News on Phytophthora from India

In a full-blown attack by the disease late blight, more than 50% potato crop in the fields has suffered extensive damage, leading to heavy losses for the farmers who had opted for diversification instead of growing wheat after paddy.

Scientists from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi, have developed a computational model for automated disease detection in potato crops using photographs of its leaves.

As weather in West-Bengal, India turns unfavourable, output falls sharply and potato prices shoot up.

Within 30 days into potato cultivation this year, growers in Hassan, Karnataka are losing hope of good returns in their field. The poor germination is linked by experts to the lack of rainfall.

Lack of rain has left potato growers of Hassan - a district in the Southern Indian state of Karnataka in distress.

Domestic potato production in India in the present Rabi season is likely to be 25-30 per cent higher over last year on account of good weather conditions.

Potato production in West Bengal is likely to be lower by 10-15 per cent on ‘late blight’ in a quarter of the growing districts.

The horticulture department and Krishi Vignana Kendra had organised a demonstration of spraying pesticides in Narasipura in the wake of spread of blight disease for potato crop under Salagame hobli in the taluk recently.

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.

Potato farmers have lost lakhs of rupees due to destruction of potato crop by a bout of blight, yet, they are yet to receive any relief money from the Agricultural Department.

Owing to the fear of blight, many farmers are shying away from cultivating potato. Last year, potato was grown on 50,000 hectares of land in the district, but the crop on 35,000 hectares was affected by blight, and farmers lost Rs. 300 crore as a res...