I know it’s been a bad year for everyone who is growing things, but I’m not sure that it helps for farmers to put the boot in and blame the poor potato harvest on people who grow-their-own. According to them we are to blame for the spread of blight. Fortunately Thompson & Morgan has mounted a stout defence of those that prefer to grow their potatoes without a weekly dose of fungicide spray and pointed home growers in the direction of the blight resistant Sarpo potatoes. We have grown them very successfully for several years and they remain healthy and green until they naturally die back. With other varieties we do what the majority of gardeners do and cut back all the foliage at the first sign of blight and dispose of the foliage by burning or binning rather than composting. Perhaps farmers should grow more Sarpo potatoes?
Just look at how well Sarpo perform compared to ordinary potatoes.
Yes they were GM potatotes.
I agree GM does open up a Pandora’s box but try telling that to someone whose family is starving. Two contrasting stories here. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/09/gm-banana-crop-disease-uganda
http://www.gmwatch.org/latest-listing/45-2006/4951-gm-cassava-fails-in-africa-492006