b"PARTNER CONTENTSpore Trapping and Weather Monitoring All in One PackageAIR Program uses a proprietary system combining spore trapping and weather monitoring to protect potato crops. Spud Smart (SS): What is AIR Program? And why should potato growers be interested in it?Daniel Mondor (DM): AIR Program is a fungus diseases detection programwe like to call it preventive. Because as we know, for a spore to develop as a disease, it takes between four to seven days for the potato pathogens. And then it takes another five to seven days to see foliar traces in the field. So based on that, we usually provide a two-week window to be able to act accordingly.We provide a real time spore trapping data in the field. And we also have a weather risk indicatorThis way, it's a complete tool that you can use in order to know the real portrayal of the situation in the field. We offer a better plant protection as well as operational cost saving.SS: How do your spore traps and weather monitoring systems work? DM: We use active mobile pumps, and we have a sampler going in the field three days a week, in order to get a report delivered in between 24 to 48 hours, but in most cases, we can deliver the report the same dayThe pump we use(L-R) Rejean Beauparlant, farmer with Ferme Beauparlant in Lavaltrie, Que. with Daniel Mondor, sales and marketing director for AIR is brought by the sampler in the field. The reason we haveProgram.PHOTO: FREDERIK ROBITAILLE (LEFAR.CA)decided to go with that kind of equipment is because it's allowed us to position the sampling pump as per the directionwhich is early blight and brown spot, so alternaria solani, and of the wind. This way, the sample is more accurate. And wealternaria alternata. We also do Fusarium and Botrytis,, and process the sampling in the sporulation period of the plantwe also monitor the Oomycetes, which are a category, its not pathogens of interest, which is between the dew until aroundthe same kind of pathogen, but it definitely has an impact on noon. the development of late blight.SS: If I was a potato grower and I was to work with you,SS: What area does AIR Program cover?what would I have to do? DM: We cover all of Eastern Canada, but we also we are DM: It's a turnkey program. You get registered and thenin the States, in Maine, Colorado and Floridawe offer we take care of everything. Based on that we schedule thethe only probably spore testing in North America. And number of days we need for trapping, because it dependswe are developing more and more territory. The next step on the type of variety and a couple of other aspects. We alsofor Canada will be Alberta and Manitoba. We are super install a weather station on the side in order to provide theexcited, because everywhere we go, we have to adapt weather risk indicatorWe have a platform where you canbecause there's different weather patterns and some other have access of all of your data through your phone or yourparameters, which is really exciting for scientists like us. computerIt's a report, it's super visual, you can see the reds,We are super enthusiastic to come and start to operate in the green, the yellow for the weather risk indicator, as wellWestern Canada. We will also be present in North Dakota, as the number of spores that we have collected earlier in theWisconsin, and Michigan, as well as in California. day or the prior day.Enter to win one of two AIR Program tryout sessions for SS: What potato diseases are you able to detect?the 2022 growing season at http://airspore.com/contestDM: We do late blight as well. And something that makes us unique and original is the fact that we can cover, for potatoesTo watch a video interview with AIR Program and listen to a podcast for example we cover five pathogens and dclinaisons,visit spudsmart.com/AIRProgramwhich are Phytophthora infestans, the two types of alternaria, SPUDSMART.COM Winter 202227"