For the second year in a row, farmers in southern Iceland are concerned about the possibility of potato blight. In 2021, the spuds from Þykkvabær were contaminated with blight for the first time in 20 years. Growing are keeping a close eye on this year’s crop to prevent another outbreak.
Last year, potato blight flourished thanks to moisture and warm weather. All of the local potatoes perish if the disease is left untreated, according to RÚV.
Potato farmers from Þykkvabær said that the weather has been mild in 2022 and the first harvest is expected in the next few days. They mentioned that the weather is ‘warm, but not so warm at night’. This is because the mold will thrive at about nine degrees Celsius if there is also humidity.
There is a very expensive anti-fungal drug that can be used to get rid of the fungus, but it must be used when it is still very mild. Both plants and people are fully unaffected by the anti-fungal.
