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| Pest Management Office | Pest Alerts |
| 491 College Ave., Orono, ME 04473-1295 | Fact Sheets |
| 207-581-3880 or 1-800-287-0279 (in Maine) | |
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Potato IPM |
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| The Maine potato industry is extremely interested in reducing pesticide usage while maintaining crop quality and yields. This interest derives from market demands for a high quality product; consumer concern about pesticide residues; and environmental and personal safety concerns, as well as escalating expenses associated with purchasing and applying pesticides. Maine's potato industry can be divided approximately into thirds: seed, tablestock, and processing, representing the major market outlets for the industry. In 1993, the average yield was 260 hundredweight per acre; and the sale of that crop generated some $130 million to the industry. Threats to maintaining farm profitability come from many directions including uncertain market prices, a market demand for high quality products and pest pressures (such as late blight) that have the potential to reduce yields and degrade quality below profitable levels. Most Maine potato farms are family businesses. An individual grower typically functions as a business owner; employer; farm laborer; horticulturist; and much, much more. It is very difficult, if not impossible, for producers to keep up with the state-of-the-art in potato pest management on their own, in addition to attending to the many other aspects of running an agricultural business. The University of Maine Cooperative Extension Potato IPM program was initiated in the early 1970's by Extension Specialist Staff under a special USDA grant. The pilot program of the 1970's has now grown into a sophisticated, multidisciplinary approach to controlling potato pests which is coordinated by James D. Dwyer, Area Crops Specialist, and Dr. James F. Dill, Pest Management Specialist. The program is also supported by a multidisciplinary team of crop specialists and 30 seasonal workers that bring the program to the major potato producing areas of the State of Maine. To achieve the goal of helping Maine potato producers implement an integrated approach to pest control, the Maine Potato IPM program has three basic functions which are all directly related. The first function of the Potato IPM program is to provide information. Information on pest control strategies and pest biology is provided to growers through a number of different avenues. Written information is provided to clients via fact sheets and newsletters. The Spudline newsletter produced during the fall and winter months by Cooperative Extension and the Maine Potato News produced monthly by the Maine Potato Board are excellent methods of relaying written information to industry personnel. During the growing season, information on pest situations which has been gathered by the 30 seasonal workers is summarized and reported weekly to the industry by the Pest Alert newsletter. The newsletter is sent to over 1,300 industry personnel weekly from June through August. The newsletter also includes pertinent control strategies. Public meetings such as the annual Potato Pest Management Conference and the Maine Potato Conference are also important aspects of the informal network which are part of the Maine Potato Pest Management Program. A second function of the Potato IPM Program is direct education and on-farm demonstrations. In 1994, the Potato IPM program had nearly 200 grower/ cooperators enrolled within the program. These grower/cooperators worked with the UMCE summer employees to learn field scouting techniques and pest identification. This education also included economic threshold information that assisted growers in determining when it is economically advantageous to make a pesticide application. The program has also lead the way in adopting computer assisted pesticide recommendations. The Potato IPM program has approximately 150 small weather stations positioned on farms across the State that monitor microclimatic conditions. With this information and a computer program that models the development of the potato late blight organism, we can predict the development of the disease if inoculum is present 7 to 14 days prior to its actual occurrence. This type of forecasting allows growers to adjust their spray schedule for fungicide application in accordance to disease pressure rather than applying materials merely on a calendar basis. For example, on June 20, 1994, the Maine Potato IPM sent all potato growers in the State of Maine, a red postcard warning that our computers were forecasting the occurrence of potato late blight within the next 7 to 14 days. On July 7, the first late blight sample was found. Late blight has approximately a 5-day latent period; therefore, our forecasting program was correct in warning growers to begin fungicide protection which literally saved millions of dollars in crop losses. This warning potentially saved many Maine producers from complete disaster. Conversely, in 1991, potato growers associated with the Potato IPM program reduced fungicide applications as compared to normal spray practices, which equates to approximately 48 tons less fungicide applied that, otherwise, may have been applied. The University of Maine Cooperative Extension Potato IPM program adjusts, adapts, and improves each year in response to the needs of the Maine potato industry. To insure that the IPM program stays in touch with the industry, a survey of IPM participants takes place and the program is reviewed by the Education Committee of the Maine Potato Board. |
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Jim Dwyer Area Crops Specialist PO Box 727 Houlton Rd. Presque Isle, ME 04769-0727 (207) 764-3361 |
Jim Dill IPM Coordinator 491 College Ave. Orono, ME 04473-1295 (207) 581-3880 |
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PEST MANAGEMENT OFFICE | UMCE HOMEPAGE | UMAINE
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