A new, aggressive strain of late blight (Phytophthora infestans), the fungus
that caused the Irish potato famine in the 1840s, is devastating potatoes and
tomatoes throughout the US and eastern Canada, warn scientists in the US.
William Fry at Cornell University in New York State and Stephen Goodwin at
Purdue University in Indiana say the strain, called US-8, is resistant to
metalaxyl, the fungicide most commonly used to treat late blight. In Plant
Disease (vol 81, p 1349), they claim that US-8 is now so dominant and widespread
that controlling it will be 鈥渧ery difficult鈥.
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Mind
‘Remarkable’ discovery upends our understanding of how brains store memories
News
Humans
DNA reveals a society organised around women in pre-Roman Britain
News
Physics
Quantum entanglement is key to solving 250-year-old maths problem
News
Space
The most breathtaking photos of the total solar eclipse
News
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles