科技英语新闻:Potato blight found in fields in U.S. state Alaska

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- A late-season potato blight has been detected on farms in Alaska, only the fourth time the disease appear in the U.S. state since 1995, local media reported on Friday.

The disease was found this week in the fields of potato producers in cities of Delta Junction and Palmer, according to the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Alaska's second largest daily newspaper.

Farmers in both fields are working to prevent the spread of the blight, a fungus-like disease that can kill plants in the field or cause potatoes to rot in storage, the newspaper reported.

Growers have been asked to kill all affected plants within 100 feet, and plant samples from both sites will be examined to identify what type of late blight is involved.

Experts said that blight can be controlled through the use of fungicides, but the cool, damp weather this summer in the areas has created an ideal environment for the disease to spread.

Although Alaska's potato crop is tiny compared to other U.S. states, it has been viewed as a possible global source of seed potatoes in recent years because it is largely free of disease.

A local university has explored partnerships with Chinese growers to export certified seed potatoes, noted the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner report.