MET ÉIREANN ISSUES WARNING TO COUNTRY’S POTATO GROWERS.
MET Éireann, the Irish National Meteorological Service, has issued an advisory for potato blight, which is in effect until tomorrow (Friday).
The affected regions are counties Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo and Sligo. In its latest farming commentary, Met Éireann said that, on Thursday and Friday, weather conditions conductive to the spread of potato blight will develop at times in parts of the west and northwest.
The Met Éireann blight season began on May 1st.
In terms of field conditions, soils are dry at the moment with some restriction to growth. Soil moisture deficits (SMDs) across all soil types are ranging from between 10mm to 25mm in the northwest and southeast to around 60mm in the east where growth is increasingly restricted.
With rain and showers at times over the week, SMDs across all soil types will vary at times but, overall, little change is expected for most, although a decrease of 5mm to 10mm is likely for parts of the northwest.
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