Manitoba’s first case of late blight for the year was found in a western Manitoba field over the weekend.
Manitoba Agriculture plant pathologist Vikram Bisht says they can’t speculate on the source of this disease, but notes that in this case, the lesions have already reached sporulation. Bisht says farmers need to be scouting carefully for late blight.
“Especially in low-lying areas of the fields, or in areas where (plants) are protected by the tree line because the air movement is very slow in that area, so they stay wet for a longer period, and the fungus has a chance to sporulate in those areas and cause infection,” Bisht says.
Home gardeners should also be on the lookout for the disease, as late blight can affect tomato plants, too.
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