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WWW.POTATOGROWER.COM 99 152430MicTra13.indd 1 8/25/15 8:35 AM Eastern Idaho Ag Expo Idaho Potato Conference For More Information Call 208-939-6426 38 th Annual 49 th Annual 38 th Annual Eastern Idaho Ag Expo Jan. 17-19, 2017 HOLT ARENA Pocatello, ID Tuesday - 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. Wednesday - 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. Thursday - 9 a.m.- 1 p.m. 49 th Annual Idaho Potato Conference and Trade Show Jan. 18-19, 2017 I.S.U. Student Union Building Pocatello, ID Wednesday - 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Thursday - 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. 162199SpePro13.indd 1 9/26/16 10:00 AM PROTECTION FROM THE START While completely managing Rhizoctonia once it infects a field may not be possible, growers can limit its impact. Rotating crops, using tolerant varieties and minimizing soil compaction are effective, non-invasive ways to manage the disease. To further prevent the disease from infecting their crops, growers should consider using a top-performing seed treatment. "Rhizoctonia is a big threat in my area, but I have never had a major issue with the disease, believe it or not," says Mike LaShaw, who grows several Rhizoctonia- susceptible crops in Rockford, Wash. "By rotating my crops and applying a seed treatment to my seeds, I'm able to manage the yield-robbing disease plus other soil- borne diseases." As genetics and traits continue to advance, seed is becoming increasingly valuable. But from the moment seed is planted, nematodes, insects and diseases threaten to eat away at a grower's seed investment. The best way to protect this investment is to shield the plant early, when it matters most. "In addition to selecting varieties with built-in disease tolerance, choosing the right fungicide seed treatment is the key to preventing Rhizoctonia," says Ireland. "The right seed treatment can help protect the plant when it is most susceptible to damage—during that three- to four-week window after a crop is first planted." "Protecting roots at the earliest stages of plant development is critical for above- ground growth throughout the season," says Kris Pauna, Seedcare product lead at Syngenta. "Seed treatments are one of the best ways we have to offer that protection, so growers can produce better-yielding, higher-quality crops." This article originally appeared in the fourth-quarter 2016 issue of Syngenta's Thrive magazine.