The Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI) has released a warning to potato farmers nationwide regarding the increased risk of late blight disease affecting their crops due to recent changes in weather conditions.
Key Points:
- Threat of Late Blight Disease: CPRI Director Brajesh Singh highlights the imminent risk posed by late blight disease, caused by Phytophthora Infestans, which can lead to significant yield losses and reduced tuber quality.
- Weather Conditions: The disease thrives in cool, moist weather, making the current climate ideal for its spread.
- Advisory Recommendations:
- In accordance with the CPRI advisory, farmers who have not applied fungicide to their potato crop or whose crops do not exhibit late blight disease symptoms should promptly administer a fungicide containing mancozeb chlorothalonil at a rate of 0.2%. This process entails dissolving 2 kg of the product in 1,000 litres of water per hectare.
- For fields where disease symptoms are present, farmers are recommended to use fungicides such as cymoxanil + mancozeb, fermion + mancozeb, or dimethomorph + mancozeb. The suggested application rate is 3 kg per hectare (1,000 litres of water) for cymoxanil + mancozeb and fermion mancozeb, and 1 kg of dimethomorph with 2 kg of mancozeb (total mixture 3 kg) per hectare (1,000 litres of water).
- The advisory underscores the significance of reapplying fungicides at 10-day intervals, based on the disease’s severity. However, farmers are warned against using the same fungicide repeatedly and are encouraged to incorporate a sticker (0.1%) with the fungicide for enhanced efficacy.
- Importance of Drainage: Proper field drainage and weed control are emphasized to prevent the proliferation of the disease-causing fungus and reduce infection risks in potato crops.
- Preventive Measures: Regular fungicide spraying intervals and the use of stickers to enhance effectiveness are highlighted as crucial steps in disease management.
- Farmers’ Role: Farmers are urged to adhere to the advisory guidelines and take necessary precautions to safeguard their potato crops from the devastating impacts of late blight disease.
