Late Blight Strain Metalaxyl Resistant

Late blight continues to spread and is now being found in Burbank as well as North and east of Pasco and north of Eltopia.

WSU’s Dr. Dennis Johnson said, “The strain of the late blight pathogen in the Basin this year is US8, which is metalaxyl resistant.”

All sprinkler irrigated fields in the Columbia Basin should be on a 7-10 day application schedule, more frequently if the field has or next to a field that has late blight.

Johnson is also concerned about what the spread means for the crop’s long-term outlook.

“A serious storage problem, due to tuber infection is potentially ahead for this fall.”

Johnson noted that water needs are decreasing for potatoes and that it was important that growers not overwater their crop.

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