Blight on Sarpo Mira potatoes
 

For the last few years I've grown Sarpo Mira potatoes as blight very badly afflicts other maincrop potato varieties. They have always been successfully blight resistant.
This year, I've had a significant number of Sarpo potato plants (perhaps 10% - 15%) yellowing and showing signs of blight and, even this early, the potatoes from those plants have mushy, smelly cores to them. This seems to affect the big potatoes especially. I'm assuming this is blight and quite bad blight. I wonder whether Sarpo Mira is losing its blight resistance and whether anyone else is growing it and has similar or different experience.
Janet G

Blight on Sarpo Mira potatoes
 

On 2 Aug 2017 23:09, Janet G wrote:
For the last few years I've grown Sarpo Mira potatoes as blight very badly afflicts other maincrop potato varieties. They have always been successfully blight resistant.
This year, I've had a significant number of Sarpo potato plants (perhaps 10% - 15%) yellowing and showing signs of blight and, even this early, the potatoes from those plants have mushy, smelly cores to them. This seems to affect the big potatoes especially. I'm assuming this is blight and quite bad blight. I wonder whether Sarpo Mira is losing its blight resi
stance and whether anyone else is growing it and has similar or different experience.

Probably a new strain of Blight like we had a few years ago. Noticed
some of our outdoor Tomatoes have Blight already and we only grow
Blight Resistant varieties, Ferline, Fantasio and Crimson Crush which
again points to a new strain.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden

Blight on Sarpo Mira potatoes
 

On 3 Aug 2017 17:52, Bob Hobden wrote:
On 2 Aug 2017 23:09, Janet G wrote:
For the last few years I've grown Sarpo Mira potatoes as blight very badly afflicts other maincrop potato varieties. They have always been successfully blight resistant.
This year, I've had a significant number of Sarpo potato plants (perhaps 10% - 15%) yellowing and showing signs of blight and, even this early, the potatoes from those plants have mushy, smelly cores to them. This seems to affect the big potatoes especially. I'm assuming this is blight and quite bad blight. I wonder whether Sarpo Mira is losing its blight res
i
stance and whether anyone else is growing it and has similar or different experience.

Probably a new strain of Blight like we had a few years ago. Noticed
some of our outdoor Tomatoes have Blight already and we only grow
Blight Resistant varieties, Ferline, Fantasio and Crimson Crush which
again points to a new strain.

Just back from the plot, all the Tomatoes have the Blight and badly
too. Will have to get them all up and destroyed tomorrow. Looks like it
will be the end of outdoor Toms for us.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden

Blight on Sarpo Mira potatoes
 

On 2 Aug 2017 23:09, Janet G wrote:
For the last few years I've grown Sarpo Mira potatoes as blight very badly afflicts other maincrop potato varieties. They have always been successfully blight resistant.
This year, I've had a significant number of Sarpo potato plants (perhaps 10% - 15%) yellowing and showing signs of blight and, even this early, the potatoes from those plants have mushy, smelly cores to them. This seems to affect the big potatoes especially. I'm assuming this is blight and quite bad blight. I wonder whether Sarpo Mira is losing its blight resi
stance and whether anyone else is growing it and has similar or different experience.
Janet G

Re-reading your post I think the problem you have isn't blight, if the
larger potatoes are affected with brown cores yet look OK on the
outside it may be Spraing.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden

Blight on Sarpo Mira potatoes
 

Thanks for the suggestion of spraing. Could that lead to soft mushy smelly cores? I've read of brown rings which I haven't seen in mine.
And would spraing have come in the seed?
Janet G

Blight on Sarpo Mira potatoes
 

In article ,
Janet G wrote:
Thanks for the suggestion of spraing. Could that lead to soft mushy
smelly cores? I've read of brown rings which I haven't seen in mine.
And would spraing have come in the seed?

I believe not, in both cases. My garden had it quite badly, but I
eventually gave up potatoes. The hard brown crescents were distasteful,
but the potatoes still kept perfectly well.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Blight on Sarpo Mira potatoes
 

I always get blight on my potatoes. One solution is to grow earlies only. I have been growing Sarpo Mira for a few years now and they are usually mostly blight-free but this year is an exception; even the earlies have succumbed. I have already lost my Kestrel, Charlotte and Arran Victory varieties and now my Sarpos are also going down to the blight.