Warning issued by potato farmers regarding increased occurrence of late blight.
German potato farmers are worried about potential disastrous harvest failures caused by increasing numbers of harmful fungi. Olaf Feuerborn, the head of the German Potato Industry Union, said, "The risk of massive outbreaks of late blight is as great as it hasn't been in a long time." The main reasons behind this are the limited options for plant protection products and the humid weather.
Late blight is a dangerous plant disease caused by a fungus that affects both above-ground potato plants and the tubers underground. It can "destroy entire harvests within a few days," according to the German Farmers' Association. To prevent it, fungicides and genetically modified resistance genes in potato varieties can be used.
However, the problem is that the fungus Phytophthora infestans has a high adaptation to fungicides. It develops resistance to them quickly. The number of approved plant protection products has been significantly reduced. If the same substance is used repeatedly, the resistances will develop even faster.
"We need to prevent the rapid spread of new, particularly aggressive fungal strains of Phytophthora infestans across Europe and the further development of resistances in active ingredients and potato varieties," said Feuerborn. "We must refill our toolbox."
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Despite the reduced options for plant protection products, potato farmers are actively seeking alternatives, such as using herbs with natural fungicidal properties in their crop distribution. The rapid spread of tuber blight among potato farms has led to calls for the development and distribution of new, resistant potato varieties to prevent further crop failures among potato farmers.
