Managing fungal diseases of potato

Abstract

Potato, Solatium tuberosum, is the fourth-ranked food crop used to support a growing world population because of cultivar versatility and high complex carbohydrate content. Potatoes can be stored for long periods for table and processing markets, but are plagued by storage disease problems. Diseases both in the field and during storage can be limiting factors in sustainable and profitable potato production wherever they are grown. In North America, many diseases caused by fungi are important and require a variety of management practices to reduce them to tolerable economic levels. Such diseases include late blight [Phytophthora infestans], silver scurf [Helminthosporium solani], pink rot [Phytophthora erythroseptica], dry rot [Fusarium sambucinum], verticillium wilt [Verticillium dahliae and Verticillium albo-atrum], black scurf [Rhizoctonia solani], and early blight [Alternaria solani]. These diseases have both a field and storage component, and disease management inputs may be necessary throughout the season for disease control. A continuing combination of cultural practices, planting of resistant cultivars, clean seed, crop rotation, and fungicides (plant medicines) are necessary for disease control. This presentation highlights the basics of each disease and, based on disease epidemiology, the current strategies used for control, and strategies underway for future control, including the development of resistant cultivars.