CARIBOU, Maine – The University of Maine Cooperative Extension will host the 2007 Maine Potato Conference Jan. 24-25 at the Caribou Inn and Convention Center. Registration at the door is $7 per day, or $12 for both days; no pre-registration is necessary.
The conference will feature presentations on insect, disease and weed pests. Speakers from the USDA, the Maine Potato Board, McCain Foods, and specialists from the University of Maine Cooperative Extension and other universities will present sessions on potato agronomy, varieties, food safety and other timely topics, with a particular focus on potato storage management to produce a quality product.
Credits will be available for those holding a valid pesticide applicator license or CCA license.
Registration includes entrance to the trade fair sponsored by the Young Farmers Organization. More than two dozen exhibitors will be displaying the latest in storage technology, agricultural chemistry, machinery, crop insurance, and more.
The complete conference schedule is as follows:
Wednesday, Jan. 24
Morning moderator: Scott Keirstead, President, ACEA
8:30 a.m. Welcome
8:40 a.m.Update on PCN/GN from a Regulatory perspective. Terry Bourgoin, Export Certification Specialist, USDA-APHIS
9 a.m. Update on PCN/GN from an Industry Perspective. Don Flannery, Executive Director, MPB
9:20 a.m. Pink Rot Fungicide Options. Erica Fitzpatrick, Agronomist, McCain Foods USA
9:40 a.m. Colorado Potato Beetle Resistance Management. James Dwyer, Crops Specialist, UMCE
10 a.m. Uptake of Nitrogen by Potatoes. Dr. Peter Sexton, Crops Specialist, UMCE
10:20 a.m. Break
10:50a.m. Pine Land Farms Natural Meats, Where are we Heading? Kristi White, Feedlot Manager, Pine Land Farms Natural Meats
11:10 a.m.One Pass Hilling Versus Conventional Hilling. Gilles Moreau, Agronomist, McCain Foods Canada
11:30 a.m. Potato Jeopardy – An Interactive and Participatory Game. Dr. Steven B. Johnson, Crops Specialist, UMCE
11:50 a.m. Adjourn for Lunch – ON YOUR OWN
Afternoon moderator: Dr. Jim Dill, Pest Management Specialist, UMCE
1 p.m. Trends and Changes in the Populations of Potato-Colonizing Aphids in Maine. Dr. Andrei Alyokhin, Professor of Applied Entomology, MAFES
1:20 p.m. Food Safety Issues Now and Thoughts for the Future. Dr. Beth Calder, Extension Food Science Specialist, UMCE
1:40 p.m. Food Safety Requirements for 2007. Leigh Morrow, Dir. of Agron., McCain Foods
2 p.m. Effect of In-Season Stress on Sugars. Dr. Joe Sowokinos, Post Harvest Physiologist, University of Minnesota
2:20 p.m. Break
2:50 p.m. Managing Sugar Concentration in Storage. Dr. Joe Sowokinos, Post Harvest Physiologist, University of Minnesota
3:10 p.m. Sugar Testing and Potato Processing Quality in Maine. Dr. Gregory Porter, Professor of Agronomy, UM
3:30 p.m. Managing for Quality French Fry Potatoes out of Long-Term Storage. John Walsh, Potato Storage Specialist, McCain Foods Canada
3:50 p.m. Update on the Research Storage Projects. Steve Belyea, Storage Engineer, PMIF, MDFARR
4:10 p.m. Wrap up
4:20 p.m. Adjourn
Thursday, Jan. 25
Morning moderator: Brian Edgecomb, President, CAYF
8:30 a.m. Welcome
8:40 a.m. Environmental Factors Influencing Hollow Heart Incidence. Dr. Peter Sexton, Crops Specialist, UMCE
9 a.m. Late Blight Management Options for 2007. Dr. Steven B. Johnson, Crops Specialist, UMCE
9:20 a.m. Potato Disease Issues. Dr. Dave Lambert, Assoc. Professor of Plant Pathology, University of Maine
9:40 a.m. Options for Reducing Erosion and Phosphorus Losses in Potato Systems. Dr. Tim Griffin, Agronomist, USDA-ARS
10 a.m. Fundamentals of Weed Management: Herbicide Rotation, Timing, and Problematic Weeds. Dr. John Jemison, Agronomy Specialist, UMCE
10:20 a.m. Break
10:50 a.m.Efficacy and Economics of New Fungicides for Control of Early Blight. Gilles Moreau, Agronomist, McCain Foods Canada
11:10 a.m. Potential Electricity Savings in Potato Storages. Steve Belyea, Storage Engineer, PMIF, MDFARR
11:30 a.m. Survey Results of a Potato Preference Project: Implications for the Tablestock Industry. Dr. John Jemison, Agronomy Specialist, UMCE
11:50 a.m. Adjourn for Lunch – ON YOUR OWN
Afternoon Moderator: Randy Smith, Superintendent, Aroostook Farm
1 p.m. New Potato Varieties: Why and What Should I Grow? Dr. Zenaida Ganga, Potato Breeder, UMaine
1:20 p.m. Using Rotation Strategies to Enhance Soil Conservation in Potato Production. Matt Williams, Educator, UMCE
1:40 p.m. Update from the MPB. Don Flannery, Executive Director, MPB
2 p.m. Break
2:30 p.m. Biology and Management of White Mold in Aroostook County. Andrew Plant, IPM Professional, UMCE
2:50 p.m. Pest Dynamic Changes. James Dwyer, Crops Specialist, UMCE
3:10 p.m. 2006 Florida Test Results. Bob Batteese, Director of Plant Industry, MDAF&RR
3:30 p.m. Wrap up
3:40 p.m. Adjourn
For more information, contact Pamela Hickey at 207-764-3361 or phickey@umext.maine.edu.
