[devonbarmygardener]

To my knowledge, I've never had potatoes suffer from blackleg, but today I'm not sure if I have it

Anyone have a good picture of it?
The leaves of my Lady Cristal potatoes are prematurely (I feel) yellowing, some of the stems are browning, a few have brown spots on the leaves...

We haven't had enough rain for a smith period for blight, and other potato foliage on the nearby plots look green and healthy - including right next door

I'll take a pic tomorrow but any help appreciated

[solway cropper]

Just Gurgle it and you'll find plenty of pics. I lose a few plants each year to it and Lady C. seems particularly susceptible. If it looks like blackleg and you give a gentle tug on the stem it should easily pull away and be all manky. Usually the first sign is yellowing leaves and a sickly looking plant. Nowt you can do about it so harvest any spuds and get them eaten and burn the affected plant material.

[devonbarmygardener]

I did gurgle it and pictures either are non-existant or not very clear (look like blight).
Can you still eat the potatoes with blackleg then??

[mumofstig]

As long as they haven't gone mushy then you can eat them 

Does this recent thread help?

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=115206.msg1326988#msg1326988

[devonbarmygardener]

Thanks mum.

My stems certainly aren't black like that, but browning in sections - not entirely
Going to have to take a picture.

Foliage definitely stunted and yellowing in the whole batch which makes me think more blight-y, but as I say, everyones elses seem to be fine.

[mumofstig]

Mine were like this  and the stems rotten at or just below the surface.

[devonbarmygardener]

I don't have any that look that dead and as I say, it's the whole bed...

[JayG]

PCN (potato cyst nematode), otherwise known as potato eelworm, is a possibility that comes to my mind, although Lady Christl is supposed to have better than average resistance, and although it's present on my small plot it doesn't usually affect all plants equally. They do cause stunting of growth, premature die-back, and obviously a considerably reduced crop, although what you do get is still edible.

Perhaps time to dig one up - if you can see tiny white, yellow, or brown cysts on the roots or even on the spuds themselves that would confirm it (you won't actually see the 'eelworms' which cause the damage - they are too small and the females will have already turned into the cysts which contain the eggs.)

I'll cross my fingers for you that it's not PCN, and that they've just finished very early, although foliage which is stunted is a bit of a worry.

[devonbarmygardener]

I will take a picture when I go up there, but I think I'm going to have to get them up and out - they certainly won't grow any bigger with all that stunted growth

[Snoop]

Is it possible that the foliage is dying back because the potatoes are finished?

I guess you'd be familiar with that, but I thought I'd ask anyway. I often find myself panicking about disease when really all that's happened is the plant is coming to the end of its natural life.

[jaydig]

My Lady Cristl plants are dying back, with the leaves turning yellow. As they're a first early, I just assumed that they had finished their growth period. I've dug up several roots as I want them and they've all had good potatoes under them - nice size and plenty of tubers. They don't really look diseased, just a bit over the top and withered. Just like me come to think of it!

[Snoop]

They don't really look diseased, just a bit over the top and withered. Just like me come to think of it!

Me too! 

[devonbarmygardener]

I didn't realise they were a first early?

I was nearly 2 months late getting them in though

[devonbarmygardener]

As promised - pictures

I've taken close ups of the leaves and stems.

I've dug them all up - the original seed potato is mush - but only one slightly rotting fresh grown potato.

Pretty much little damage on the rest of the spuds and the potato 'bags' I also grow are unaffected it seems.

[devonbarmygardener]

And here are the potatoes:

Not too many holes compared to some varieties - just the odd potato with the eelworm holes.
They look pretty good. 8.4kg or 18 1/2 lbs of spuds