Jan 30, 2025Michigan proposes permit process to track late blight pathogen
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) is proposing a permit process to track the handling of the pathogen responsible for late blight, Phytophthora infestans, in the state.
Responding to growers’ concerns, the department is seeking to ensure the intentional movement of the pathogen, including use in research trials, to prevent risk of unintentional spread of spores.
The permit process would address two main concerns:
- Spores can travel long distances on the wind and sporulate quickly on nearby hosts. Artificially introducing inoculum while potato plants are young may result in an increased risk of infection in production fields early enough to impact yield.
- An increase in genetic variation of P. infestans in Michigan, should a different strain or mating type than those predominantly identified be introduced, could cause this devastating pest to be an even greater challenge to control.
Comments on the permit process can be submitted online until Feb. 28.
