UK Spud Watch: Warm May lead to rapid crop growth; blight risk increases

What a difference a month makes – and if it is dry and relatively sunny, it’s even more pronounced. There has been a flurry of activity all along the Moray firth and after a later start, all the seed and ware crops are in the ground, and in pretty good order. With the heat now in the ground – soil temperatures of more than 19C were recorded on several days and this year’s average for May is 3C higher than last year – the crops are emerging fast. Agronomists and sprayer operators have been working hard to keep up with the growth. Blight warnings were triggered the past few days, so it’s not a time for complacency, despite the relatively dry and sunny weather during the day. Next week is going to be spent getting blight programmes in place. Read more