SAINT JOHN, New Brunswick (AP) – New Brunswick has confirmed its first case of late potato blight in a field in the Fredericton-Majorville area.

The agriculture department also warned Friday that the danger is extreme in all regions for the fungal disease, which is spread by spores.

It’s all due to the particularly wet and humid weather New Brunswick has endured lately.

“The humidity is (ideal) for blight and other fungi,” said Potatoes NB executive director Patton MacDonald.

“However, the farmers are out every day checking fields and if they do find some, they will act quickly.”

This growing season’s wet spell marks a complete reversal in concerns for potato farmers, who in past summers have seen their crops suffer because of a lack of rain.

The late blight fungus, which can also affect tomato plants, causes leaves to decay and can lead to the plant’s death, yield loss and tuber infections. The fungus can totally destroy an entire unprotected potato crop within two weeks.

About a decade ago, the fungus caused $5 million in damages to potato crops in New Brunswick.

MacDonald said that won’t happen again because potato growers have become more proactive in preventing late blight. If late blight is detected, the affected field and surroundings should be top-killed immediately, said the agriculture department.

The rest of the field should be sprayed at intervals not exceeding five days.

AP-ES-08-10-03 2023EDT