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During emergence, all your potato plants appeared normal. You didn’t observe any blackleg at that time. As the season progresses and the temperatures increase, however, you begin to notice wilted plants scattered throughout the field (Photo 1). When you look at the base of these plants, you see the stem is dark brown to black near the soil line (Photo 2). When you pull the plant from the ground, the lower stem is black and decayed (Photo 3), but not as slimy as you would expect with typical blackleg. The inside of the stem is hollowed out (Photo 4). What is causing this problem?
Dr. Jeff Miller, a plant pathologist, is the president and CEO of Miller Research, Rupert, Idaho.
He can be contacted by phone: (208) 531-5124; cell: (208) 431-4420; jeff@millerresearch.com
