LATE BLIGHT IN ND TRIGGERS SPRAYING
Published online: Sep 24, 2009
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North Dakota has had several fields confirmed with late blight, which triggered a call for intensive scouting and to start spraying. Neil Gudmestad, North Dakota State University plant pathologist, recommends that growers implement a five-day fungicide schedule.
"It is important to remember that late blight is a community disease and we must all work together to find and control late blight to minimize disease," states the NDSU Blightline. "This outbreak has the potential to be as serious as it was in 1999, and we must act quickly to reduce foliar and tuber infection."
In 1999, more than 10 million bags of potatoes melted in storage due to late blight, and as the area continues to experience excessive cool and damp weather, potato pathologists fear a repeat is possible without diligent preventive action.