November/December 2021 - 35

injury, plant height reduction after
application of herbicide and yield at
harvest.
This approach is not only
Hashim Andidi
Bio: I completed my undergraduate
degree in agronomy and sustainable
production from EARTH University
in Costa Rica. My passion for plant
breeding brought me to North Dakota
State for an internship with the potato
breeding program and subsequently
to pursue a master's degree. I am very
interested in the applications of new
technologies in plant breeding and
commercial production. I intend to
strengthen my research expertise
through a Ph.D. and continue working
with potatoes.
Research: Weed control in potato
production is an important concern
to secure profitable production. Apart
from reducing yield potential and
reducing the tuber size profile, weeds
can interfere with harvest practices
and compete for nutrients, moisture
and sunlight. Weeds may also harbor
diseases, insects and nematodes. On
most farms, effective weed control is
achieved through herbicide application.
The most widely used herbicide on
potato acres across the U.S. to control
broadleaf weeds and annual grasses
is metribuzin, which may be applied
pre-emergence and post-emergence.
Nonetheless, metribuzin causes mild
to severe foliar injury to sensitive
genotypes, affecting yield and tuber
quality in certified seed and commercial
potato production. The knowledge
of a
potato genotype's
response to
metribuzin is important to avoid
significant yield and quality reduction.
Traditionally, metribuzin screening
involves visual assessments of foliar
970-224-2021
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Grown with 30+ years of minituber
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onsite pathology/PCR laboratory
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Spudman * November/December 2021
33
tedious but is less effective in estimating
crop performance due to human error
and environmental conditions at
the time of evaluation. This leads to
the objective of my research, which
is to establish a screening protocol
for metribuzin sensitivity using high
throughput phenotyping for application
in the Northern Plains production
region. High throughput phenotyping
is a rapid and nondestructive tool that
can identify some biotic and abiotic
stresses in plants, prior to visible foliar
symptoms. In 2020, 32 advanced NDSU
breeding
selections and commercial
potato cultivars across all market classes
were evaluated.
Plant height, foliar injury, canopy
cover and drone images at seven, 14
and 21 days after post-emergence
application of metribuzin were
collected to identify parameters
most correlated with yield and grade.
Reflectance data from the drone
images and canopy cover collected in
2020, had a higher correlation with
total yield compared to foliar injury
and plant height. Results from this
research confirm the applicability of
unmanned aerial vehicles (i.e., drones)
for high throughput phenotyping
to evaluate metribuzin sensitivity in
potato genotypes very early in the
season. A second year of this study
is currently being plant height, foliar
injury, canopy cover and drone images
at seven, 14 and 21 days after postemergence
application of metribuzin,
were collected to identify parameters
most correlated with yield and grade.
Reflectance data from the drone
images and canopy cover collected in
2020, had a higher correlation with
total yield, compared to foliar injury
and plant height. Results from this
research confirm the applicability of
unmanned drones for high throughput
phenotyping to evaluate metribuzin
sensitivity in potato genotypes very
early in the season. A second year of
this study is currently being conducted.
Paige Hickman
Bio: I am a Ph.D. student and senior
research associate at the University of
Idaho's Department
of Entomology,
Plant Pathology & Nematology under
Louise-Marie Dandurand, Ph.D. I have
a bachelor's degree in environmental
science from Allegheny College and
a master's in horticulture from the
University of Arkansas.
Research: My research focuses
on eradication of Globodera pallida,
the pale cyst nematode (PCN), a
Physically Distant Minitubers
Quality minitubers produced mountains & miles
away from major commercial potato production
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November/December 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of November/December 2021
