Late blight has not been reported in North Dakota, Minnesota or Manitoba. With the fair weather, late blight severity values are unchanged since Friday. Fields should be scouted for late blight, and if late blight is found, an application of Curzate is recommended.
Growers should be ready to apply the first protectant fungicide when late blight severity values reach 15, just prior to row closure, or if late blight is found in your area, whichever occurs first. Although the risk for late blight is moderate now, but growers should prepare for late blight due to inoculum carryover and sporadic rain showers.
According to Dr. Ian McCrae, both potato leafhopper and aster leafhopper numbers are very high and early this year. There are also reports of green peach aphid issues in fields without an in-furrow insecticide at planting. Growers should be watching for leafhoppers and aphids in potato fields.
The Blightline is sponsored by Syngenta Crop Protection.