Late blight continues to spread across eastern Idaho

Late blight continues to move across eastern Idaho potato fields. The first confirmation of late blight was in Bingham County on August 12. Since then, late blight has been confirmed in Bonneville County, Power County and Madison County.

Phil Nolte, University of Idaho, Idaho Falls Extension seed potato specialist, said that weather conditions continue to be conducive for the development and spread of late blight.

Seems like every few years we run into the right kind of weather patterns that favor the disease,” Nolte said. “In this particular case we’ve had a period of absolutely ideal weather that lasted for more than a week.”

Nolte said that given current weather patterns and the contagious nature of the disease that he would not be surprised to see more late blight.

“This is a time to be very concerned about late blight,” he said.

He also requested that growers who see late blight in their fields bring samples in for mapping the spread of the disease.

“It’s important for us to get samples so we can keep track of what the disease is doing,” Nolte said.

Nolte, in this video, advises growers in areas impacted by late blight to spray their fields immediately and to maintain a seven-day schedule of spraying.

Jeff Miller, president and CEO of Miller Research, discusses best management practices for Idaho growers seeking to prevent or contain late blight in this video.

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