POTATO GROWERS across the UK should be on high alert for potato blight, following a period of warm, wet weather.

Rain showers, coupled with warming temperatures have heightened the threat of the major potato disease across many of the UK’s key growing regions.

Last summer saw disease levels peak following a period of heavy downpours, which put a stop to spraying programmes.

Although warning levels for blight haven't yet reached the same levels of severity, growers are being urged to protect their crops with robust blight prevention programmes.

The Blightwatch alert system, hosted by AHDB and the MET Office, has displayed red warnings since June 11 – indicating the highest level of blight threat – just as many crops are reaching the crucial rapid canopy growth stage.

Red alerts have been issued in England for Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, Lancashire, East Anglia and across the West Midlands.

In Scotland, fewer warnings have been issued but indicate that the same urgency and tightening of the blight programme should be a priority for growers in Angus and Ayr, and also in Ceredigion in Wales.

A prolonged period of hot, dry weather through much of April and May meant planting took place in good conditions and the disease threat remained low.

Farmers and advisors are well aware that the threat of blight will develop quickly in warm, wet weather, particularly with latent blight present in volunteer potatoes from fields that were abandoned following a difficult harvesting campaign in 2019.

The challenge is intensifying with the widespread presence of newer, more aggressive strains of late blight which make vigilance ever more important.

Corteva Agriscience’s field technical manager for potatoes, Craig Chisholm, stressed that the threat to crops is evident and urged potato growers to protect crops now with robust blight prevention programmes.

“The majority of the main crop is just embarking on the rapid growth phase, so the need to be on top of potential blight infection in new growth is key.”

Growers will now be looking for windows of dry, calm weather in which to apply their spray programmes. Mr Chisolm advocated a strong preventative strategy which keeps the canopy clean as it develops.