Instead of plants going poof. I think there should be at least two different variations of the event.
All crops are withering: They are losing health over time, and must be harvested immediately or they will be lost. (IRL even if there is a blight crops don't just poof, and during this event the crops should lose like 5 HP per second so not enough time for an actual harvest)
The second variation:
All crops are tainted: Anything harvested from affected crops (Anything outside a greenhouse) will have a significant chance of being poisoned/rotten.
And why does blight also attack plants in hydroponics? I never got that.
I think blight should target a single plant, then everything around it. So one field over there is taken out while the one a ways away is fine.
I work in agricultural research so I agree that they just shouldnt go poof.
I think that once blight sets in that you can harvest right away and be safe, or let it finish growing and get a lot of tainted food. If you are desperate then you eat it anyways even if it will make you sick.
How about a variation where a particular crop is ruined, but not everything?
crop specific would be better as well.
How abot distance being a factor too?
When in my main field potqatoes are dieing, The rice in the hydroponics shouldn't die too.
Expecially if the hydrophonics is on the opposite side of the base.