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Preventing late blight next season

Purdue University plant pathologist Dan Egel says steps can be taken now to prevent late blight from showing up again next spring in tomatoes and potatoes.

“We know it hit tomatoes and growers were aware of the damage, but we are not sure if Indiana potatoes were infected or how many,” he said.

Because growers may not have noticed late blight on potato vines, Egel is concerned that if the disease affects the tubers, the fungus could overwinter and cause problems again next year.

Among the steps that the plant pathologist says can be taken; throwing away any potato seed pieces saved from 2009, plow under the potato crop, rotate tomatoes and potatoes to new ground for the 2010 crop and pull any volunteer tomatoes and potatoes next year.

“We normally don’t worry about volunteer tomatoes and potatoes, but next year growers need to be vigilant and pull any that may come up,” Egel said. “They could continue to spread late blight.”