The late blight fungus has been confirmed in several North Dakota potato fields.
There are also unconfirmed reports in Manitoba, Canada [More on blight in Manitoba].
No case has yet been confirmed in Minnesota, said Chuck Gunnerson, interim president of the Northern Plains Potato Growers Association, East Grand Forks, Minn.
“It’s a very serious deal,” Gunnerson said. “We’ve had other states that have dealt with the problem. It started on the East Coast — New York, Maine, Michigan, Wisconsin, even Washington state had some, I think.”
Late blight has been confirmed in a field in Grand Forks County and a field on the North Dakota/South Dakota border.
“A number of growers have been on a preventative measures program all summer, and they believe their fields are safe,” Gunnerson said. “Those growers who have lagged behind in fumigation have a real concern.”
