Following another hot, muggy week in Prince Edward Island potatoes are growing fast, the July 20 P.E.I. Potato Agronomy update from Ryan Barrett said.
Almost all parts of the province saw around 35 millimetres of rain fall over the past 10 days. The report noted that there has been 85 to 95 mm of rain having fallen since Canada Day.
“This moisture, plus the warm temperatures, is fuelling very rapid plant growth. A lot of fields are fully closed in now and are in flower. Some of the late-planted fields are starting to catch up a bit now and are growing quickly,” Barrett said in the report.
There are lots of potato virus Y (PVY) inoculum going around the Island. The report noted roguing of potatoes has been hard due to the heat and the amount of positive plants.
In good news there have been few reports of early blight or brown spot so far. Most growers with susceptible varieties have done one or two sprays of targeted fungicides, the report said.
“There is worry about late blight, despite the lack of spores detected in P.E.I. There have been spores detected in (New Brunswick) and Quebec in recent weeks,” Barrett said.
There have been grey mold spores showing up earlier than normal. The report noted some growers have already adjusted their use of fungicide products to address this.
European corn borer moths and egg masses are being reported also, the report said. One person said they found hundreds of moths in a trap after finding very few last year. Samples are being taken to be submitted to the University of Guelph for Bt resistance testing.
“There are some fields with Colorado potato beetle pressure, as we start to see the neonic in-furrow or seed piece control time out. Growers should be diligent to watch for CPB and rotate chemistries to maximize control,” Barrett said.
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