A thunderstorm across Prince Edward Island has brought some much needed rain to the Island’s potato fields, however it may be too late for some, the Aug. 26 agronomy update from the P.E.I. Potato Board, says.
“There are other fields that are effectively dead and that will be too late for this rain, unfortunately. It will be interesting to see how the plants respond after so long without rain…hopefully they will perk up and start bulking tubers rather than crashing,” the report says.
Rain totals ranged from as much as 70 millimetres in Central Lot 16 and Miscouche to as low as five millimetres in Oyster Bed to Savage Harbour. Most areas received on average about 20 millimetres, the report notes.
Some fields have been top-killed now, particularly early tablestock and creamers. Reports from farmers and the P.E.I. Potato Board have the average set number similar to 2018 and behind the average.
“The dry weather in late July and early August definitely meant that we had some aborted tubers, unfortunately.”
There has been some concern of scab on potatoes in non-irrigated fields. There has also been reports of higher amounts of wireworm damage in some fields, particularly on the south shore, the report notes.
