Operation spray less: Watershed groups keep watch for late blight in P.E.I. potato fields

Watershed groups are keeping a watchful eye out for signs of late blight in potato fields across Prince Edward Island, doing weekly checks for the spores that cause it at a dozen locations from tip to tip.

It's the second year for the monitoring program, funded and organized by the P.E.I. AgriWatershed Partnership.Thegroup's goal is to build relationships between the farming and watershed communities, and find ways to reduce the impact of agricultural runoff in Island rivers and streams.

"We looked for every opportunity to have the farming community and the watershed community collaborate. That's kind of our goal," said co-ordinator Gwen Vessey.

"Because the network of spore traps is distributed across the Island, the most efficient way to do the collections was to partner with watershed groups who were in the area."

Late blight is a disease that disfigures and destroys solanaceous (or nightshade) crops like tomatoes, potatoes, peppers and eggplants.

A fungus-like micro-organism calledPhytophthora infestanscausesbrown spots on the leaves or the fruit itself, eventually leading it to rot.

This type of blight was the primary cause of the Irish Potato Famine, leading to mass death and emigration out of Ireland in the years between 1845 and 1852 as the population's main subsistence crop rotted in the fields.

Vessey said there are six watershed groups involved in the P.E.I. late blight spoor detection project, as well as the East Prince Agri-Environment Association.

"I've been very encouraged by how willing the watershed groups areto participate," she said.

"They're very happy to do it,and we're very happy to have the help I think it provided very good information to farmers and that's the goal going forward."

'Great relationship-building project'

The Winter RiverTracadie Bay Watershed Association is one of the groups taking part.

"It's actually a very simple task, but it's so important," watershed co-ordinator Raena Parent said of the blight monitoring activity, which involves a Spornado sampler with detachable cartridges.

"Whenever you look at the mechanism, it's really cool. It collects spores through the air, and then we take that into the lab and we're able to tell if there is blight in the air and if the farmer should spray or not."

How a 'network of spore traps' helps keep watch on P.E.I.'s valuable potato crop

3 months ago

Duration 1:10

On a weekly basis, people from watershed non-profits across Prince Edward Island check in on a mechanism designed to trap spores that cause late blight in potato fields. Raena Parent (shown), the watershed co-ordinator for the Winter River-Tracadie Bay Watershed Association, and Robin Steijn with Steijn Potato Farms tell us how the science works and why this is so important for farmers.

Parent said no spores were found in the trap that her group was monitoring last year.

"This is a really great relationship-building project. We actually never really met with this farmer until this project started," she said."Now every time we're passing, we're able to say hello and the hope is to eventually start other projects with the farmer.

Being a non-profit, we really look toothers, and private landowners specifically, to help us get through any projects that we're hoping to work on. Raena Parent, Winter River-Tracadie Bay Watershed Association

"Honestly, it'sso important for our kind of work. Being a non-profit, we really look toothers, and private landowners specifically, to help us get through any projects that we're hoping to work on," Parent said.

"Without the go-ahead from them, we can't really start on our end at all. So having that relationship started through this project, that's hopefully going to then help us work not only with this farmer, but with other farmers, as they see how well this relationship goes."

The field that the watershed group is monitoring belongs toSteijn Potato Farms in York, P.E.I.

"I think it's very important to find different ways to manage things like blight," said farmer Robin Steijn."With this program, at least we have an early-warning detection, and it can help us limit the amount of sprays that we need to use."

Steijn said the watershed group also gets a glimpse into the world of farming.

"I hope they can see what we do on a day-to-day [basis] and that we're trying to work with everybody anddo as much as we can to avoid problems as much as they are," he said.

Late blight spores found in 2023

Ryan Barrett of the P.E.I. Potato Board said they have been collecting blight spores for a few years as part of a project to provide what he describes as an early-warning system for producers.

Barrett said last year was the first year they found spores, butthey didn't find any blightin the nearby field.

"It gives growers that additional information on how to plan their spray schedules," he said."If the weather conditions are not conducive to late blight, and there's no spores,then it allows them to space their spray schedule out a bit more.

If we're collecting information that tells us we can spray less, then we can spray less, and that's good for the producer and it's good for everybody. Ryan Barrett,P.E.I. Potato Board

"The weather was conducive to late blight, and we were finding spores both in P.E.I. and in New Brunswick and in Maine," he said. When that happens, "growers tighten up the schedule a little bit. "

Barrett agreed that it's valuable to have farmers and watershed groups working together.

"They're understanding why we need to collect some of this information, and what we do with it," he said.

"If we're collecting information that tells us we can spray less, then we can spray less, and that's good for the producer and it's good for everybody."