Michigan State University Agricultural Experiment Station In Cooperation with the Michigan Potato Industry Commission 2006 Michigan Potato Research Report VOLUME 38 Michigan Potato Industry Commission 13109 Schavey Rd., Ste. 7 DeWitt, MI 48820 517.669.8377 Fax 517.669.1121 www.mipotato.com email: [email protected] March 15, 2007 To All Michigan Potato Growers & Shippers: The Michigan Potato Industry Commission, Michigan State University’s Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service are pleased to provide you with a copy of the results from the 2006 potato re- search projects. This report includes research projects funded by the Michigan Potato Industry Commission, the USDA Special Grant and special allocations by the Commission. Additionally, the Commission expresses appreciation to sup- pliers of products for research purposes and special grants to the Commission and researchers. Providing research funding and direction to principal investigators at MSU is a function of the Michigan Potato Industry Commission’s Research Committee. Best wishes for a prosperous 2007 season. Greg Iott, Chairman Pat DuRussel, Vice Chairman Duane Andersen Dennis Hanson Carl Kruger Mike Schena Brian Sackett Randy Styma Tim Young Ex Officios: Mitch Irwin, MDA Dr. Dave Douches, MSU Table of Contents Page INTRODUCTION AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 1 2006 POTATO BREEDING AND GENETICS RESEARCH REPORT 5 David S. Douches, J. Coombs, K. Zarka, S. Cooper, J. Driscoll, and E. Estelle 2006 POTATO VARIETY EVALUATIONS 14 D.S. Douches, J. Coombs, J. Driscoll, J. Estelle, K. Zarka, C. Long, R. Hammerschmidt and W. Kirk 2006 ON-FARM POTATO VARIETY TRIALS 45 Chris Long, Dr. Dave Douches, Fred Springborn (Montcalm), Dave Glenn (Presque Isle), Dr. Doo-Hong Min and Chris Kapp (Upper Peninsula) GENERAL PATHOLOGY REPORT FOR 2006 GROWING SEASON IN 63 MICHIGAN AND METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AT THE MUCK SOILS RESEARCH FARM, LAINGSBURG, MI; 2006. William Kirk PRE-PLANTING APPLICATION OF CHLOROPICRIN FOR CONTROL OF 67 COMMON SCAB IN POTATO, 2006. W. W. Kirk, C. Long, R. Schafer and D. Berry. EVALUATION OF NOVEL FUNGICIDE SEED TREATMENTS IN 68 COMBINATION WITH MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FOR THE CONTROL OF SEED-BORNE DISEASES OF POTATO. W. W. Kirk, Wharton, P. S., Schafer, R., and Tumbalam, P. EVALUATION OF FUNGICIDES FOR USE IN POTATO SEED PIECE 76 HEALTH MANAGEMENT. W. W. Kirk, Wharton, P. S., Schafer, R., and Tumbalam, P. SEED TREATMENTS AND SEED PLUS FOLIAR TREATMENTS FOR 81 CONTROL OF SEED- AND SOIL-BORNE RHIZOCTONIA, 2006. W. W. Kirk, R. L. Schafer, P. S. Wharton, P. Tumbalam and D. Berry. MANAGING RHIZOCTONIA DISEASES OF POTATO WITH OPTIMIZED 83 FUNGICIDE APPLICATIONS AND VARIETAL SUSCEPTIBILITY; RESULTS FROM THE 2006 FIELD EXPERIMENTS. Devan R. Berry, William W. Kirk, Phillip S. Wharton, Robert L. Schafer, and Pavani G. Tumbalam Page LATE BLIGHT RISK MANAGEMENT IN THE DIGITAL AGE. 95 W. W. Kirk, P. S. Wharton, L. Duynslager and K. M. Baker EFFECT OF DIFFERENT GENOTYPES OF PHYTOPHTHORA INFESTANS 102 AND TEMPERATURE ON TUBER DISEASE DEVELOPMENT. William Kirk, Gillian Young, Dave Douches, Ray Hammerschmidt, Pavani Tumbalam, Joe Coombs and Devan Berry EVALUATION OF FUNGICIDE PROGRAMS FOR POTATO BROWN SPOT 107 AND GREY MOLD CONTROL, 2006. W. W. Kirk, R. L Schafer, P. Tumbalam, D. Berry and P. Wharton. EVALUATION AND COMPARISON OF BIOFUNGICIDES AND 110 FUNGICIDES FOR THE CONTROL OF POST HARVEST POTATO TUBER DISEASES. W. W. Kirk, Wharton, P. S., Schafer, R., and Tumbalam, P. CONTROL OF POTATO TUBER DISEASES WITH HEADSUP, OXIDATE 115 AND PHOSTROL. W. W. Kirk, Wharton, P. S., Schafer, R., and Tumbalam, P. CONTROL OF SILVER SCURF WITH SERENADE AND COMMERCIAL 118 STORAGE PRODUCTS. 2005-06 W. W. Kirk, Wharton, P.S., Schafer, R., and Tumbalam, P. POTATO INSECT BIOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT 120 Adam M. Byrne, Walter L. Pett, Edward J. Grafius, and Beth A. Bishop MICHIGAN POTATO INDUSTRY COMMISSION 143 2006 BIRD NEMATOLOGY PROGRAM ANNUAL REPORT George W. Bird BIOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO NEMATODE MANAGEMENT IN 159 MICHIGAN AGRICULTURE: USE OF BIOFUMIGANTS IN POTATO SOILS H. Melakeberhan, S. Mennan and T. Dudek SUMMARY REPORT FOR THE 2005-2006 166 DR. B. F. (BURT) CARGILL POTATO DEMONSTRATION STORAGE Brian Sackett, Chris Long, Dick Crawford, Todd Forbush (Techmark, Inc.), Steve Crooks, Dennis Iott, Keith Tinsey, Tim Young, Jason Walther, Troy Sackett, Randy Styma and Ben Kudwa 2006 MICHIGAN POTATO RESEARCH REPORT C. M. Long, Coordinator INTRODUCTION AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The 2006 Potato Research Report contains reports of the many potato research projects conducted by MSU potato researchers at several locations. The 2006 report is the 38th volume, which has been prepared annually since 1969. This volume includes research projects funded by the Potato Special Federal Grant, the Michigan Potato Industry Commission (MPIC), GREEEN and numerous other sources. The principal source of funding for each project has been noted at the beginning of each report. We wish to acknowledge the excellent cooperation of the Michigan potato industry and the MPIC for their continued support of the MSU potato research program. We also want to acknowledge the significant impact that the funds from the Potato Special Federal Grant have had on the scope and magnitude of potato related research in Michigan. Many other contributions to MSU potato research have been made in the form of fertilizers, pesticides, seed, supplies and monetary grants. We also recognize the tremendous cooperation of individual producers who participate in the numerous on-farm projects. It is this dedicated support and cooperation that makes for a productive research program for the betterment of the Michigan potato industry. We further acknowledge the professionalism of the MPIC Research Committee. The Michigan potato industry should be proud of the dedication of this Committee and the keen interest they take in determining the needs and direction of Michigan's potato research. Special thanks go to Dick Crawford for the management of the MSU Montcalm Research Farm (MRF) and the many details which are a part of its operation. We also want to recognize Barb Smith and Esther Haviland at MPIC and Sheila Crooks for helping with the details of this final draft. WEATHER The overall 6-month average temperatures during the 2006 growing season were lower than the 6-month average for the 2005 season and were equal to the 15-year average (Table 1). There were eight recorded temperature readings of 90 °F or above in 2006. Four of these days occurred in late July and early August during potato bulking. Two nights in early August the average minimum temperature remained above 70 ºF. There were two days in May that the temperature was below 32 °F. There were 12 daytime lows, below 50 °F, during harvest in mid to late October. The average maximum temperatures for June, July and August of 2006 were above the 15-year average (Table 1). Rainfall for April through September was 20.31 inches (Table 2). Rainfall recorded during the months of May, July and September was above the 15-year average for the same months. Rainfall recorded during the month of July was the highest recorded for that month in 15 years. Irrigation at MRF was applied 12 times from June 13th to September 6th averaging 0.65 inches for each application. The total amount of irrigation water applied during this time period was 7.9 inches. 1 Table 1. The 15-year summary of average maximum and minimum temperatures (°F) during the growing season at the Montcalm Research Farm. 6-Month April May June July August September Average Year Max. Min. Max. Min. Max. Min. Max. Min. Max. Min. Max. Min. Max. Min. 1992 51 34 70 42 76 50 76 54 75 51 69 46 70 46 1993 54 33 68 45 74 55 81 61 79 60 64 46 70 50 1994 57 34 66 43 78 55 79 60 75 55 73 51 71 50 1995 51 31 66 45 81 57 82 60 82 65 70 45 72 51 1996 50 31 64 44 75 57 76 55 80 59 70 51 69 50 1997 54 31 59 39 79 56 80 57 73 55 69 50 69 48 1998 60 37 75 51 77 56 82 58 81 60 76 52 75 52 1999 59 37 71 48 77 55 84 62 76 56 73 48 73 51 2000 56 34 70 49 75 57 77 56 79 57 70 49 71 50 2001 61 37 70 49 78 57 83 58 72 70 69 48 72 53 2002 56 36 63 42 79 58 85 62 81 58 77 52 73 51 2003 56 33 64 44 77 52 81 58 82 58 72 48 72 49 2004 62 37 67 46 74 54 79 57 76 53 78 49 73 49 2005 62 36 65 41 82 60 82 58 81 58 77 51 75 51 2006 62 36 61 46 78 54 83 61 80 58 68 48 72 50 15-Year Average5734674577568158785872497250 Table 2. The 15-year summary of precipitation (inches per month) recorded during the growing season at the Montcalm Research Farm. Year April May June July August September Total 1992 3.07 0.47 1.18 3.51 3.20 3.90 15.33 1993 3.47 3.27 4.32 2.58 6.40 3.56 23.60 1994 3.84 2.63 6.04 5.16 8.05 1.18 26.90 1995 3.65 1.87 2.30 5.25 4.59 1.38 19.04 1996 2.46 3.99 6.28 3.39 3.69 2.96 22.77 1997 2.02 3.13 3.54 2.80 2.71 1.46 15.66 1998 2.40 2.21 1.82 0.40 2.22 3.05 12.10 1999 5.49 5.07 5.82 4.29 5.46 4.03 30.16 2000 3.18 6.46 4.50 3.79 5.28 5.25 28.46 2001 3.28 6.74 2.90 2.49 5.71 4.43 25.55 2002 2.88 4.16 3.28 3.62 7.12 1.59 22.65 2003 0.70 3.44 1.85 2.60 2.60 2.06 13.25 2004 1.79 8.18 3.13 1.72 1.99 0.32 17.13 2005 0.69 1.39 3.57 3.65 1.85 3.90 15.05 2006 2.73 4.45 2.18 5.55 2.25 3.15 20.31 15-Year Average 2.78 3.83 3.51 3.39 4.21 2.81 20.97 2 GROWING DEGREE DAYS Tables 3 and 4 summarize the cumulative growing degree days (GDD) for 2006.