2016 Organic Production And IPM Guide For Potatoes

2016Organic Production and IPM Guide forPotatoesNYS IPM Publication No. 138Integrated Pest ManagementNew York StateDepartment ofAgriculture & Markets

Coordinating EditorAbby Seaman* (Cornell University, New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, New York State IPMProgram)Contributors and ResourcesGeorge Abawi (Cornell University, Section of Plant Pathology and Plant Microbe Biology, retired)Michael Glos (Kingbird Farm, Richford, NY)Beth Gugino (The Pennsylvania State University, Department of Plant Pathology)Don Halseth (Cornell University, Section of Horticulture, retired)Michael Helms* (Cornell University, Pesticide Management Education Program)Andy Leed (Starflower Farm, Candor NY)Margaret T. McGrath* (Cornell University, Section of Plant Pathology and Plant Microbe Biology)Charles L. Mohler (Cornell University, Section of Soil and Crop Sciences, retired)Brian Nault* (Cornell University, Department of Entomology)Anusuya Rangarajan (Cornell University Horticulture-SIPS, Vegetable Crop Production )Ward M. Tingey (Cornell University, Department of Entomology, Emeritus)Thomas A. Zitter (Cornell University, Section of Plant Pathology and Plant Microbe Biology, retired)*Pesticide Information and Regulatory ComplianceStaff WritersMary Kirkwyland and Elizabeth Thomas (CornellUniversity, NYSAES, New York State IPM Program)Editing for the 2016 updateMary Kirkwyland (Cornell University, NYSAES, New York State IPM Program)Special AppreciationFormat based on the Integrated Crop and Pest Management Guidelines for Commercial Vegetable Production(https://ipmguidelines.org/ Reference 1). Content Editors Stephen Reiners and Abby Seaman, with numerousdiscipline editorsFunded through a grant from the New York State Department of Agriculture and MarketsThe information in this guide reflects the current authors’ best effort to interpret a complex body of scientific research, and to translate this into practicalmanagement options. Following the guidance provided in this guide does not assure compliance with any applicable law, rule, regulation or standard, or theachievement of particular discharge levels from agricultural land.Every effort has been made to provide correct, complete, and up-to-date pest management information for New York State at the time this publication wasreleased for printing (June 2016). Changes in pesticide registrations and regulations, occurring after publication are available in county Cornell CooperativeExtension offices or from the Pesticide Management Education Program web site (http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu ). Trade names used herein are for convenienceonly. No endorsement of products in intended, nor is criticism of unnamed products implied.This guide is not a substitute for pesticide labeling. Always read the product label before applying any pesticide.Updates and additions to this guide are available at rganic-guides. Please submit comments orsuggested changes for these guides to organicguides@gmail.com.How to cite this publication: Seaman, Abby, editor (2016). Production Guide for Organic Potato. Publisher: New York StateIntegrated Pest Management Program, Cornell University (New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, Geneva, NY). 98pages.

ContentsINTRODUCTION . 11.General Organic Management Practices . 11.1 Organic Certification . 11.2 Organic System Plan . 11.3 Critical management strategies . 12. Soil Health . 23. Cover Crops . 23.1 Goals and Timing for Cover Crops . 23.2 Legume Cover Crops . 23.3 Non-legume Cover Crops . 33.4 Combining Legumes and Non-legumes . 33.5 Biofumigant Cover Crops . 34. Field Selection . 54.1 Certification Requirements. 54.2 Crop Rotation Plan . 64.3 Pest History . 84.4 Soil and Air Drainage. 85. Weed Management . 85.1 Record Keeping . 85.2 Weed Management Methods . 86. Recommended Varieties . 107. Planting Methods . 157.1 Seed Sources . 157.2 Seed Preparation and Handling . 157.3 Planting . 158. Crop & Soil Nutrient Management . 168.1 Fertility . 168.2 Preparing an Organic Nutrient Budget . 179. Moisture Management . 2010. Harvesting . 2110.1 Vine Killing . 2110.2 Early Maturity and Timely Harvest. . 2110.3 Post Harvest Sanitation . 2110.4 Curing and Storage . 2210.5 Sprout Suppressors . 2211. USING ORGANIC PESTICIDES. 23

11.1 Sprayer Calibration and Application . 2311.2 Regulatory Considerations. 2311.3 Pollinator Protection. 2411.4 Optimizing Pesticide Effectiveness . 2412. Disease Management . 2512.1 Bacterial Soft Rot, Erwinia spp. 2812.2 Fusarium Dry Rot Seed piece decay primarily Fusarium sambucinum, but also F. coeruleum and F.graminearum . 2912.3 Early Blight, primarily Alternaria solani . 3212.4 Late Blight, Phytophthora infestans . 3512.5 Verticillium Wilt, Verticillium albo-atrum and V. dahliae . 3912.6 Fusarium Wilt, F. oxysporum and F. solani . 3912.7 Black Dot Root Rot, Colletotrichum coccodes . 4012.8 Canker and Black Scurf, Rhizoctonia solani . 4112.9 Botrytis Vine Rot, Botrytis cinerea . 4312.10 White Mold, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum . 4512.11 Potato Common Scab, Streptomyces scabies and S. acidiscabies . 4812.12 Bacterial Ring Rot, Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. sepedonicus . 4912.13 Pink Rot, Phytophthora erythroseptica . 5012.14 Powdery Scab, Spongospora subterranean . 5212.15 Leak, Pythium spp. . 5312.16 Silver Scurf, Helminthosporium solani . 5512.17 Viruses of Potatoes . 5613. Nematode Management . 5913.1 Northern Root-Knot (Meloidogyne hapla) and Root-Lesion (Pratylenchus spp.). 5914. Nonpathogenic Disorders . 6115. Insect Management . 6215.1 Colorado Potato Beetle (CPB), Leptinotarsa decemlineata . 6415.2 Aphids, primarily the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae; Potato Aphid, Macrosiphum euphorbiae; MelonAphid, Aphis gossypii; Buckthorn Aphid, Aphidula rhamni; and Foxglove Aphid, Aulacorthum solani . 6915.3 Potato Leafhopper, Empoasca fabae . 7215.4 Flea Beetles, Epitrix cucumeris, Systena frontalis & other species. 7515.5 Subterranean and Surface Cutworms. 7715.6 Climbing Cutworm, primarily the variegated cutworm, Peridroma margaritosa . 7815.7 European Corn Borer (ECB), Ostrinia nubilalis. 8015.8 Wireworms. Primarily the Wheat Wireworm, Agriotes mancus; Eastern Field Wireworm, Limonius ectypus;and to a lesser extent, Corn Wireworm, Melanotus communis . 8315.9 Symphylan, Scutigerella immaculata. 84

15.10 Spider Mites, Tetranychus spp. 8515.11 Slugs and Snails . 8816. Pesticides and Abbreviations Mentioned in this Publication . 8917. References . 92

ORGANIC POTATO PRODUCTIONOrganic Farming Development/Assistance web page (Reference11). See more certification details under Section 4.1: Field Selection:Certification Requirements and Section 11: Using Organic Pesticides.INTRODUCTIONHThis guide for organic production of potatoes provides anoutline of cultural and pest management practices andincludes topics that have an impact on improving planthealth and reducing pest problems. It is divided intosections, but the interrelated quality of organic cropping systemsmakes each section relevant to the others.1.2 Organic System PlanAn organic system plan (OSP) is central to the certification process.The OSP describes production, handling, and record-keepingsystems, and demonstrates to certifiers an understanding of organicpractices for a specific crop. The process of developing the plan canbe very valuable in terms of anticipating potential issues andchallenges, and fosters thinking of the farm as a whole system. Soil,nutrient, pest, and weed management are all interrelated on organicfarms and must be managed in concert for success. Certifyingorganizations may be able to provide a template for the farm plan.The following description of the organic system plan is from theUSDA National Organic Program Handbook:This guide attempts to compile the most current informationavailable, but acknowledges that effective means of control are notavailable for some pests. More research on growing cropsorganically is needed, especially in the area of pest management.Future revisions will incorporate new information providing organicgrowers with a complete set of useful practices to help them achievesuccess.This guide uses the term Integrated Pest Management (IPM), whichlike organic production, emphasizes cultural, biological, andmechanical practices to minimize pest outbreaks. With limited pestcontrol products available for use in many organic productionsystems, an integrated approach to pest management is essential.IPM techniques such as identifying and assessing pest populations,keeping accurate pest history records, selecting the proper site, andpreventing pest outbreaks through use of crop rotation, resistantvarieties and biological controls are important to producing a highquality crop.“A plan of management of an organic production orhandling operation that has been agreed to by theproducer or handler and the certifying agent and thatincludes written plans concerning all aspects ofagricultural production or handling described in theOrganic Food Production Act of 1990 and theregulations in Subpart C, Organic Production andHandling Requirements.”The National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service, (formerlyATTRA), has produced a Guide for Organic Crop Producers thatincludes a chapter on writing the organic system plan. The RodaleInstitute has also developed resources for transitioning to organicand developing an organic system plan.1.GENERAL ORGANIC MANAGEMENT PRACTICES1.1 Organic CertificationTo use a certified organic label, farming operations grossing morethan 5,000 per year in organic products must be certified by a U.S.Department of Agriculture National Organic Program (NOP)accredited certifying agency. The choice of certifier may be dictatedby the processor or by the target market. A list of accreditedcertifiers (Reference 10) operating in New York can be found onthe New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets1.3 Critical management strategiesWhile this guide contains many management strategies for organicpotato production, Table 1.3.1, based on recommendations from asuccessful organic potato grower, summarizes those that arecritically important.Table 1.3.1 Critical management considerationsChallengeConsiderationsPlanting datePlant too early and potatoes rot or get frosted; plant too late and the risk of late blight and insufficienttime to mature can severely affect yield. Take advantage of the good 3 week planting window that usuallybegins and ends in May. See Section 7: Planting methods.This is very important. Poor weed control can severely decrease yields, increase disease by preventingairflow, and interfere with harvest by clogging harvest equipment. Weeds impede hand harvesting aswell. Multiple well-timed cultivations with hilling can be very effective even when previous cultural controlwas poor. Be ready to cultivate when the weather permits and crop and weed timing dictate. See Section5: Weed management.The most troublesome insects are the Colorado potato beetle (CPB) and the potato leafhopper (PLH). ForCPB, very effective results are achieved on a small scale by picking adults and on a larger scale with 1-2sprays of Entrust at the early larval stages (See Section 15.1). Damage inflicted by PLH is very varietydepen

This guide uses the term Integrated Pest Management (IPM), which like organic production, emphasizes cultural, biological, and mechanical practices to minimize pest outbreaks. With limited pest control products available for use in many organic production systems, an integrated approach to pest management is essential.