University Blight Hotlines for Potato Growers

University Blight Hotlines Provide Potato Growers with Timely Information

Greensboro, NC (May 8, 2002) Potato growers across the nation can obtain current information about blight conditions in their areas from local toll-free information hotlines sponsored by Syngenta Crop Protection. These hotlines are managed by university researchers in Idaho, Washington, Oregon, North Dakota and Michigan. As in years past, they will operate from May through September.

Growers can access their local toll-free hotline 24 hours a day. A brief pre-recorded message will include information such as regional late blight forecasts, disease infection confirmations, current weather patterns, infection potential in the area and university recommendations for control. These messages will be updated multiple times per week.

“When applying preventative fungicides to control blight, correct timing is key to success,” said David Laird, Ph.D., technical crop manager for Syngenta. “Our goal is to provide growers with the essential information that will help them make informed decisions about fungicide use timing.”

The potato blight hotlines are available by calling:

· Oregon 1-800-705-3377

· Washington 1-800-984-7400

· Michigan 1-888-379-9012

· North Dakota 1-888-GTBRAVO (1-888-482-7286)

· Idaho 1-800-791-7195

“The blight hotline sponsored by Syngenta continues to be an excellent resource for potato producers by allowing us to share and distribute information with growers and crop consultants throughout the state,” said Neil Gudmestad, Ph.D., professor of plant pathology at North Dakota State University. “This information helps growers make timely crop management decisions.”

Syngenta provides several fungicides in its Spud Solutions portfolio of products for control of potato diseases, including the Quadris®/Bravo® Performance Pak, Ridomil Gold®, Omega® and Bravo®.

Contacts:

Amanda Strickland
Gibbs & Soell Public Relations
919/870-5718
astrickland@gibbs-soell.com

Mary DeMers
Syngenta Crop Protection
336/632-2156
mary.demers@syngenta.com