Steps taken to check blight in potatoes

The horticulture department and Krishi Vignana Kendra had organised a demonstration of spraying pesticides in Narasipura in the wake of spread of blight disease for potato crop under Salagame hobli in the taluk recently.

At the demonstration aimed at preparing the farmers to check the disease, deputy director for horticulture Sakheel Ahmed said cloudy climate over the past week and increase in humidity has caused the disease. He said the disease, which spreads in the air up to 10 km a day, would only aggravate if the same climate continues.

Ahmed said: “Last year potatoes were grown on 20,000 hectares of land. This year, even though seeds sufficient for over 16,000 hectares were sold, they were sown on only 8,000 hectares of irrigated land and 400 hectares of dry lands. And, the yield is also expected to be below average due to adverse climatic conditions.”

Expert Siddagangaiah said the disease found commonly in tomato crop has spread to potatoes due to prevalent climatic conditions. “However, the disease can be brought under control by spraying pesticides as a precautionary measure,” he added.

The disease can be brought under control by spraying 2.5 gm Cymocsanil and Myancojeb (Maximet or Curjet) in one litre of water or one gm Dymi Thormof in one litre of water and 3 gm Myancojeb in three litres of water once in six or seven days till the disease comes under control.

Experts pointed out that 0.5 ml of gum dissolved in one litre of water should be sprayed before spraying the pesticide.

Manjunath, Venkatesh and Basavaraj were present on the occasion.