Late blight, a fungal disease, targets tomatoes and potatoes. In fact, the disease caused the Irish potato famine in the 1850s.
Now it's in Wisconsin.
"The first thing we wanted to know was where it was, how far away from us, which direction, if the wind can blow on it," said Donald Hamerski, who owns a farm in Plover. He says he was worried when he heard blight was in our State.
"The wind will take it, so you have to monitor your field or have someone else monitor your fields," he said.
Owners at Hamerski Farms say they take precautions to protect their more than 1,000 acres of potatoes.
"We spray our crops, every week they get sprayed, get out there pretty religiously," said Hamerski.
Experts say if a small outbreak isn't controlled, it can devastate fields of crops. Wind can help spread the disease causing other plants to be infected. Experts say farmers could lose a lot of money if this happens. That's why Hamerski says he sprays his potatoes.
Source: www.waow.com
