ST. JOHN, New Brunswick, Aug. 11 (UPI) -- New Brunswick officials confirmed Monday the province's first case of potato blight, and warn the fungal disease may spread in wet and humid conditions.
The blight was discovered in a potato field near Fredericton.
The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. said the fungal disease leads to the rapid death of foliage, blossom or the whole plant, and can destroy an entire unprotected potato crop within two weeks.
A decade ago, the blight caused $5 million in damage to potato crops in New Brunswick.
Late blight is one of the world's most serious potato diseases, causing the Great Potato Famine in Ireland between 1845 and 1849. During those years, a blight ruined Irish potato crops and hundreds of thousands died from hunger and disease.
