Officials trace potato pest to Bingham County field

POCATELLO, Idaho – A 45-acre field in Bingham County has been pinpointed as the source of the potato cyst nematodes whose discovery last April caused foreign markets to stop importing Idaho potatoes.

Frank Muir, executive director of the Idaho Potato Commission, said the southeast Idaho field was identified after inspectors tested two fields they considered likely sources.

Officials declined to name the owner of the field, whose field has been quarantined. The quarantine restricts moving plants and soil and includes sanitizing equipment used in the field.

Inspectors are examining other nearby fields as well as fields that used shared equipment, had common seed sources and had common irrigation water.

“Farmers have been extremely cooperative with us,” Wayne Hoffman, of the Idaho Department of Agriculture, told the Post Register. “They’re keenly aware of the implications.”

In April, Japan banned all fresh U.S. potato imports and Canada and Mexico banned all fresh potato imports from Idaho after the potato cyst nematodes were found.

Officials say the pest is not harmful to humans and doesn’t have any effect on the potatoes themselves. But it feeds on the roots of the potato plant and can reduce crop production by as much as 80 percent.

Idaho is the nation’s largest potato producer, growing about one-third of all the potatoes in the United States. Last year, the state produced 12.5 billion pounds of potatoes that paid farmers about $700 million. Muir estimates the industry is worth about $2 billion to the state.

The three countries that issued the ban import less than 2 percent of Idaho’s potato crop. However, the size of the crop grown in Idaho is limited to make sure Idaho potato growers get a stable price. With a bigger market from foreign sales, Idaho could produce more potatoes.

“This has closed some very important markets to us,” Muir said.

Officials are now trying to determine how the nematodes got to eastern Idaho.

“There’s going to be all kinds of questions,” said Bruce Huffaker, publisher of the North American Potato Market News. “What’s important is to isolate it to as small an area as possible. I’m sure they’re trying to trace back to the origin of the seed.”