Potato Blight thrives in warm and damp conditions. This disease also affects, although typically to a lesser extent, eggplants and peppers, as well as related weeds such as nightshade. Although this disease is best known as being responsible for the Irish potato famine in the 1840's we have to go back 3.5 centuries to look at a some of the history of the potato. Potato Blight is caused by the Phytophthora infestans fungus This fungus can also infect other members of the potato family, Solanaceae such as tomatoes. Late blight spores germinate at humidity levels above 90 percent and temperatures between 50 and 78 F. (10-26 C,), but grows explosively at the cooler end of the range. Early blight can be an equally serious problem. It was responsible for the great Irish Potato Famine of the 1840's, leaving over 1 million people dead from famine-related diseases and resulting in the exodus of more than 1.5 million people from Ireland. For a gardener, there is very little that is more heartbreaking than pouring time, energy and money into a crop only for it to fail. Late blight (Phytophthora infestans) fungus is in the same genus as the fungus causing pink rot (P. erythroseptica) (see "Tuber Rots"). In the harvest of 1845, between one-third and half of the potato crop was destroyed by the strange disease, which became known as 'potato blight'. Late blight of tomato and potato is a potentially destructive fungal disease in Maryland home gardens. Potato blight is caused by a fungus, of which there are two different types – Alternaria solani in Early potato blight and Phytophthora infestans in Late potato blight.

Late blight remains the single most important potato disease, costing the industry an estimated £50 million a year in crop protection chemicals during a typical blight pressure season. True to its name, the disease occurs later in the growing season with symptoms often not appearing until after blossom. When these conditions occur together for a couple of days or more then infection by potato blight is a distinct possibility. Luckily, modern gardening has brought about a new age where we have the tools […] Whether it be late blight fungus, which was responsible for Irish Potato Famine, or early blight, which can be just as devastating to a potato plant, potato fungus can destroy your potato … Found on tomato and potato plants, late blight is caused by the fungus Phytophthora infestans and is common throughout the United States. Figure 1_2. by Matt Gibson About Late Blight Late blight is a fungus called Phytophthora infestans, which affects tomatoes and potatoes. Potato late blight is one of the most serious diseases of potatoes, caused by the fungus Phytophthora infestans, and the disease that single-handedly caused the Irish Potato Famine of the 1840s. That said, prompt action can prevent the disease from spreading, so you can save most of your crop. Note that there is no cure for potato blight once your plants are infected. 2.2 Late Blight of Potato. Late blight of potato is an example par excellence of the impact that a "fungal" disease has had on the political, economic and social atmosphere of several nations. Over the last few years, two dominant strains, 13_A2 and 6_A1, have been found. Although there are other fungal diseases of potatoes, for many gardeners, the number-one concern is blight. Late blight is a serious and widespread disease of the Solanaceae family. If caught early, before 10% of the foliage is infected, you can attempt to stop potato blight from spreading. Late blight lesion on a potato leaf.Gray or brown lesions surrounded by a light green (chlorotic) area are very characteristic of late blight.Lesions that look like this are about one week old. This is the same disease that caused the Irish potato famine in the 1840s. Late blight fungal disease was the cause of the devastating Irish potato famine in the 1800s. It spreads via airborne spores on the wind until it lands on a susceptible plant and the weather conditions are right for it to develop, warm and humid. A less likely source of infection is through water. In case you were wondering, late blight is the plant disease that is responsible for the famous Irish potato famine of 1845. It was not possible to eat the blighted potatoes, and the rest of 1845 was a period of hardship, although not starvation, for those who depended on it. Late blight was responsible for the Irish potato famine in the mid-nineteenth century (Daly, 1996). It is a serious disease for potatoes and outdoor tomatoes , but … Potato late blight is caused by the oomycete pathogen Phytophthora infestans (P. infestans).The pathogen is best known for causing the devastating Irish potato famine of the 1840s, which killed over a million people, and caused another million to leave the country. Potato late blight, caused by the fungus Phytophthora infestans, is one of the most important potato diseases in the world.