As Britain’s potatoes continue to struggle to keep their heads above water, blight is spreading at dangerous levels. But scientists at Wales’ Bangor has come up with a potato to beat the blight.
The weather proof potatoes will be on view at the trust open day on August 2.
"We hear of flooded fields, waterlogged soils and the dreaded blight getting out of control," says the University’s Dr David Shaw.
"This summer, the weekly sprays to control the blight have been difficult or impossible to apply and then the heavy rain washes the spray off again.
Farmers across the UK are battling with blight and some are losing the battle, he said. The new varieties of potato are naturally bred in Hungary to grow without the assistance of pesticide, resisting many of the common diseases which sweep across Europe every summer, Shaw added.
"These are further developed by the Research Trust at Bangor University and the best varieties, which are easy to grow and good to taste, are being introduced to the U.K. market.
"These are the low-input potatoes of the future costing the earth less to grow. They are the only ones which survive when the chips are down," says Dr David Shaw.
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