Abstract
Powdery scab, a root and tuber disease caused by the pathogen Spongospora subterranea f.sp. subterranea (Sss), poses a major problem to potato producers worldwide because it affects potato quality. Inoculum can be seed-borne or originate from contaminated growing media or contaminated equipment. During 2006, a potato mini-tuber production facility in Ceres in the Western Cape Province of South Africa had an outbreak of powdery scab. The purpose of this study was to detect Sss in the production facility and identify the source or sources of contamination so that corrective measures could be taken to eradicate the pathogen. Swab samples were taken from numerous points in the facility in 2009 and Sss-specific primers (Sps1 and Sps2) were used in a polymerase chain reaction to detect Sss. Of 11 surfaces tested, 6 were positive for Sss. A second set of swab samples was taken after efforts were made to eradicate the pathogen through improved facility hygiene measures to determine whether these corrective measures were efficient . Corrective measures resulted in a disease-free harvest from 2009 onwards. This novel study has value for the mini-tuber industry as production tunnels can be tested for the presence of Sss and other pathogens before planting to ensure that, where suitable control measures are available, disease-free mini-tubers are produced.
Highlights
Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is one of the most important food crops, both in developed and developing countries
A total of 40 swab samples were taken during August 2009
The occurrence of powdery scab in this South African minituber production facility was of great concern as the planting material used in this mini-tuber production facility was from a certified laboratory and good phytosanitary measures were followed, indicating that the subterranea f.sp. subterranea (Sss) contamination was most likely introduced through the imported coconut peat
Summary
Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is one of the most important food crops, both in developed and developing countries. Over the past two decades, potato production has more than doubled in developing countries.[1,2,3] there is an increasing demand for seed tubers that are true-to-type, disease-free and high yielding.[4,5,6] In potato seed-tuber production, each cycle of newly produced tubers are progeny of plants that developed from previously planted seed-tubers. These are commonly known as potato seed-tuber generations. To reduce this problem growers use tissue culture multiplication, known as mini-tuber technology.[3,7] In this system, potato seed tubers are first multiplied in vitro via nodal cuttings in tissue culture and in the field giving rise to true-to-type and disease-free plant materials.[3,7]
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