News on Phytophthora from the United States

November 10, 2011

Idaho growers eye BASF's new GM potato

More than a decade has passed since Jim Tiede was among the growers caught up in a debacle over the first U.S. genetically modified potato variety. Even today, the American Falls, Idaho, farmer copes with the fallout of planting Monsanto's GM potato N...

October 04, 2011

Scientists look for source of Alaska potato blight

Potato late blight, that same disease that caused the Irish Potato Famine, resurfaced in Alaska this fall. This wasn’t the first time the disease, widespread in the Lower 48 and worldwide, came to Alaska. Plant pathologist Jenifer McBeath suspects it...

September 01, 2011

Late blight hits potatoes in Alaska

Late blight has shown up in the fields of two potato producers, in Palmer and Delta Junction. Alaska. The University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service is working with major potato producers to help prevent the spread.

May 10, 2011

New Late Blight Tracking System

A new USDA-funded consortium will provide nationwide tracking of late blight infections of potato and tomato. A web site currently under development will allow users to report where late blight has been found, and to sign up for automatic notifications by email or text message when late blight is found nearby.

April 06, 2011

Major late blight research project funded by the USDA

Given that world potato production is about 320 million tons per year (20 million tons per year in the United States) and world tomato production is about 120 million tons per year (13 million tons per year in the U.S.), late blight is a major problem worldwide even today.

October 29, 2010

Professor Manuel Ospina-Giraldo Receives USDA Grant to Study Phytophthora

Research by Professor Manuel Ospina-Giraldo on Phytophthora Infestans - the organism that caused the Irish Potato Famine - is being funded as part of a $999,900 “Education in Genomics-Based Microbial Forensics” grant from the United States Department of Agriculture.

October 29, 2010

Investigador colombiano recibe beca del USDA para estudiar el patógeno causante del tizón tardío

La investigación realizada por el profesor Manuel Ospina Giraldo sobre el organismo que causó la hambruna de la papa en Irlanda, será financiada por el Departamento de Agricultura de los Estados Unidos (USDA), a través de una subvención de US$ 999.900 ...

July 07, 2010

Late blight found in Walsh Country, North Dakota

Despite hot dry weather, Late Blight was found in a field in northern Walsh County in northeast North Dakota late last week.This is in addition to finds in Dickey County in southeast North Dakota and in the Carberry and Carman areas of southern Manitob...

June 30, 2010

Late Blight shows up in Washington

Potato late blight has been found and confirmed in the south Columbia Basin and Washington State University plant pathologist Dennis Johnson says more confirmations of the disease are expected this week. He says the disease was found in two locations. ...

Late blight (Phytophthora Infestans) on a potato leaf

May 20, 2010

Late blight hotlines

Worldwide, late blight is rated the worst of potato diseases. Intermittently since the 1990s, spores have turned up in commercial fields of Idaho, Washington, California and Oregon. When the spore is present it reproduces like a wildfire in cool, mois...

Defender: Green plants of the late blight-resistant potato variety Defender

May 06, 2010

Defender: Late blight-Resistant Potato variety from ARS Research

Potatoes are America’s number one vegetable crop. Per capita, Americans consume about 130 pounds annually.

April 24, 2010

Will there be a sequel to last summer's late blight with tomatoes, potatoes?

Many readers are no doubt aware of last summer's late-blight infestation, in which a fungus, Phytophthora infestans, decimated local tomato and potato plantings. The fungus overwinters in southeastern United States but does not generally overwinter in ...

August 26, 2009

MSU Plant Pathologist Willie Kirk: monitor potatoes in storage for late blight

The impact of late blight to potato growers in Michigan is clear and we estimate that many growers with crops going in to long-term storage will spend up to $350/A in crop protection products alone (not including application costs). Even such intense c...

July 15, 2009

Late Blight Found In Aroostook (ME) Potato Fields

Farmers in southern and central Maine have already reported cases of late blight in potato and tomato crops. Now the disease has spread to northern Maine.