News on Potato Defects and Diseases from United Kingdom

With bacterial disease blackleg posing a threat to Scottish seed potato crops for a second consecutive season, there was advice at Potatoes in Practice on managing the risk of spread during haulm destruction.

Wet weather is once again favouring blackleg development in Scottish seed potato crops, although disease levels are believed currently to be below the record levels seen in 2011.

The application of oils has the potential to assist in the control of non-persistent viruses in potato seed crops. However, more work is required to establish the effects on seed crops.

A scheme to clear fields in Northern Ireland of potato wart disease has been hailed as a success.

One of the scourges of the potato crop – blight – has now been found in all the major growing areas of Scotland, with infestation levels running well ahead of average.

Potato growers are facing many weather-related challenges and recent warm, wet weather has led to a massive increase in the number of Smith Periods this year so far, says Potato Council executive and blight specialist Gary Collins.

Dutch tests on a new strain of potato blight similar to that discovered for the first time in the UK last year have shown some isolates have reduced sensitivity to the common active fluazinam used to control the disease.

Potato crops in Britain are facing high blight pressure this season, demanding the best possible protection under extremely challenging application conditions.

Bayer CropScience will have two new products available for potato growers in two to three years' time, subject to approval.

The blight fungicide containing Initium and dimethomorph, Zampro DM, has had reduction of tuber blight incidence added to its label, in addition to the control of late foliar blight.

Rhizoctonia is running rife in cold, wet potato seedbeds and hampering crop emergence this season.

As part of the Potato Council’s ‘Fight against blight’ campaign, the mapping of late blight outbreaks has demonstrated outgrade piles remain a significant source of blight in potato crops.

According to independent potato specialist of Root Crop Consultancy Howard Hinds, Alternaria has become much more of an issue in UK potato crops, with severe infections being experienced in susceptible varieties such as Markies.

Emergency action has been taken by a European Commission committee to stop the spread of a beetle which has the potential to damage British potato production.

The very early discovery of a new potato blight strain in Britain doesn't mean that spray programmes will have to change this year, agree researchers and agronomists.

Los cultivos de papa en el Reino Unido se encuentran expuestos al riesgo de una nueva y agresiva enfermedad que se ha extendido rápidamente por todo el resto de Europa. La enfermedad, Dickeya solani, ha sido vista por primera vez hace sólo siete años, ...

An aggressive strain of disease is a major threat to the country’s potato industry, a leading researcher has warned.

Scottish potato growers had a difficult year in 2011 for several reasons, but one of the most significant was the cool, wet conditions, which were ideal for powdery scab to spread.