Late blight attacks potato crop in Punjab

Late blight, a fungal disease, has attacked the potato crop in Punjab, which is a major producer of tuber crop in the country, raising fear of damage to the crop.

According to a survey conducted by Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), late blight, causes huge loss to crop yield, which appears in isolated fields of potato plantation in Hoshiarpur district.

“For the last few days, change in climatic conditions and unseasonal rainfall, has occurred at many places in Punjab. As a result, humidity has increased and such conditions are conducive for the development of late blight of potato,” said a plant pathologist at PAU.

Experts have advised farmers to apply recommended fungicides to prevent extensive damage to the crop due to late blight.