[raisedbed]

I noticed some of the leaves on my Queens going like this,is it blight or could it be something else with the amount of rain we have been getting?

[Hammer]

I,m sorry to say that looks like Blight to me, i had it last year. Others on this forum will confirm. If it is blight, this is what i did last year.
1) Cut down ALL folioage from potatoes and destroy, do not compost.
2) Leave spuds alone for two weeks, the spores will still be alive on the soil, but with nothing to feed off they will be dead within a fortnight.
3) Dig spuds and use as you need them, you can leave them in the ground untl you need them. or store, the blight will not get to the tubers with all the foliage gone, i take it the leaves only started to go brown today.
4) make sure you get every last spud out of the ground to prevent contamination for next year.
This is what i did last year and was able to dig spuds for two months after cutting off the foliage.. Also the same disease will transfer to Tomatoes, if you have any Tomatoes growing spray with Dithane straight away.
Best of Luck- i hope i am wrong but i don,t think so!
Regards Hammer

[raisedbed]

Thanks for the reply
Just another point, were I have them planted is in raised beds at the side of my house which kinda is a natural wind tunnel between trees and the gable wall, the potatoes I have planted at a different part of my garden are the picture of health with not an ounce of discolourment , I wondering could a frost or the wind have burned the leave as the new leaves coming through on the same plant look very healthy?

[Sive]

We've had a lot of wind lately, and I would think that looks more like wind damage to me....I'm no expert, but I've seen blight, and I thought it first showed as dark patches on the leaves.
More experienced punters will tell you for definite......just wanted to say don't panic yet !

[michael brenock]

does not look like blight to me, check the underside of the leaf and see if there is white mould there. If the mould is present then it is blight. Looks more like weather damage to me.
michael brenock horticultural advisor (retired)

[medieval knievel]

is it a bit cold for blight at the moment?

[James Kilkelly]

Looks like chill wind damage to me.

[raisedbed]

Thanks for all the great replies, there's no mould under the leave and with the healthy looking fresh leaves I'm hoping it is only the cold that has done it,fingers crossed it turns out a good ending for them

[Gautama]

To the best of my knowledge there has been only one blight warning this year. That was a weekend, about three weeks ago, and was in the south Munster area only. What pare of the country are you in?
I would advise against taking blight measures (such as cutting the haulm) until blight has been identified. There's no advantage in losing the crop due to blight paranoia rather than losing it to blight. Either way you lose.
I've written a few posts here on blight paranoia.
I've been growing potatoes in an allotment for the past five years, including Lumpers and Pink Fir Apple (both prone) and I've never seen blight and I've seen lots of blight paranoia. I didn't even spray last year.
I think I've actually got a paranoia about Blight Paranoia

[sirpsycho]

Just a small bit of info I stumbled across on blight. Might come in handy and help everyone figure out when blight conditions are occuring in your area.

Blight forecasting has often been based on the occurrence of "Smith periods". A "Smith period" is a 48 hour period in which the minimum temperature is 10°C or more and the relative humidity exceeds 90% for at least 11 hours during the first 24 hours and for at least 11 hours again during the final 24 hours. However, any period of warm, humid weather increases blight risk.

[Hammer]

Very glad to be wrong on this one.
Good Luck - Hammer