North American Potato Late
Blight
On-line Workshop
February 14 - April 18, 1997
Reader Introductions
Ed. Note: These are the introductions from the participants of the On-line Late Blight Workshop who chose to introduce themselves, in alphabetical order. We have provided E-mail links where they were provided. We have also provided Web site links where they were provided; these links were last checked on May 28, 1997.
The original instructions to participants is next, followed by the actual list of participants:
Introduce Yourself
If this is your first visit to the workshop, take
a minute to introduce yourself and tell
us a little about your interest in late blight.
David Anderson - 01:24am Mar 12, 1997
Hi; David Anderson, Produce Farmer/Direct Farm Marketer. 40
acres farmland, 20 acres potatoes (16 acres Yukon Gold,3 acres
Burbank Russet and 1 acre Pontiac) Abbotsford, Fraser Valley, BC.
Ca. where it's always wet in between 60 day summer droughts which
occur at random intervals anywhere in the growing season
(April-September). Using sub-irrigation, we found out many years
ago that sprinkler irrigation compromised blight control and left
a "taste" in the potatoes, Water table is set at
16" below surface of "Heavy Muck" soil over a blue
clay subsoil.
Didier Andrivon - 08:05am Feb 25, 1997
Hello! I'm Didier Andrivon, and I work on LB at the French
Institute for Agricultural Research in Rennes, Brittany, western
France. I couldn't attend the workshop, so I'm just taking
advantage of online communication to learn a bit more about the
disease, particularly in the North American context. Acting as
Secretary of the French Phytopathological Society (SFP), I'm
(infrequently) maintaining the Society's Web site, and I'm eager
to see what can be done in this respect. If you feel like paying
us a visit, the English speaking pages of SFP are at http://www.rennes.inra.fr/sfp/texte/acceng.html. This site is in urgent need of updating, but...
Cheers!
Gini Arment - 03:02pm Feb 21, 1997
Hi. I'm Gini Arment. I want to learn as much as I can about
late blight and the impact it has on the potato industry.
Cynthia L. Ash - 08:29am Feb 17, 1997
Hello, I'm Cindy Ash, Director of
Scientific Services for APS and one of the moderators of this
online event. I'm looking forward to your participation in this
continuing discussion on late blight. Please let me know what you
think about this online event.. Enjoy.
Richard Belanger - 03:43pm Feb 25, 1997
Richard Bélanger-Laval University, Québec, Canada. Hello! I
am a plant pathologist in Quebec City and I have been asked to
give a presentation on potato late blight as part of the
activities surrounding the 150th anniversary of the potato
famine. This presentation is scheduled for July 12 and will take
place in Grosse-Ile where all the Irish immigrants fleeing the
famine were sent for quarantine upon arriving in Canada. Is there
anyone that could share some historical facts, pictures, slides,
etc. that could be helpful for my presentation? Thanks in
advance. My e-mail: richard.belanger@plg.ulaval.ca
Dave Bell - 07:11pm Feb 18, 1997
Dave Bell. I'm a field representative for United Agri
Products in New Brunswick Canada. My E-mail address is dbell@uap.ca
Terry Bourgoin - 04:53pm Feb 24, 1997
Hi! I'm Terry Bourgoin, Director of the Division of Plant
Industry in Maine. I wear two hats - I am in charge of seed
potato certification and am also responsible for plant regulatory
matters. I attended the meeting in Tucson and was a workshop
facilitator. I'm anxious to see everyone's input and thoughts
about late blight management and what role seed certification
should play in that regard.
Stephan Briere - 10:43am Mar 8, 1997
Hello, I'm Stephan Briere. I am a diagnostic/research plant
pathologist with the Land pavilion at Epcot, Walt Disney World in
Florida. My main interests in the online late blight workshop are
to stay current with the latest work on identification techniques
and on the biology and epidemiology of P. infestans. Looks
great!
Jenny Broome - 12:44pm Apr 8, 1997
Hi, out here in California there is a collaborative project
between the University of California and the Department of
Pesticide Regulation called PestCast. The project involves
setting up a statewide weather station network to support plant
disease model development, validation and implementation. As part
of that project I am setting up an on-line disease model database
and currently we have 13 late blight models for use in disease
management in tomatoes and potatoes for California. I would be
interested to hear from anyone who has worked with particular
models. In particular, on tomatoes there is a lot of interest in
evaluating Ullrich-Schrodter; Winstel; Bugiani, Cavanni, and
Ponti; Hansen (combination of Ullrich-Schrodter and Fry) and
Wisdom/Tomcast. Call 916-324-4279 or send E-mail at jbroome@cdpr.ca.gov.
Bill Brown - 12:00pm Feb 17, 1997
Hi! I am Bill Brown at Colorado State University. I was
fortunate to have the opportunity to organize the Tucson part of
the North American Potato Late Blight Workshop. Like any program
of this scope many people did a lot of work. I would especially
like to thank Gary Franc (University of Wyoming) and Rich Zink
(Colorado State University) for helping select the speakers and
pull the program format together. They ended up doing double
duty-planning and then speaking. Also a program of this type
places a heavy load on staff and Shari Brian is to be commended
for the work she did in all areas of airline arrangements,
contacts with many people and the preparation of the workshop
workbook that forms the primary format of this continued and
expanded discussion. Shari also did an outstanding job taking
care of participants as they arrived and making everyone feel
welcome. Late blight is undoubtedly one of, if not the, most
import plant disease in North America. We hope that through this
unique opportunity in including all those who have questions
and/or something to contribute, that we will truly be able to set
the agenda for late blight research and education for the future.
Thank you for participating.
LeRoy Cayce - 04:46pm Apr 8, 1997
LeRoy Cayce central Wisconsin, fresh market and contract
grower always looking for information on late blight. has been a
costly problem for growers. hoping someone finds the magic wand
to make it all go away. until then, we must stay informed. kcclan@uniontel.net
Stephen Colbert - 12:12pm Feb 28, 1997
Griffin Corporation
Hi, I'm Stephen Colbert. I'm the Technical Rep for Griffin
Corporation in the Western United States. I am interested in
fungicide research for late blight and can be reached at steve.colbert@griffincorp.com to discuss use of protectant fungicides esp.
triphenyltin hydroxide, copper hydroxide, and EBDCs.
Leontine Colon - 07:25am Apr 15, 1997
Greetings from Wageningen, the Netherlands! I'm Leontine
Colon, research scientist at the DLO-Centre for Plant Breeding
and Reproduction Research (CPRO-DLO, PO Box 16, 6700 AA
Wageningen, the Netherlands; homepage: http://www.bib.wau.nl/cpro/). Late blight has been a problem here since 1845, and
is still the main potato disease in the Netherlands. In our
institute we have a group of 12 people working on host plant
(potato) resistance to late blight. We are interested in durable
resistance, screening wild germplasm and mapping the genes found
there, transposon tagging the R1 gene, the interaction between
earliness and resistance, histology and cytology of resistance
and the relationship between resistance and fungicide
requirement. In the Netherlands, we enjoy frequent interactions
among late blight workers in a discussion group where 8 Dutch
Agricultural Research Centres and most Dutch potato breeding
companies are represented. My E-mail address is L.T.Colon@CPRO.DLO.NL It's good to see so much interest in late blight work
overseas; I hope to hear more about it at the PAA meeting in
Charlottetown next August!
Tara Dubey - 06:07pm Mar 11, 1997
Hi I am Tara Dubey working on Late Blight of Potato with Dr.
Walter Stevenson at UW Madison. My present interest is to see the
effect of fungicides on % germination of fungal sporangia (US#8)
when passing through a soil column under the influence of
simulated rain waters. I would like to know more about
quantification of sporangia in lab and in natural soils. My @mail
address is: TDB@plantpath.wisc.edu<
Tim Eyrich - 09:10pm Mar 8, 1997
Hello my name is Tim Eyrich. I am an Agronomist for Diamond
Hill Farms in Alliance Nebraska. I attended the meeting in Tucson
and want to keep updated on the research priorities outlined at
the meeting. My E-mail address is eyrfam@btigate.com
Robert L. Forster - 11:00am Feb 25, 1997
Hello! I'm Bob Forster. I am a Professor of Plant Pathology
at the University of Idaho Research and Extension Center in
Kimberly, ID and have research and extension responsibilities in
diseases of field crops, primarily cereals, beans, and corn.
Although I don't have formal responsibility for potatoes, all of
us became involved when late blight occurred in the nation's
leading potato state in 1995. I look forward to the discussions
and expect to learn much from this symposium. I invite you to
visit the Idaho Plant Disease Reporter homepage at: http://www.uidaho.edu/ag/plantdisease/.
Gary D. Franc - 04:15pm Feb 19, 1997
Hi, Gary Franc here. I have extension and research plant
pathology responsibilities for Wyoming. I enjoy working on a
range of crops, but, potatoes are my life. I prepared a review
paper on "cultural management practices for late
blight" and this article is included in the late blight
online workshop. My e-mail address is francg@uwyo.edu. Have fun surfing!
Eric Fredrickson - 09:12am Mar 12, 1997
Greetings from Edmore, the potato capital of Michigan. I'm
Eric Fredrickson, and I grow 80 acres of chip potatoes on 300
acres of sandy-loam soil, using overhead irrigation. In 1996, we
began our weekly fungicide spray program in early July and
finished in late September. Late Blight is a very serious problem
in our area.
Blair Geisel - 07:59am Feb 18, 1997
I am Blair Geisel, a private consultant contracting research
in potato production in Manitoba, Canada. I conduct several
fungicide efficacy trials for pesticide manufacturers and I am
also involved in late blight education and extension programs for
potato growers.
Bob Hyra - 10:29am Mar 17, 1997
Hello, my name is Bob Hyra, Manager Potato Technical Sevices
for Midwest Food Products Inc. in Carberry, Manitoba, Canada. We
contract Shepody and Russet Burbank Potatoes with over 100
producers in Manitoba. Late Blight was a serious concern for all
potato producers in our province in the 1996 crop year.
Diane Karasevicz - 01:34pm Feb 25, 1997
Cornell Univ. Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab
Hi! I am the plant disease diagnostician at the diagnostic lab
here at Cornell University. For the past couple of years, the
diagnostic lab has handled late blight samples submitted from
both commercial operations and home gardens. We have used
cellulose acetate electrophoresis to determine banding patterns,
thus genotypes.
We are also trying to come up with ways to educate the public about late blight. I can't wait to see the new classroom video available through APS Press. I am just completing a basic information poster (black and white lettering, with a few color photocopy pictures) for county extension office use. The lab has a black and white fact sheet for home gardeners. A home gardener pamphlet has also been produced with IPM funding.
Willie Kirk - 12:14pm Feb 17, 1997
Willie Kirk here. I am discussion leader for the chemical
page. I am the project leader for potato late blight at Michigan
State University. My email is kirkw@pilot.msu.edu and our late blight home page is http://lateblight.bpp.msu.edu. Recommendations from the breakout session will also be
posted over the next few days.
Rob Larose - 11:58am Apr 4, 1997
Hello, my name is Rob Larose and I am currently looking to
register our product called ZeroTol for use as a general
disinfectant for potato storage and post harvest treatment. We
are very interested in working with researchers to look at the
efficacy of using ZeroTol for field production. ZeroTol uses a
acidified peroxigen formulation that has been shown to kill on
contact both the vegetative form of late blight but more
importantly, the spores as well. I can be reached at
(609)714-1628 or larassoc@skyhigh.com
Gary D. Lyon - 11:29am Feb 28, 1997
I'm a plant pathologist at the Scottish Crop Research
Institute, Dundee, Scotland. I have had a long interest in
resistance mechanisms and would like to use this opportunity to
inform others of a new web page I have recently set up at: http://www.scri.sari.ac.uk/bpp/charttxt.htm The text is not important (!) but the page provides a
link to a chart showing the "Metabolic pathways of the
diseased potato". The chart is available as a pdf file which
can be read using Adobe Acrobat Reader. It is my intention to
up-date the chart as new information becomes available. I hope
people will make some use of it as it took a while to draw !
Arthur Mason - 09:26am Feb 18, 1997
Greetings, I am Art Mason, Minnesota State Entomologist, MN
Department of Agriculture. I am responsible for keeping the State
policy makers informed of insect and disease situations in the
State or threatening to the State. I am more comfortable with the
regulatory aspects of plant protection than other areas.
Donald E. Mathre - 02:19pm Feb 19, 1997
Hi, I'm Don Mathre. I was involved in helping to set up the
Karnal bunt electronic symposium so I'm just checking in to see
how things are going for late blight. Being from Montana where
late blight was just discovered two years ago, I'm interested in
the new information coming out. Also, I'm giving a lecture
tomorrow in my intro plant path class on late blight so I needed
to get the latest information on forecasting systems and the
papers in this symposium were quite helpful.
Richard Michell - 07:49am Apr 16, 1997
Hi! I've been working in the northern Virginia area as a
plant pathologist and nematologist with the USEPA Office of
Pesticides Program for the past 26 years. Have been involved in
reviewing the initial and some of the "me too" potato
and tomato late blight Section 18 (Emergency Exemption) requests.
Am interested in receiving comparative performance information on
any of the late blight fungicides. Would also like to receive
documents that indicate which states have validated the existence
of metalaxyl-resistant (insensitive) potato late blight strains
in grower fields. [E-Mail address = MICHELL.RICHARD@EPAMAIL.EPA.GOV; FAX = (703)308-8151; OFFICE = (703)308-8119]
Hubert O'Neal - 04:47pm Mar 7, 1997
Hello. My name is Hubert R. O'Neal. I am Technical Director
for Agtrol Chemical Products in Houston, TX. I am interested in
Potato Late Blight research and the utilization of protectant
fungicides such as copper hydroxide and EBDCs for control of the
disease. If you wish to correspond with me, my E-mail address is hubert@agtrol.com. Have a great day.
Steve Pechous - 07:03pm Feb 25, 1997
Hi everyone! I am a graduate student in the Plant Physiology
Dept. at Penn State. My area of interest is the biochemistry and
molecular biology of potato tuber responses to late blight
infection. In particular, I wish to investigate the role(s) of
tuber lipoxygenase in mediation of the hypersensitive response to
late blight. I look forward to learning a great deal more about
the disease, as I am just beginning my thesis research. My email
address is swp108@psu.edu.
Bud Platt - 01:58pm Mar 3, 1997
Hi I'm H.W. (Bud) Platt with Agriculture and Agri-Food
Canada, Charlottetown Research Centre at Box 1210, 440 University
Ave., Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada C1A 7M8 [Tel:
902-566-6839; Fax: 902-566-6821; E-mail: PlattH@em.agr.ca]. I am also involved with moderating the Biology
Section of this Electronic Workshop. At CRC, we are involved with
investigations on: pathogen population dynamics; epidemiology;
control with fungicides; host resistance; etc. We are also
hosting the 81st annual meeting of The Potato Association of
America, August 3-7, 1997 in Charlottetown, PEI which has as its
theme "Link to the Future" and a Pathology section
symposium on "Land, Crop and Industry Health Beyond the Year
2000". We are expecting 400-500 potato researchers from
around the world and invite everyone to also visit our various
tourism sites including the world's longest single-span bridge
over salt water which will open in June and 'link' P.E.I. to the
North American continent. As the 'Island' hosts more than 750,000
tourists during the summer, we encourage everyone to register
early (1-800-394-6928 in N. America or fax: 902-892-9451).
Fred Powledge - 05:37pm Mar 3, 1997
I'm Fred Powledge, a writer on agricultural and environmental
subjects. I live in St. Mary's County, Maryland, known more for
its crab and oyster production than for its potatoes, but I just
returned from a month at the International Potato Center in Peru,
where I've been gathering material about P. infestans, as
well as potato IPM, Andean root and tuber crops, and allied
subjects. My particular interests are the work of the
international ag research centers (for which I do consulting as a
science writer) and developing-country food and environmental
issues. My eighteenth book, about agriculture and environment, is
in the works. The workshop has been a gold mine of helpful
information.
Olaf Ribeiro - 11:20am Mar 6, 1997
Hi! My name is Olaf Ribeiro. I wrote the book "A
Sourcebook of the Genus Phytophthora" in 1978 (478 pages). I
have received mail from ag scientists in approx. 70 countries
with questions about Phytophthora. As a result I
co-authored a book on Phytophthora Diseases Worldwide with D.C.
Erwin, Prof. Emeritus, Univ. California, Riverside. Published by
APS Press (592 pages, 4500+ refs.) This book contains extensive
information on Potato Late Blight breeding for host resistance,
genetics of P. infestans, chemical control strategies,
etc. It also contains a complete updated description of each
species in the genus Phytophthora as well as its worldwide
distribution. My interest with Phytophthora covers some 30
years worldwide. My doctoral dissertation was on the genetics of
pathogenicity of P. infestans. Presently my diagnostic lab
runs potato samples from throughout the Pacific NW and California
to check for the A2 type. I also consult throughout the U.S. and
overseas on plant disease problems. My lab is located on
Bainbridge Island, WA. My e-mail address is Fungispore@AOL.com
Nancy S. H. Richwine - 10:04am Feb 26, 1997
Greetings from Pennsylvania. I'm one of several plant
pathologists with the PA Dept. of Agriculture in Harrisburg. Our
Late Blight Task Force is composed of industry, research,
extension and regulatory members who work together to avoid crop
loss in PA due to late blight. My part is to coordinate our
information network so that timely news of disease presence,
environmental monitoring, and disease forecasting specifics can
be compiled into a recorded message available through a 1-800
hotline. My other hats include nematologist and disease survey
coordinator. I'm finding this on-line symposium incredibly
useful, not only for the technical details shared by those most
experienced with the topic, but also for wonderful way it
facilitates communication among us.
Kent P. Sather - 12:25pm Apr 17, 1997
Greetings! I am Kent Sather, Assistant Manager of Potato
Certification Association of Nebraska. I am also a cyberspace
freshman. My newly assigned E-mail address is ksather@unlvm.unl.edu. As an inspector, I'm constantly on the watch for Late
Blight: in field, bin and shipping point inspections. It gets
more difficult to dodge the spray rigs! The Tucson workshop was
well done, and I have only one day left to glean more information
on-line...Thanks for the opportunity.
Howard F. Schwartz - 12:02pm Feb 25, 1997
Hello, I am Howard Schwartz, plant pathology professor at
Colorado State University. My research and extension interests
have dealt with fungal and bacterial pathogens of dry beans and
onions, with emphasis upon disease forecasting and integrated
pest management. Recently we became involved with other
colleagues on the potato late blight outbreak which occurred in a
few fields in northeastern Colorado. We are interested in
technology transfer whereby we can share environmental data,
weather forecasts, pathogen and crop biology, and timely pest
management strategies with our growers and agribusiness personnel
via internet, Data Transmission Network (DTN), and other
communication links including fax, telephone hotline.
Linnea G. Skoglund - 12:04pm Feb 19, 1997
Hi. I'm Linnea Skoglund at Colorado State University. I run
the plant diagnostic clinic and conduct research. I worked on LB
in Latin America and Africa for several years with CIP.
Nancy J. Taylor - 11:39am Mar 10, 1997
Hello from Ohio. I am Nancy Taylor, diagnostician for the C.
Wayne Ellett Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic. I am a generalist,
and do not work specifically on potatoes or Phytophthora.
My interest is in diagnostics.
WILLY VALDIVIA - 09:10pm Mar 17, 1997
Hello, I am Willy Valdivia Granda Associated Researcher from
Peruvian Institute of Nuclear Energy. I am interested in obtain
resistance to Late Blight using mutants plants and in vitro
systems. Actually I am in the United States with the [objective]
to contact similar [crop] improvement staffs. My E-mail valdivia@worldnet.att.net my fax number 1(914)632-7138
Antoine Vella - 07:24pm Apr 16, 1997
Hello, my name is Antoine Vella and I'm a lecturer in Plant
Diseases and Crop Protection at the University of Malta. I'm
interested in Late Blight because it is the main disease
(together with Blackleg - Erwinia carotovora )of
winter-crop potatoes which are, in turn, the principal
agricultural export of Malta. I am looking for information about
resistant or tolerant varieties of potato plants that are also
able to withstand draught. I am also trying to construct a
forecasting model for Blight based on weather recordings and
would like to hear from anybody who has experience in this kind
of project. My e-mail address is andrvell@keyworld.mt
© Copyright 1997 by the American Phytopathological Society