10-16 FB Ring Rot

 Potato Growers: Take Aggressive Action to Control Bacterial Ring Rot Flare-up 

College of Agricultural and Life Sciences potato experts at the University of Idaho are reviving a task force to help growers address a flare-up of bacterial ring rot disease. Phillip Nolte, a University of Idaho Extension seed potato specialist at Idaho Falls, said the disease is reaching levels not seen in a decade. Mainly a threat to the appearance and storage of potatoes, bacterial ring rot is not associated with any human health concerns.

Nolte said “It’s a cyclic thing. We last saw problems with it in 2002, and there was an earlier flare up in the mid-1990s. Growers then controlled the disease and largely eliminated it by stepping up their sanitation practices while cutting seed during spring planting and thoroughly cleaning and disinfecting all equipment and storages between crops. The same practices will control the current outbreak. The cyclic nature of bacterial ring rot’s appearance has much to do with relaxed vigilance by both seed potato producers and commercial growers"

Early monitoring shows that infection rates are heavy in some fields, but more monitoring is needed to determine the regional impact. Harvest will provide the most detailed information on the extent of the disease.