Potato funding secured for Fight Against Blight campaign
© Blackthorn Arable The James Hutton Institute has secured funding within the potato industry to continue its “Fight Against Blight” programme.
It helps protect valuable potato crops by monitoring outbreaks of late blight and alerting growers across the UK.
A network of field scouts consisting of agronomists, growers and industry representatives submit field samples from suspected late blight outbreaks.
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They then upload information to a website in order to inform potato growers around the country.
The 2023 programme will include both the annual sampling of late blight outbreaks and the characterisation of pathogen populations.
In work led by Dr Alison Lees, fungicide sensitivity testing will be carried out once again for active ingredients prioritised by the industry.
Pathogen DNA analysis will allow rapid in-season feedback on genotypes, while the end-of-season report will ensure the potato industry is kept informed on the best practice for late blight management.
James Hutton Institute project leader David Cooke explains why the continuation of the project is great news for growers, the wider sector and for the long-term research.
“With concerns about resistance to CAA fungicides related to the new genotype EU_43_A1 on the continent last year, the early detection of any new arrivals to GB crops is going to be crucial to building effective IPM [integrated pest management] programmes for 2023 potato crops,” says Dr Cooke.
Blight has already been reported in parts of England due to the cool damp weather earlier this spring.
As conditions look set for a hot, dry spell, blight risks are expected to decline.
Outbreak of blight on a potato dump © Blackthorn Arable
BlightSpy weather forecast
In another key development, BlightSpy has relaunched at Hutton.
BlightSpy is a webpage which provides crucial data on current and forecast weather conditions that are conducive to late blight.
The system maps local blight risk based on Hutton criteria, up to eight days in advance.
This clear interface complements the FAB monitoring tool, and supports decision-making for effective blight management. It can be accessed online.
Jonathan Snape, head of James Hutton Limited, says: “We thank the industry sponsors for their support in recognising the value of this initiative that informs the UK potato industry on late blight management.”
Previously registered users will automatically receive sampling packs and registration instructions.
New participants wanting to register and other queries should contact fab@hutton.ac.uk
The dedicated website is available and all outbreaks to date have been uploaded.
