Potato Blight

Late blight in potatoes in Bingham County. I read about the fact that the potato crop, at the very least in Bingham County, shows evidence of late blight which University of Idaho seed potato specialist Dr. Phill Nolte reports is still considered to be the most serious disease of potatoes on a worldwide basis. It is the same potato disease that caused the famine in Ireland approximately 150 years ago. While the disease does not affect human beings, that doesn’t help the potato itself. The blight affects foliage as well as the tuber underground. Here is Dr. Nolte: “This disease is very destructive. It moves on the wind. It is very dependent on having just the right environmental conditions before it becomes a problem and those conditions are wet, cool weather and that of course describes the situation that we had here in Idaho and that is exactly the thing you need to allow it to get a toe hold and then to take off. Let’s talk positive. Is there something we can do? There are a battery of different fungicides that can be applied to potatoes all of which are effective for managing late blight. The main thing you have to do is stay ahead of it. It is so aggressive.