Late blight can cause total crop loss in the field and in storage.
Crop losses during the Irish potato famine caused people to starve since this was their primary food source. Diligent grower scouting, early University diagnosis, prompt grower and industry response can control late blight. New A2 strains of blight are much more aggressive than their old A1 counterparts, especially under dry conditions. A2 strains such as US 8 are gaining a foothold in eastern Oregon areas formerly free of blight. Fortunately, all strains are still susceptible to many common fungicides.