Now, late blight disease worries potato farmers
Cases being reported from Chaurasi, Rehana Jattan, etc in Hoshiarpur district, and Adampur and Bhogpur in Jalandhar
JALANDHAR: With last year’s potato produce still lying in cold storages for want of buyers in Punjab, the potato growers who are already staring at 30% losses, now, the fear of late blight of crop is giving them nightmares.
A deadly disease for the potato crop, the late blight has started spreading wings in Sham Chaurasi, Rehana Jattan and other adjoining Hoshiarpur areas. Few cases have also been found in some parts of Adampur and Bhogpur in Jalandhar district.
Doaba, which constitutes 93% of the state’s sown area for the crop is known as the hub for potato and its seed export. With 80,000 of the 86,000 hectares under potato cultivation, the region produces 25 metric tonnes.
‘USE PREVENTIVE FUNGICIDES’
Punjab horticulture department nodal officer for potato, Paramjit Singh said, “The late blight has affected the crop of those farmers who have not sprayed the preventive fungicides Indofil M-45. Others are safe.”
“The disease spread as the weather conditions previously were not feasible. Although, the conditions are normal now, still the potato farmers need to keep a vigil. If the symptoms of late blight appear in crop, they should spray fungicides like Ridomil Gold, Curzate, Sectin and Equation Pro,” he said.
As per experts, a potato crop needs minimum 30°C during day and night. “We have also issued an advisory to farmers via messages, newspapers, radio and television,” said Singh.
Meanwhile, there are 350 cold storages that are awaiting clearance to make way for the new crop.