Potato Pest Report for May 15, 2017: Late Blight Possibilities Looking Robust

WSU issued their first potato pest report of the year over the weekend.

The current late blight forecast shows a more than 85 percent chance of late blight in both the North and South Basins. There is no late blight yet but culls and tuber refuse need to be eliminated, volunteer potatoes in fields where late blight was present last year need to be managed, and fields should not be over irrigated between now and row closure.

Researchers have also set their insect traps at 55 commercial fields throughout the Inland Northwest looking for the Colorado Potato Beetle, Beet Leafhopper and more.

The Colorado Potato Beetle is active in fields the Lower Columbia Basin, particularly if the field was not treated with a neonicotinoid insecticide. Potato Tuberworm was found in 59 percent of traps, but researchers say there is no reason to worry yet.

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