Features Production Research
New biocontrol for potato virus Y in the U.S.

July 10, 2012 – The re-emergence of Potato Virus Y in potato seed stock is of great concern to farmers because insecticides used to control the aphids that vector PVY do not effectively decrease transmission of the disease.

In response, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has granted an Emergency Exemption to the Montana Department of Agriculture for use of BmJ to control PVY on up to 2,675 acres of seed potatoes. Manufactured by Certis USA, BmJ contains Bacillus mycoides isolate J, a bacterium discovered by Montana State University that has been shown to trigger a plant’s immune response to pathogenic fungi, bacteria, and viruses. READ MORE