WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports-Potato Famine Fungus Found in Plattsburgh

Potato Famine Fungus Found in Plattsburgh

Plattsburgh, New York - June 30, 2009

The plant fungus that caused the Irish Potato Famine in the 1840s has shown up in Plattsburgh, and experts say residents need to act quickly.

It's called "late blight" and it affects eggplants, potatoes and tomatoes. The fungus hasn't made it this far north in about a decade, but it moves quickly and can kill an infected plant in as short as a week and a half. The signs that your plants have late blight are brownish lesions on the leaves which make them look wet. Late blight was discovered in the region at unnamed major box stores on Friday. It came to the area because a vegetable wholesaler apparently sold the stores infected tomato plants.

Officials say if you've bought any tomato, eggplant or potato plants that were not grown locally you should throw them out. However, do not compost or burn the infected plant because the spores will travel up to four miles.

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