Comment on The pesticide Maine potato farmers use to control disease is being banned around the world

PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — University of Maine Cooperative Extension crops specialist Steven Johnson is letting the region’s potato growers know that they might consider changing the ways they control the disease late blight in the coming years. Johnson, who has worked with Cooperative Extension for more than 30 years and runs the late blight forecast, said there have been recent national and international changes in the regulation of the fungicide chlorothalonil, and that growers may want to start transitioning to using newer chemicals. “I’m trying to give a heads up,” Johnson said.