Scottish Researchers Tackling Potato Blight

With late blight causing many problems in potato crops in 2007, visitors to this week’s Potatoes in Practice at Dundee will be able to hear and see how extensive research in Scotland is continuing to tackle this major problem.
Potato blight is still the most important potato disease is the world and despite many advances continues to cause considerable difficulties for UK farmers.
Although faced with a difficult year in 2007, developments in host resistance and fungicide control measures mean that potato blight is usually no longer the disaster it was in the past, researchers (plant pathologists and geneticists) from SCRI and SAC continue the search for better control solutions. Their research, funded by the EU, the Scottish Executive, BPC, agrochemical companies and others, includes identifying novel host resistance, breeding new resistant varieties, understanding how to optimise blight control using fungicides, improving knowledge of the potato blight, and contributing to the BPC “Fight against Blight” programme.
SAC and SCRI scientists will be on hand at Potatoes in Practice to discuss their research on blight and other research with visitors to the event.