Late potato blight – sometimes just called potatoblight – is a disease that can seem almost overnight and may decimate a potato harvest . It affects leaves and stanch as well as tubers . It is more common in moist , cool environments . Once infected , the whole plant may quickly collapse and what appear to be healthy tubers may decompose in storage .
Historical Impact
recent blight is thought to have develop in Mexico . It in all probability traveled to other regions of the world when tubers were exported . The contagion was a major contributing cistron to the emigration of Irish and Scots families in the 1840s . These populations were primarily maturate a assortment of white potato vine known as the Irish Lumper , which was highly susceptible to blight . Millions of citizenry go bad of starving in these famines .
Recognizing Late Blight
Late blight typically appears first as gloomy blotches on potato leafage pourboire and plant stems . It may also taint tomatoes – the symptom are standardised . The next microscope stage is the development of livid mold under the leave-taking . Infected Tuber will train patch of gray or brown on the skin ; the patches are ruddy brown underneath . A characteristic foul odor emanates from mushy spots in the tuber .
Blight Infection
Blight is a mold that is propagate by spores . While the disease is toss off by warm , ironical weather condition , the spore can remain in the grunge for some time and can also travel on the wind . Tuber that are missed during harvest or those left in cull piles may harbor the being and allow it to spread at the start of a novel growing season .
Weather and Blight
Solanum tuberosum can be develop in all USDA Zones , but those with nerveless , damp springs are more likely to have blight problems . Disease development and gap is prefer by :
Managing Potato Blight
Once an transmission start , the good course of action is to immediately remove and burn septic plant . The disease is difficult to control and most anti - fungals are non - constitutional commercial chemical substance . One of the few organic fungicides is copper color sulfate . Irrigation practices can serve manage humidity – do n’t piss plants overhead and do n’t allow the filth to become soggy .
Other Strategies
Rotating potatoes may be helpful in managing infected territory . However , spores can travel on the hint . Always embed disease - freeseedpotatoes . There are a few blight - insubordinate varieties – Defender , Jacqueline Lee , Sarpo Mira , Sarpo Axona and Ozette . Romano , Remarka , Teena , Torridon , Stirling and Cara are dim than some to make grow blight . Earlyvarietiestend to be more susceptible than late varieties .
