Researchers to keynote Idaho spud conference

When Kasia Kinzer ran the North Dakota State University Plant Diagnostic Laboratory, she had the luxury of having two of the potato industry’s top plant pathologists at her disposal to help her identify especially challenging disease samples. Now, as co-organizer of the 49th Annual Idaho Potato Conference, Kinzer is again tapping the expertise of the pathologists — Neil Gudmestad and Gary Secor. The NDSU researchers will be among the keynote speakers at the Pocatello conference, scheduled for 8 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. Jan. 18 and 8 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Jan. 19 at Idaho State University’s Pond Student Union Building. In conjunction with the conference, an Idaho seed potato seminar is scheduled for Jan. 17, and Spectra Productions will host the 38th Annual Eastern Idaho Ag Expo, where agricultural equipment dealers and service suppliers will highlight their latest innovations, at ISU’s Holt Arena from Jan. 17 to 19. Kinzer said Gudmestad and Secor will address issues the industry has faced and may face in the future. Kinzer said the concurrent sessions will cover all aspects of potato production, pest and fertilizer management and other issues involved in producing a good crop. More