Late blight has been detected on another potato field in Manitoba, this time near Carberry.”The (positive) sample was from a well managed field that is on five day protectant fungicide application program and has already had five fungicide applications,” provincial potato specialist Brian Wilson said today in a Manitoba Agriculture news release.The provincial government confirmed the first two cases of late blight in Manitoba June 28: one in the western half of the province and the other in the central region. Those cases were followed by another positive result June 30 on a field near Winnipeg.When announcing the most recent discovery, the government emphasized that late blight was discovered in a well-managed field, but Wilson said that doesn’t mean the other positive cases came from poorly managed potato fields.Plants grow rapidly in hot and humid weather, which occurred in the first week of July in Manitoba. These conditions offer a window for late blight to develop between fungicide treatments.”Even if you’re in a tight five day program, you still end up with new growth that really hasn’t been protected,” Wilson said.Many of the province’s potato growers have already increased the frequency of spraying from seven to five days to reduce the risk of late blight, he added. Wilson said growers need to remain vigilant because late blight inoculum is present and there will likely be more hot and humid days this summer.
New late blight case found in Man. potato field
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