CPRI issues advisory as late blight disease threatens potato crops across India

The Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI) has issued an advisory for potato farmers across the country, warning of a high risk of late blight disease in the crop due to changes in weather conditions, as
Gaurav Bisht reports for the Hindustan Times.

Institute director Brajesh Singh cautioned that the Indo-Blight cast (pan-India) model has predicted a likelihood of late blight disease this year, similar to last year, and timely management is essential to save the crop from disease outbreaks.

Singh emphasised the importance of proactive management, saying, “Late blight disease can cause substantial damage to potato crops, and timely management is crucial to prevent its spread. We urge farmers to take the necessary precautions and follow our advisory to ensure a healthy and productive crop.”

According to the CPRI advisory, farmers who have not yet sprayed fungicide on their potato crop or whose crop is not yet showing symptoms of late blight disease should immediately spray fungicide containing mancozeb chlorothalonil at the rate of 0.2 % on disease-susceptible varieties.

Source: Hindustan Times. Read the full story here
Cover image: Women farmers harvesting potato crop from their fields at Sissu in Lahaul and Spiti. Credit Hindustan Times.