Potato growers are being warned not to be complacent about blight attacks after the prolonged July dry period lowered disease pressure; heavy rainstorms at the weekend and further unsettled weather has triggered forecasts of continuous high risk for the next week.
Ensuring crops are effectively protected right through this high risk period must now be the top priority, advocated to Syngenta Potato Technical Manager, Stephen Williams. “The current conditions and crop growth demands growers adopt a robust Revus based spray programme.
“Protecting green leaf now with a progressive blight control programme is the most effective way to assure yields and to minimise the risk of tuber infection for the rest of the season, through to harvest,” he added.
If applications have been delayed by wet, windy weather, Mr Williams highlighted the addition of cymoxanil as a tank-mix could give valuable added kick-back activity, to minimise the risk of any infection developing and keep the crop protected.
“The positive experience from last season was just how well growers coped under the intense pressure, with Revus performing exceptionally strongly,” he advised. “Robust programmes and maintaining spray intervals clearly works.”
