Posted: 05.20.2010

State agricultural officials are hoping to
stave off a recurrence of last year's potato late blight by
reminding gardeners to destroy any discarded spuds from last year.

Adrian Barta is a plant specialist with the Wisconsin Department
of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. He says last year's
potato disease was worse in other states but Wisconsin still needs
to be vigilant.

Late blight is a fungus that damages potatoes and tomatoes. Its
spores generally can't endure a Wisconsin winter in the soil but
they can survive on plant material, such as discarded potatoes or
infected plants left in compost heaps.

The spores can then be blown into fields, threatening new crops.
Barta says the state requires that waste potatoes be destroyed
by Thursday.
 

« back to news articles