Written by Charlotte Cunningham from CPM Magazine
Download PDF Controlling evolving, aggressive blight populations in a wetter, warmer region has long been a challenge for potato growers in Pembrokeshire. CPM finds out how agronomists and farmers are tackling the challenge head-on by using drift retardants. As blight has evolved, we’ve had to evolve with it. By Charlotte Cunningham With an annual average rainfall of 1080mm – according to Met Office data – the wetter, warmer weather in Pembrokeshire makes disease control a particular challenge for arable farmers. And as a disease which thrives on exactly those conditions has been a long-standing challenge for potato growers in the region. Late blight spreads rapidly through crop canopies and tubers causing severe yield penalties, explains Dai Llewellyn senior agronomist at Agrii, who has been advising in the county for more than 20 years. “Historically, we’ve tended to suffer a lot more with blight here than much of the rest of the country, and I’ve been prescribing pretty robust programmes across the entirety of my career.” As well as historic challenge, the evolution and development of blight strains over recent years have only added insult to injury. “Ultimately its forced both agronomists and farmers to be sharper when it comes to…
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Download PDF Controlling evolving, aggressive blight populations in a wetter, warmer region has long been a challenge for potato growers in Pembrokeshire. CPM finds out how agronomists and farmers are tackling the challenge head-on by using drift retardants. As blight has evolved, we’ve had to evolve with it. By Charlotte Cunningham With an annual average rainfall of 1080mm – according to Met Office data – the wetter, warmer weather in Pembrokeshire makes disease control a particular challenge for arable farmers. And as a disease which thrives on exactly those conditions has been a long-standing challenge for potato growers in the region. Late blight spreads rapidly through crop canopies and tubers causing severe yield penalties, explains Dai Llewellyn senior agronomist at Agrii, who has been advising in the county for more than 20 years. “Historically, we’ve tended to suffer a lot more with blight here than much of the rest of the country, and I’ve been prescribing pretty robust programmes across the entirety of my career.” As well as historic challenge, the evolution and development of blight strains over recent years have only added insult to injury. “Ultimately its forced both agronomists and farmers to be sharper when it comes to…
The post Pushing performance – A crusade for control appeared first on cpm magazine.
Continue reading on CPM website...
If you are enjoying what you read then why not considering subscribing here: http://www.cpm-magazine.co.uk/subscribe/