Met Éireann has today (Friday, July 21) issued a Status Yellow warning for potato blight for the entire country.
According to the national forecaster, weather conditions conducive to the spread of the disease, including humidity, are expected to develop from 7:00p.m this evening until 1:00p.m on Sunday (July 23).
Opportunities for spraying will be limited due to unsettled conditions with rain or showers expected on most days.
Blight is the most important disease which affects the potato, in terms of the economic losses and environmental impact of disease management in Ireland.
According to Teagasc, around €5 million is spent by potato growers on fungicides annually in Ireland to mitigate the impacts of blight.
Potato blight is a disease caused by a fungal-like organism called Phytophthora infestans.
The disease spreads rapidly in humid weather in the foliage of potatoes and tomatoes, causing the foliage to decay and the potato to be infected.
Met Éireann
Meanwhile, the weather forecast shows that today will be cloudy with rain and drizzle moving southeastwards across the country.
The rain may be heavy or prolonged at times in the north and west which could lead to localised flooding.
The westerly winds will veer southwesterly later and freshen on Atlantic coasts. Highest temperatures of 15° to 19°.
Tonight will be wet with rain and drizzle; some heavy downpours will bring a risk of spot flooding.
It will be humid and mild as temperatures stay between 12° to 15° in a light to moderate southwest wind.
Saturday (July 22) will be remain wet with some heavy and persistent spells of rain, especially earlier in the day.
It will again be humid as temperatures range from 16° to 20° in light to moderate southwest to westerly winds.