12/11/2023 0 Comments Early blight potato diseases![]() “Growers are encouraged not to let down their guard against late blight, which is capable of wiping out an entire potato field in a matter of days and also negatively affecting the quality and storability of tubers,” says Khalil Al-Mughrabi, a potato specialist with New Brunswick’s Ministry of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries. Effective warning systems and changing climatic conditions in certain regions are contributing to a decrease in the number of acres impacted. Even growers in New Brunswick, where the disease hasn’t been detected in the past few years, should be vigilant about scouting. ![]() Late blight has the potential to cause problems in any and potentially all regions. Spud Smart took a look at what the top contenders are this growing season. Without a weather-predicting crystal ball, it’s hard to know exactly which disease and pests will bite most deeply into Canadian fields. Alongside imagining the future crop’s yield potential, however, proactive farmers will be pre-thinking through this year’s disease and pest potential too. Chlorothalonil has been withdrawn, mancozeb is likely to be withdrawn (in 2023 or 2024).A cross country look at what potato pests and diseases growers can expect in their potato fields for the 2022 growing season.Īs the days lengthen and the sun warms, potato producers across the country are gazing at their empty fields and dreaming of the crop to come. However, against Alternaria species, fungicides available include: QoI (strobilurin fungicides) and alternatively, hydrogen peroxide, potassium bicarbonate or copper-containing products such as Bordeaux Mixture for organic crops. Most potato ‘blight’ information actually relates to ‘late blight’ caused by Phytophthora infestans. There are reports of differences in susceptibility of varieties to early blight but resistance information is currently not included in the AHDB potatoes variety database.įungicides: According to the label, these usually need to be reapplied every 7-14 days. Remove Solanum species such as nightshade and potato volunteers. Increase row separation slightly to improve ventilation. Irrigate crops early in the day so the leaves remain wet for as short a period as possible or use drip irrigation. If possible add mulch to prevent dispersal of spores. Removal of as much crop debris as possible after harvest and leave at least a 3-year separation in cropping of potatoes on the same land. It can also be encouraged by hedgerow plants or weeds such as nightshade ( Solanum family). The disease can be spread to new locations on infected seed tubers. solani (above, right) have a long tail, compared to those of Alternaria alternata (above, left) which are much shorter and rounder and also infect potato crops. Symptoms appear in 2-6 days after infection depending on temperature. ![]() In particularly warm and wet conditions (20-30☌), this can take only a few hours. The spores germinate to infect crops in wet conditions via wounds, stomata and direct penetration of leaves. These are produced in humid, damp conditions, typically close to the ground or on diseased leaves during prolonged wet or humid weather, and are dispersed by wind and rain. ![]() The fungus survives in soil and crop debris and is spread by many cycles of infection by asexually-produced spores (conidia). On potato tubers, lesions appear as dark, dry, shrunken patches on the skin, extending into the tuber. Girdling of the stem by this kind of lesion can cause death of the plant. On stems, lesions appear as dark patches of collapsed tissue giving a darker, shrunken zone. Symptoms often appear first on older leaves near the ground as dark brown spots surrounded by a zone of yellowing or chlorosis. Early blight is caused by the fungus Alternaria solani, which infects both potato and tomato crops, along with other species of the Solanum family, causing yield losses due to reduction in green leaf area (early senescence) and direct infections of fruits and tubers. ![]()
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