Late Blight Detected in North Dakota, Michigan

Nick David, Extension potato agronomist at North Dakota State University in Fargo, confirmed late blight in a potato field in Dickey County in southeastern North Dakota. This marks the earliest in the season that late blight has been confirmed in North Dakota since 1994. Late blight was also discovered in the state of Michigan last week.
 
Late blight is an extremely destructive fungal disease of potatoes. The fungus attacks both tubers and foliage at any stage of development and is capable of rapid development and spread.
 
Fields should be scouted as often as possible to increase the chance of early detection. Samples should be placed in a plastic bag, kept cool, and brought to the Plant Pathology Department at NDSU for confirmation. Areas within fields that provide a favorable environment for late blight development include: low-lying areas, areas next to shelter belts,  the inner span of pivots,  areas around pivot tracks,  under the corner system on a pivot, and  areas around power lines.
 
David is urging all growers to be very aggressive in protecting their fields.  David says  current recommendation on how to protect potato fields can be found on the NDSU Late Blight Hotline at 1-888-482-7286, or log on to: www.ndsu.edu/potato_pathology.