With several cases of late blight reported on P.E.I., and warm, humid conditions perfect for its spread, the province is asking home gardeners to be on the lookout for disease in their own plants.
Late blight is a fungus that can affect potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and eggplant. It is a serious pest for commercial farmers.
"In some cases, potato growers have been removing any blighted areas from their fields," Wayne MacKinnon of the Department of Agriculture told CBC News on Thursday.
Late blight on a potato leaf
"They're following a fairly strict protocol in terms of the applications of fungicides, about once every seven days."
The fungus will appear as a greenish-black wet patch on leaves. The disease is devastating for infected crops.
The province is asking home gardeners to use fungicides registered for use in gardens. Infected plants should be immediately removed and buried, or placed in a plastic bag and allowed to break down under sunlight.
"Late blight is a disease that can spread over several kilometres, and it's important that home gardeners keep an eye on their plants which are susceptible to late blight," said MacKinnon.
MacKinnon said until the Island sees an end to the warm, humid weather, the threat of late blight will remain.
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