It is not just farmers who have to be on their guard when it comes to the ravages of potato blight.
Vegetable gardeners have to be vigilante too and anticipating the weather conditions that allow the Phytophthora infestans spores to proliferate, can be a bit of a lottery.
Spores can develop as temperatures rise above ten degrees - usually in humid conditions approaching 80%.
Growers have traditionally used a combination of Beaumont and Smith Periods to monitor and predict potential outbreaks of blight. The Smiths Period is probably recognised as the most effective gauge but, geographically and historically, this method has only been used as a tool over restricted areas.
The Blightwatch website has collated all of the latest information in one place that helps growers to make informed decisions on what to do to prevent or minimise potato blight attacks and even predict when they are most likely to occur.
Blightwatch extends nationwide and a concerned grower may now monitor the potential blight down to post code localities.
Not too 'vigilante' I hope Phil; the thought of all those blight-bashing gardeners storming across allotments sites, flamethrower in hand is quite unnerving! :-)
If anyone hasn't heard of the Sarpo blight-resistant potato varieties, which are helping cut this crop's carbon footprint, have a look at www.sarvari-trust.org
The Trust's annual open day is on Friday 14th August and is a must-do event for anyone interested in the future of sustainable spud growing. More details on the Trust's web site - hit 'news'.
Posted by: John Walker | Jul 27, 2009 at 03:43 PM