Managing Late Blight in Southern Idaho in 2016

Late blight was positively confirmed in several counties in eastern Idaho in 2015. This increases the risk of the disease appearing again in 2016. The resources here will help you manage this devastating disease. 

Presentations were given in American Falls and Idaho Falls on managing late blight at the end of the season and into storage.  Links to the PowerPoint handouts from these presentations are provided at the bottom of this page.  Handouts are available on managing late blight late season and in storage, along with some slides from Dr. Pam Hutchinson on vine kill as it relates to late blight management. 

 

One of the attached issues of Potato Progress has a nice article by Dr. Phill Wharton and colleagues at the University of Idaho and Michigan State University.  In the article they discuss the threat of potatoes surviving the winter as volunteers or in cull piles. If overwintering tubers are infected with Phytophthora infestans, these could be the source of late blight in 2016.  Below you will also find a University of Idaho Cooperative Extension bulletin on the disposal of cull potatoes.

 

Another edition of Potato Progress provides a brief overview of fungicides which are available for managing late blight of potato.

 

Dr. Phill Wharton at the University of Idaho has published a nice alert on Tomato and Potato Late Blight. This publication discusses the role of tomatoes in late blight epidemics.

 

More information on late blight can be found at the Idaho Potato Diseases: Late Blight page.  

 

Two publications from Miller Research on using fungicides to manage late blight can be found here.  

 

The American Phytopathological Society has published an overview on late blight titled, “Late Blight of Potato and Tomato.” This articles shows various symptoms and photos, a description of the life cycle, and management practices.

 

Information on how to manage late blight from an organic point of view can be found here.

 

To be kept up to date on any positive identification of late blight, subscribe to the Pacific Northwest Pest Alert.