Potato Breeding for Late Blight Resistance in Central and East Africa

Abstract

Potato late blight is a disease of great loss, which can go beyond 75% in Central and Eastern Africa. With this in mind, in order to limit the excessive use of synthetic fungicides, the use of resistant varieties is a better alternative. This study focuses on the synthesis of works already carried out in the improvement of potato resistance to late blight in Central and East Africa in order to have a general overview. For this purpose, 76 documents were consulted, including 67 scientific articles, eight books, and a web page. The literature has shown that the improvement of potato resistance to late blight in these areas is mainly based on conventional methods throughout the breeding scheme. These studies are mainly led by the International Potato Center. This review covers yield losses due to late blight, the biology of Phytophthora infestans, late blight management methods, the genetics of late blight resistance, genetic resources for late blight resistance in Central and East Africa, screening methods and breeding approaches for potato late blight resistance.