Abstract
'Aphid Alert' was the name used to identify a series of research and outreach initiatives undertaken from 1992 to 2003, and in some instances since, to address potato virus problems in seed potato production in the Northern Great Plains (NGP) of the USA, in particular northwestern Minnesota and eastern North Dakota. Aphid Alert was adopted from the name of a pest management advisory newsletter sent to Minnesota and North Dakota seed potato growers in 1994, and again from 1998 to 2003. The name found popular acceptance and was applied, even retroactively, to a series of related research/outreach activities. This chapter focused primarily on the areawide aphid-trapping network operated by the University of Minnesota from 1992 to 1994, and again from 1998 to 2003. Data presented here on potato seed lot rejections due to potato viruses were provided by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture Seed Potato Certification Program. Data presented here on aphids (reported as numbers or percentages of total captures) are from the subset of traps that were located in the NGP portion of the network.