Innovative Paths to Nematode Control: PAPAS at PAA 2026
The Potato Association of America (PAA) Annual Meeting comes to New Orleans, Louisiana this July 26–30. On Monday, July 27, PAPAS team members will lead and present in the main symposium, Innovative Paths to Nematode Control, a dedicated session bringing together some of the country’s leading researchers on potato nematode management to share the latest science, lessons learned, and the path forward for U.S. potato production.
This symposium represents one of the most comprehensive gatherings of potato nematode expertise at a major U.S. industry conference. Three presentations from PAPAS researchers will cover two decades of cyst nematode management in Idaho, the frontier of resistance breeding genetics, and the long-running golden cyst nematode breeding program at Cornell — moderated by one of the most experienced nematologists in U.S. potato production.
The Pale Cyst Nematode: Lessons from Idaho
When pale cyst nematode (Globodera pallida) was detected in Idaho in 2006, it set off two decades of coordinated response involving USDA-APHIS, the Idaho State Department of Agriculture, industry partners, and university researchers. Dr. Dandurand has been at the center of that effort from the beginning. Her presentation will summarize the lessons learned from Idaho’s PCN program, including advances in spread prediction and risk assessment, crop rotation with trap crops, resistant variety development, biofumigation, and nematicide evaluation. “Effective and durable PCN control depends on combining strong science with practical field implementation and sustained collaboration with the potato industry.”
A Historical Perspective and Novel Approach Towards Nematode Resistance Breeding in Potato
Dr. Feldman’s research focuses on applying machine vision and molecular diagnostic tools to quantify productivity, processing quality, and biotic stress tolerance traits in potato — and using those measurements in a quantitative genetics framework to identify the most promising resistant breeding lines more efficiently. His presentation will offer both a historical perspective on nematode resistance breeding in potato and a look at the novel genomic and molecular approaches that are changing how breeders identify and advance resistant germplasm — with direct implications for how quickly new resistant varieties can reach growers.
Breeding Potatoes for Resistance to the Golden Cyst Nematode
Dr. De Jong has spent more than two decades building on the foundational work of his predecessor Robert Plaisted, with the single highest priority of his breeding program being the development of potato varieties resistant to golden cyst nematode (Globodera rostochiensis) — a multi-institutional cooperative effort that has been central to controlling this quarantine pest in New York State. His presentation will cover the progress and lessons of that long-running program — which has produced 11 released varieties with Ro1 resistance, including Lamoka, the most widely grown chipping cultivar in the U.S. — and what the future of golden cyst nematode resistance breeding looks like.
Moderated by Dr. Inga Zasada
Dr. Zasada brings more than 25 years of expertise in the biology and management of plant-parasitic nematodes affecting high-value crops including potato. She leads NemaSolutions LLC, providing research and consulting services on complex nematode management challenges. Her moderation of the symposium will ensure the presentations are connected to the practical, field-level management questions that growers and their advisors are actually asking.
The Innovative Paths to Nematode Control symposium brings together the full arc of what effective potato cyst nematode management requires: the regulatory and field experience of a 20-year quarantine program in Idaho, the cutting-edge genetics and genomics tools accelerating resistance breeding, and the proven track record of a long-running resistance breeding program that has already delivered durable, commercially successful varieties.
The Potato Association of America Annual Meeting is one of the most important gatherings of potato researchers, breeders, industry professionals, and growers in North America. The 2026 meeting takes place July 26–30 in New Orleans, Louisiana, featuring concurrent sessions, poster presentations, committee meetings, and the PAA Awards Ceremony and Luncheon.
The full conference program is available at potatoassociation.org.
