Richard Masson is worried about the “conventional” solution to late blight in potatoes:
When I did research on potato two years ago I noted how commercial yield had risen (in the UK) from around 30 tonnes a ha to 50 tonnes and now pushing 60 tonnes. To get this yield needs lots of water irrigation – and I came to the conclusion that blight was being facilitated by this irrigation. The answer would seem to be to apply the water in a way that does not encourage blight or to settle for less yield. If UK consumers knew how many pesticides were applied to potato the[re] would be an outcry.