06/21/06 Late blight confirmed; Palouse field day

The first case of potato late blight has been confirmed this season in the Columbia Basin. Reporting on the Late Blight Hotline, Washington State University's Dennis Johnson says the disease has been found in a field of Rangers southeast of Eltopia and he says late blight is expected to show up in additional fields in the next week or so due to the recent wet weather. Johnson: "Fields with late blight should be on a five to seven day fungicide application schedule. Sprinkler irrigated fields without late blight in the Basin should be treated with a late blight protectant fungicide on a seven-day schedule through the 15th of July. Rill irrigated fields near an infection source should be treated with a fungicide." For complete late blight management recommendations call the Hotline at 800-984-7400. Research highlighting the connections between climate change, greenhouse gas emissions and agriculture will be highlighted tomorrow, June 22nd, at the Palouse Conservation Farm Field Day. The Palouse Conservation Field Station is 1 1/2 miles north of Pullman off Highway 27, west on Albion Road. Field tours begin at 8 a.m. Robert Papendick, retired USDA-ARS scientist, will be recognized during a hosted lunch at noon. I'm Bob Hoff.