Following weeks of hot, dry weather scattered thunderstorms brought much needed rain to Manitoba potato fields on June 21 and 27, the June 29 provincial potato report from Manitoba Agriculture’s Vikram Bisht said. There was some hail damage to potatoes reported.
The peak for day time temperatures has been 37 C, with potato heat units between 100 to 120 per cent of normal for Manitoba, the report said. Crop water demand for spuds was met by rainfall in only a few western Manitoba fields with supplemental irrigation needed in most of the province.
“Crop is growing well and appears to be a week ahead of last year in tuberization, reaching up to two inches size by end of June. Canopy has closed-in or nearly so in most fields,” Bisht said.
There have been reports of Colorado potato beetles in central and southern Manitoba areas. The report noted there has been some wireworm feeding on a young tubers. While no late blight spores have been found in the late blight spore trap network from 17 sites, there has been early blight Alternaria spores reported in PCR tests for some sites.
“More early blight was reported in Ranger Russets, but very minimal in Russet Burbank. There was very low level of risk for late blight in the week,” Bisht said.
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