Written by Jane
CPM find out why blight control strategies will have to change this season if potato growers are to combat the spread of a new aggressive, fungicide-insensitive/resistant strain of the disease. Agronomy firm Hutchinsons state the dark green 37_A2 form of Phytopthora infestans has quickly spread across Europe, reaching England two years ago when five cases were reported. Around 20 cases were officially recorded in 2017, mainly in the West Mids, Yorks and Kent, and more recently in Suffolk, but Hutchinsons root crop technical manager Darryl Shailes believes the actual figure could be higher and all crops no matter where they are grown are potentially at risk. The new strain is at least, if not more, aggressive than the dominant blue 13_A2 and pink 6_A1, but the crucial difference is that it appears equally aggressive on foliar and tuber blight, he warns. “There was a massive failure of fluazinam at the Eurofins blight trials last year and dark green 37_A2 was implicated in several cases of store breakdown,” says Darryl. Darryl Shailes, Hutchisons root crop technical manager Furthermore, dark green 37_A2 has reduced sensitivity to fluazinam, which is in many fungicides often used towards the end of the season to reduce…
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