University of Maine cooperative extension program saves potato farmers 17 million

Maine potato growers are thriving thanks to a late blight spraying advice offered by the University of Maine's cooperative extension program.

The Pest Integrated Management program helped Maine potato growers save $17 million last year. Extension specialists track weather conditions at six weather centers across the state. That information is then used to figure out when late blight, a fungal disease, is likely to develop.

The specialists use the information to recommend when growers should spray fungicide on their crop to prevent diseases. "We've really managed to minimize the pesticide usage in the state of Maine,"said Jim Dill, a cooperative extension specialist.