b'Ontario and has shown signs of resistance to regularly usedsoil fertility, but they significantly reduce viability of primary fungicides. Another key issue is scab, which is particularlyinoculum of soilborne pathogens. difficult to fight against because there are limited options toFor certain provinces, late blights a serious issue. Luckily, control it. The top recommendation he offers is to constantlythe mostly dry and hot summers of Alberta do not favour late be looking for new varieties that carry strong tolerance ratingsblight disease development. Additionally, the province has a towards the disease. strong Potato Pest Monitoring program, notes Yevtushenko. With pests, CPBs are top-of-mind for Ontario potato growers,This early detection and diagnostics system is designed to help according to Van Dyk. Still, neonic-treated seed or treatmentspotato growers to improve disease management decisions in-furrow seem to be working well. While theres some level ofand involves close collaboration between the University of growing insecticide resistance found in Ontario fields, there areLethbridge, Promax Agronomy Services Ltd., the Potato Growers enough rotational options available that farmers are still havingof Alberta, and field owners. The program runs from June to the success. Beyond that, aphids and leaf hoppers are pests ofbeginning of September, and uses a network of sophisticated, concern, as well. solar-powered automatic spore traps that suck in spores like a vacuum. The university students carefully examine the trapped Alberta spores under microscope for morphological features that are The good news for Alberta potato farmers is that their listcharacteristic to Phytophthora infestans. of worries is decidedly shorter than other provinces. This isFor the past four years, the number of Phytophthora spores according to Dmytro Yevtushenko, associate professor in thehas never exceeded the threshold, says Yevtushenko.department of biological sciences at the University of Lethbridge,They monitor alternaria and fusarium spores as well, and head of the Potato Research Lab. which are causative agents for early blight and Fusarium wilt, Diseases farmers should watch for include Verticillium/earlyrespectively. As a result, early blight is not on the radar for dying complex, common and powdery scab, and blackleg.Alberta farmers this year but is closely monitored.This winter in Alberta was mild compared to other years, soYevtushenko says fusarium dry rot is almost inevitable as growers will have to wait and see what the situation is like comefarmers hold onto their potatoes for eight months or so until early springtime; some diseases could rebound at greater levels. June. The same is true for soft rot and pink rot, although it is not Alberta farmers contend with fewer diseases due to theofficially classified as a big issue in 2023.long crop rotations they employ, anywhere between five toOne issue he is concerned about is the recently observed seven years, which are among the best in the industry, notesrelatively high number of potato psyllids compared with past Yevtushenko. Not only are these practices highly beneficial totwo years. This coincides with general fluctuations in insect SPUDSMART.COM Spring 202317'