David Curwen

Russet Burbank rooting in sandy soils with pans following deep plowing

A dense, 5 cm plow pan is commonly found on Plainfield loamy sands in Wisconsin. Measurements have shown that when potatoes are grown on these soils, little root growth exists below the plow layer. To determine if rooting below the plow layer is restricted by the plow pan, soil was plowed with a moldboard “breaker” plow to 40 cm, 12 cm below the plow pan. No significant increase in the root density below the conventional plow layer resulted from destroying the pan.ResumenEn Suelos franco-arenosos de Plainfield, Wisconsin, se forma comunmente un pan denso de 5 cm de grosor. De acuerdo a datos tornados cuando las papas son cultivades en esos suelos, se he encontrado que hay un crecimiento muy reducido de raíces debajo de la capa arable. Para determinar si el enraizamiento bajo la capa arable es restringido por la presencia del pan, el suelo fue arado profundamente con un arado subsolador a 40 cm; alcanzando hasta 12 cm bajo el pan. No se encontró aumento significativo en densidad de raices debajo de la capa arable que pudiera atribuirse a la destructión del pan.

Environmental fate studies of aldicarb and aldoxycarb applications to Wisconsin potatoes

Abstract Aldicarb and aldoxycarb pesticides were applied to potato fields in central Wisconsin to study the degradation and movement of their carbamate residues within the soil profile. Aldicarb and aldoxycarb residues degraded at similar rates with half-lives ranging from 0.9 to 1.4 months. Although unsaturated-zone residue measurements indicated relatively minor differences among the three plots, residues were detected in shallow groundwater beneath plots treated with aldicarb or aldoxycarb at planting. Residues beneath the plot treated with aldicarb at emergence were much lower and the timing of these residues suggests they might have resulted from migration of residues from the plot treated with aldicarb at planting. This study confirms the results of previous and concurrent research programs which suggest that emergence applications of aldicarb reduce the potential for residues to enter shallow groundwater without reducing insect control or potato yields.

The Potato Association of America 78th Annual Meeting Calgary, Alberta, Canada

The Executive Commit tee meet ing was called to order by President Richard Tarn who greeted and welcomed the group to Calgary and the 78th Annual Meeting of PAA. Tarn indicated that Directors Banville and Jansky were unable to at tend this year s meet ing and that Editor-In-Chief Murphy , APJ Business M a n a g e r K n i g h t a n d M e m b e r s h i p S e c r e t a r y Paradis would not be in at tendance. President Tarn then called for any additions to the agenda and there were none.

The Potato Association of America 75th Annual Meeting Spokane, Washington, U.S.A.

NOTE: These minutes make references to several reports. Complete versions of most of these reports can be found elsewhere in this issue of APJ. President Latter called the meeting to order and welcomed all to Spokane. He then called for any additions to the agenda. There were none. However, Murphy asked those assembled to sign a card of condolence to Geddes Simpson whose wife had recently died. Geddes Simpson was the long time editor of APJ. President Lauer then asked for any additions or corrections to the minutes of the 1990 Executive Committee meeting as published in APJ 67:875-822. There were none.