How to control Late Blight of Potato

摘要

Potato is one of the most important vegetable crops of Punjab. It is grown over an area of 87.24 thousand hectares with an average yield of 250 quintals per hectare. It is used both as an independent vegetable and is also mixed with other vegetables such as brinjal, cauliflower, cabbage, peas, beans, spinach etc. It is the cheapest sources of carbohydrates, vitamins A and C as well as some minerals. Diseases are the major constraints in the profitable cultivation of potato crop. Potato crop is attacked by a number of diseases, of which late blight is the most devastating fungal disease that causes huge yield losses. The disease can cause 80-90 per cent yield losses if it appears early in the season, i.e. before tuberization. The disease attack is more severe in Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Ropar, Kapurthala, SBS Nagar and Amritsar districts, but, its severity is low in south-western districts of Punjab. The disease generally appears in Punjab in the first or second week of November. The early potato cropwhich is sown in the beginning of September and harvested in mid-Novemberescapes the attack of late blight due to high temperature during the period. The main-season crop which is sown in October is attacked severely due to favourable weather conditions. The losses due to this disease can be prevented by adopting effective control measures as given below: