Has anybody sprayed any chemicals (herbicides) near your garden? It looks suspiciously like herbicide drift might have gotten to them. But without an in-person, hands-on look, diagnosis is just a guess. Your local extension office may be able to help.

Sandy

Thanks Sandy. We haven't done any spraying at all, and no one else around has either (there really isn't anyone else around actually). Unless something came in with the composted manure . . .

I didn't look at your photos, but the mention of "composted" manure makes the case likely. Potato foliage is super-sensitive to any fresh or remotely fresh or "hot" manure. Or any compost that is still somewhat active. I once put leaf compost out of a steaming huge pile on some vigorously growing vines and even though the pile was probably more than a year old the stuff shrivelled and killed the vines in short order.

Pnbrown, did your leaves turn yellow as well? Mine are nice and green, not wilted but curled. I'm new to growing potatoes, but would have thought burned leaves would be washed out or yellow.

I wish I could post working hyperlinks so the photos could be seen easier, without having to cut and paste.

Thanks for the comments so far!

It might be a virus (potato leaf roll virus), there are alot of pictures of infection pictures on the internet. that would not affect every plant though and may tend to be passed on in the seed peices.

But the really severe knotted growth looks like herbicide damage. I have trouble killing invasive honeysuckle stumps (and other things) and after treatment they put out knotted growth that looks a lot like your potatoes. Any chance someone used "weed and feed" pellets thinking that it was just a fertilizer. Some of the herbicides in the herbicide mixes for brush and broad leaf weeds stay active in the soil for months.....because you don't want dandelions popping up in your yard two weeks after you treat it.

I've been considering Potato Leaf Roll Virus, but my leaves look a little different to me. It could be that though. Funny that my plants have it so bad, and my neighbors have no trouble at all and we have the same seed stock! I used composted barn manure, maybe there was herbicide in the manure?

You can insert the photos into your post if you'd like. When you're logged into Picasa, look toward the right of the picture, click where it says "link to this photo" then copy/paste the info for the link or to embed the photo, whichever you want to do, then just paste it into your post.

Here is a link that might be useful: Tales of a Transplanted Gardener

TY Greenbean08 for the tip on posting pix! Also a avery interesting link. I'll try posting the pix again.
{{gwi:65891}}From 2009-6
{{gwi:65892}}From 2009-6
{{gwi:65893}}From 2009-6

And the Tomatoes are doing the same thing:
{{gwi:65894}}From 2009-6

I spoke with our extension agent today and he also suggest Herbacide. I'm asking around with the people that supplied the manure in hopes of finding out more. Will post back when I find out.

Ok, we've nailed the culprit. Herbicide is to blame. I checked with the lady the provided the manure, and her garden is doing the exact same thing as mine. Peas yellow and stunted, tomato crowns wilted and curling, potatoes gnarled and knotted etc.

We don't know how her manure got tainted, because she's really careful with her horses, and takes great care to feed them clean hay. However, the facts all point back to only one option, and that's herbicide.

Now we have to try to find out what chemical was used and how long till we can grow things in the garden. Also, we're wondering if it's even safe to eat the produce, such as corn that doesn't seem to be affected, but was grown in the same soil. I never thought to question "home grown" manure, but sure will now!

Check this out about half way down the page

http://mailman.cloudnet.com/pipermail/compost/2001-May/008282.html

">In both composting operations, it is believed that the source of the

>herbicide contamination was from the feedstock materials used in the

>manufacture of the windrows and piles. Picloram is an active ingredient

>found in products currently labeled for use in hay crops. The harvested

>forage, when ingested by livestock, introduces the herbicide compound into

>the digestive tract of the animal where it is quickly passed via excrement.

>Any manure or manure saturated bedding that is used in the manufacture of

>the compost then appears to serve as a source of contamination. "

I have some potatoes that did the same thing. However, I see the hay scattered around your plants and I am wondering if the Herbicide could come directly from the hay. I planted potatoes in several (6) places and covered only some of them with hay. Only those plants with the hay around them have wilted. The rest look great! I did not use any manure on any of them.

I also questioned the straw, but my brother has the same straw and no problems. Also the person I got the manure from has the same trouble I'm having, so that pins it right back to the manure.