News on Potato Defects and Diseases from Europe

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.

In France, according to the UNPT, blight pressure remains strong and there are signs of early senesce in some crops.

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

Ireland's environmental protection agency has approved the first trial of a genetically modified potato crop.

Potato growers could achieve potential savings of more than €450/ha if they used a blight-resistant genetically modified (GM) potato variety instead of a conventional variety.

La Agencia de Protección Ambiental (EPA) dio su visto bueno para las pruebas de una papa genéticamente modificada (GM) que es resistente al tizón de la papa. En los próximos cuatro años se sembrarán en Irlanda dos hectáreas con esta papa genéticament...

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has today given consent to Teagasc, Oak Park, Co Carlow, to carry out field trials on a genetically modified (GM) potato line with improved resistance to late potato blight.

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.

Er wordt door de NAK en BQ Support weer intensief gecontroleerd op onafgedekte aardappel- en uienafvalhopen. Niet of onvoldoende afgedekte afvalhopen met daarop uitgelopen aardappelen en uien zijn vanaf 15 april strafbaar.