Potato early dying complex, caused by the fungal pathogen Verticillium dahliae and Pratylenchus root lesion nematodes, is an economically important disease of potato in the United States. Symptoms include unilateral wilting, chorosis and necrosis of leaves, and brown vascular discoloration of stems, resulting decreased tuber yield and quality. Traditional management of Verticillium wilt and nematodes in potatoes has relied upon the use of soil fumigants, which are expensive, difficult to use, and pose environmental risk. This presentation will cover the application of fluopyram (labeled under the trade name Velum Prime®) in-furrow and via chemigation for the management of potato early dying, serving as a potential alternative to soil fumigants. Ten years of trial results will be presented and the fit of fluopyram as part of a broader program for fumigant replacement will be discussed.
Mitch Bauske, Field Agronomist, Bayer