafgatherings.ThisyearsNorthern The full report of this work can be hoppers.ColoradoPotatoBeetlePlainsPotatoGrowersAssociation foundathttps://www.ag.ndsu.edu/ control continues to decrease. Research Reporting Conference was publications/crops/north-dakota-heldonFebruary18,2020atthe fresh-market-potato-cultivar-selec- FelicityMerritt,amastersstudentAlerus Center in Grand Forks, North tion-trial-results-for-2019/a7183. underDr.SusieThompsonsdirec-Dakota.SpeakersfromNorth pdf. Workisstillongoingtotest tionisworkingonGeneticDakota State University, University pressure flattening and sprouting in Screening for Resistance to the SugarofMinnesotaandtheUSDA/ARS storageattheUDSA-ARSPotato EndDisorder.Felicityhasbeenpresentedtheirresearchinforma- WorksiteinEastGrandForks, screening clones looking for genetiction to the audience of growers and Minnesota.TheLateBlightSpore resistance to sugar end disorder. Herindustrypersonnel.Someofthe Trapping Network was successful in focus has been on looking at clonesspeakers were graduate students pre- thatnolateblightsporeswere from the NDSU breeding program assenting their work as they are devel- found.well as cultivars that are available.oping their scientific skills.This was done by limiting irrigationDr. Ian MacRaes report titled, The during tuber bulking. After harvest,Sometimesresearchprojectswork Borg Are WrongResistance is Not a colorimeter was used to scan friesamazingly,andwehaveexciting FutileifYoureaColoradoPotato for color at the bud and stem end toresultstoshare;however,other Beetle discussed his continued work eliminatehumanerrorofvisualtimes we learn that the idea did not on Colorado Potato Beetle resistance evaluations.Inthisstudyshewasworkasthought.Partofthe to insecticides. To perform a proper notabletodetermineanydiffer-researchincludesthewordre test, Dr. MacRaes laboratory needs encesbetweenwateredandwater-before search. Were searching for 1,500to2,000beetlestotestfor stressed plots. Opportunities exist tothe best answers to improve potato resistance.Imagehowmuchfun conductgenome-wideassociationproduction, but it sometimes it take theyhavecollectingallthesebee- studiestodetermineifdifferencesmanyattemptstogetthebest tles. His lab has been testing many are from field conditions or geneticanswertothequestion.Albert differenttypesofinsecticidesto differences. Einsteinsaid,Ifweknewwhatit determinelevelsofresistanceandwas we were doing, it would not be areasofresistanceofColorado Dr.SusieThompsonreportedoncalled research, would it? The fol- PotatoBeetles.Neonicotinoidsare PotatoImprovementandCultivarlowing article highlights the speak- losing efficacy for Colorado Potato Development. Her objectives are toers and their talks at the conference. Beetle in some areas. They are cur- identifygermplasmandreleaseIfyouhavequestionsabouttheir rently testing Abamectin, with some improved potato cultivars, identifytalks, please contact them directly.rate creep going on. This means it and adopt innovate breeding meth-takes more of the active ingredient ods, and conduct production relatedThe first talk was given by Dr. Andy tokillColoradoPotatoBeetle. evaluationsforpromisingselec-Robinson on Fresh Yellow- and Red- Spinosad has been relying on heavi- tions.Researchtrialsaroundwest-SkinnedTestResultsandtheLate ly in some organic production areas. ernMinnesotaandeasternNorthBlightSporeTrappingNetwork. As a result, there were two areas that Dakota,Crystal,Hoople,Inkster,20 POTATO GROWER MARCH 2020'