A new Blight Alert service has been launched by Syngenta, allowing users to receive advance warnings of blight risks for the first time.

Free of charge to growers, agronomists, advisors, packers and processors registered on the Syngenta potato website, alerts can be received on specific areas by mobile phone SMS text message, email or fax. In addition, by selecting the most appropriate automatic in-field blight assessment recorder for their crop, growers can receive specific Blight Alert updates direct to their phone, fax or computer - in time for pro-active crop management.

Potato manager Garth Bretherton explained: 'There is a wealth of valuable information available to help growers tailor blight programmes more accurately to disease risks. But it only becomes really useful is we can deliver the details in time to make improved agronomy decisions. Blight Alert is utilising all the communication tools available for the rapid dissemination of information to make the crucial difference.' Another new feature for Blight Alert will be within the on-line archive of the season's blight risks and incidences, enabling growers to look back, evaluate and learn from the timing and success of fungicide applications. 'Using the archive of disease risk at a given time in the season, growers can clearly justify their fungicide decisions, applications and product choice to buyers, packers and processors, Bretherton added.

'It will automatically help potato growers to meet one of the objectives of the Voluntary Initiative, as well as making best and most appropriate use of fungicides at the right time through the season.' The British Potato Council (BPC) has urged growers and their advisors to take advantage of the new forecasting system. Knowledge Transfer manager Rob Clayton said: 'Part of our independent role has been to investigate various forecasting systems and Blight Alert is something we believe can be utilised to make informed crop protection decisions.'