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It is therefore extremely important to continue tracking populations of potato blight in N. infestans populations, sometimes leading to strains that are more aggressive or have reduced fungicide sensitivity. This makes best use of their different types of activity and reduces the risk of selecting for blight strains resistant to any one fungicide. It is also good practice to use a range of fungicides with different modes of action. It is advisable that farmers start protecting their crop from potato blight either whenever the first blight warning is issued or when plants meet within the drills. Fungicide application timing and coverage are also important, as no matter how good the product, nothing makes up for a late start, stretched intervals or if areas are left unprotected. However, it is important that potato late blight continues to be managed, because under certain weather conditions late blight can quickly spread if not properly controlled.Īs the major source of potato late blight is infected potato seed tubers from the previous season, it is important that certified potato seed tubers are planted to eliminate sources of infection, and that plants which have survived from the previous season (known as volunteers) are properly controlled. The potato varieties grown in Comber are therefore less likely to become infected by potato blight, not because of their genetics, but because the disease tends to be most prevalent in July and August, by which time the Comber potato has either already been harvested or is likely to be ready for harvest. Potato late blight can be extremely destructive as the fungal spores can spread on the wind to infect leaves, contaminate potato tubers in the soil and potentially destroy a crop in as little as 10 days.Ĭomber early potatoes, which have been granted protected geographical indication (PGI) status under European law, can be grown and harvested earlier than other potatoes in Northern Ireland because the climate and soil in Comber is warmer and drier. However, the disease remains a re-emerging problem, and still causes major epidemics, with occasional total crop losses recorded. Today, the disease is generally well controlled by the application of fungicides.
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Late blight is best known for the losses that resulted in the Irish potato famine of the 1840s, when over 1.5 million people died and the same number again emigrated as a result of severe failure of the primary crop. Potato late blight is a potato-rotting disease caused by a fungus-like plant pathogen called Phytophthora infestans, which remains the most devastating disease of potato world-wide, with the potential to cause extensive crop losses.