Late blight affects potato crop in Punjab

Late blight has severely affected the potato crop in several districts of Punjab.

There are pockets where this problem has assumed serious dimensions, particularly, in Hoshiarpur, Nawanshahar, Jalandhar, Ropar, Kapurthala and Amritsar. The extent of damage varies from 20 per cent to 90 per cent.

While the compensation announced by the state government for last year's damage of potato crop due to dense fog in December and January is still awaited, 50 per cent of the potato crop has got ruined due to high temperature, causing the blight.

"High temperature in the region has caused the spread of blight to the crop and the temperature will continue for a couple of days; the loss of crop could be about 70 per cent," said Jaswinder Singh Sangha, general secretary of the Doaba Potato Growers Association said.

Plant pathologists at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, first noticed the attack of late blight in early November in Kartarpur, Pattar Kalan in Jalandhar and Phuglana and Pur Hiran in Hoshiarpur.

At present, most of the potato crop in these areas is affected while attack is only in traces in the Nakodar block of Jalandhar.

Speaking to Business Standard, Punjab Agriculture University Plant Pathologist S K Mann today said the worst-hit varieties of potato were Kufri Chandramukhi and Kufri Pukhraj.

"The crop that has escaped the attack of late blight is the one that was sown in the beginning of September and harvested in mid November. South western districts like Bathinda, Ferozepur and Faridkot have remained free from the disease. These are rarely affected," she added.