Topic: Blight Watch!!

[theothermarg]

Some potatoe plants have died off on my site and some say it is blight others say perhaps they rotted as the ground is wet underneath. I have sprayed my 1st and 2nds with bordeaux mixture just in case. the maincrop should stay free as they are sarpo ones
has anybody else got it yet?
marg
sorry just noticed the same topic on page 2

[redimp]

We've had loads of Smith Periods but so far (touch wood) there does not seem to be any sign.  I would have thought that this early, the only way (late) blight could have got to potatoes on your site is if someone has been careless leaving blighted potatoes lying around or hasn't kept on top of volunteers and they are blighted.  If it is blight and you find the culprit, I'd have him drummed off the site.

[theothermarg]

yes I did catch up with the other blight post after I posted this (slap wrist)
and no the dead plants aren,t mine but it is 2 people  who I know are very
carefull about rotation. I am not 100% convinced it is blight as the other plants look OK. I thought no harm in spraying mine as a precaution
marg

[lawrence]

i had the blight last season, its a pain to get rid of.

just had to dig them all up and hope for the best this season.

lawrence

[redimp]

The Smith Period warnings seem to have died off for now.  Thank lordy for that :)  He says touching wood!

[Robert_Brenchley]

Had a couple earlier in the season, but nothing since 2-3 June. The criteria were met on the 22nd, but only for the one day, and a full Smith period is two days.

[Barnowl]

Had a wander round the allotments last night, no sighs of blight yet (London) - fingers crossed

Not every case of blight is reported but this chart gives an indication 

http://www.potato.org.uk/department/knowledge_transfer/fight_against_blight/blight_incidents.html?podlet_id=88

[norfolklass]

I think I might have early blight on a couple of my second earlies :( but, before I go into major panic mode, if it was blight wouldn't it affect every single plant? it seems to only be affecting two plants in a row of five, and none of the other rows are affected.

I've googled for pics and it looks the same: lots of little brown spotty bits on the leaves. or am I confusing it with natural die back of the plants, or some other lurgy?? will try and get a photo and post it asap.

[Barnowl]

Either way you wont do any harm by removing the leaves...

[norfolklass]

hmm, fairly sure that it was the dreaded blight, but it still hasn't spread to the other varieties. I cut off all the foliage to be sure (it's the 1st early bed rather than 2nd early bed that's been affected) I dug up all the plants from the affected variety (Swift) and about one third of the tubers were infected: rotten and stinking, not very nice!

I took some pics but I'm pretty sure it's blight. no one else seems to have it though...

[daileg]

hi norfolklass


thanks for the seeds they arrived on friday

will let you know how they go after they have been sowed

ps ive had a slight problem with blight or might be tobacco virus still havent confirmed

[Robert_Brenchley]

 just had notification of a full Smith period here. I'm not surprised given the weather over the last couple of days. One doesn't matter; it's when we get a string of them that we need to watch out.

[amphibian]

Unusual for tubers to be affected by blight without significant plant infection, such as blackened stems. Looks like blight to me though.

[Robert_Brenchley]

It looks like blight that's been arrested by a dry spell. If so, the wet weather we're having now will allow it to spread like wildfire, and all the foliage will rot.