Potato soil-borne diseases. A review

Abstract

Potato crop is the fourth main food crop in the world and it will certainly feed a big part of the global population in the next years. The economical outlets for this crop are great; however, numerous diseases either soil-or airborne can cause huge losses in the production. Worldwide, about 40 soil-borne diseases affect potato and cause severe damages especially on tubers, the economically most important part of the plant. The occurrence and development of soilborne diseases depend on very diverse factors affecting either the pathogen or the plant. Favorable conditions for potato diseases development are frequently the same as the conditions needed for potato growth: temperature between 10°C and 25°C, high humidity, medium pH, etc. Adapted cultural practices such as a rotation longer than 4 years, appropriate fertilization and water management, an adapted delay between haulm killing and harvest, and dry and cool conditions for tuber storage are good ways to control potato diseases. In most cases, potato pathogens develop specific survival forms, dissemination ways and host penetration methods. The genetic variability of the pathogens implies the use of adapted diagnostic and control methods. Decision support systems developed to predict yield losses allow choosing good control methods such as the use of healthy seeds, adapted pesticides, cultural practices, and biological control agents for each potato disease. The complexity of the interactions between a pathogen and its host, influenced by biotic and abiotic factors of the environment, make the control of the diseases often very difficult. However, deep knowledge of pathosystems allows setting up integrated pest management systems allowing the production of healthy and good quality potatoes.

Genetic relationships between virulence, vegetative compatibility and ISSR marker ofVerticillium dahliaeisolated from cotton

“…Analysis of VCGs has been mainly based on pairings between complementary nitrate non-utilising (nit) mutants generated from different strains (Nitzan et al 2002;Shcolnick et al 2007;Fiers et al 2012). VCGs were first identified in V. dahliae using UV-induced microsclerotial colour mutants.…”

Modeling Pathogen DNA Content and Visual Disease Assessment in Seed Tubers to Inform Disease in Potato Progeny Root, Stolon, and Tubers

“…Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) seed tuber certification schemes help protect growers from planting diseased tubers that can exacer bate disease in the progeny crop (2,11), and are important in the production of sustainable and profitable potato crops. However, the role of seed tuber-borne inoculum and its effect on subsequent potato crop production is not fully understood.…”

“…subterra nea Tomlinson, respectively. These pathogens are able to survive for extended periods in soil, which provides an important inoculum source (11) along with the inoculum brought in on the seed tuber. Where planting occurs in new cropping areas free of soil contami nation by these pathogens, diseased or contaminated seed tubers also play a critical role in the introduction and establishment of pathogen inoculum at these sites.…”

Etiology of a Tuber Rot and Foliar Blight of Potato Caused by Phytophthora nicotianae

“…The path ogen is a freq u en t p roblem in g reenhouses and nurseries, w here it usually causes ro o t and crow n rots, cankers, stem dieback, and fo liar blights o f annual h erbaceous and perennial w oody p lant species (15,33 ,4 1 ,5 0 ,5 7 ). P. nicotianae also has been reported to cause fo liar blight and tuber rot o f p otato (9 ,1 4 ,2 5 ,4 8 ,5 1 ,6 4 ,6 5 ) but has not been considered to be o f m ajor im portance on this ho st (16) (2006,2007,2008,2009, and 2010) (64,65) suggests that the p athogen has becom e m ore prevalent and, thus, m ay be an em erging threat to potato p roduction, p a rticu larly in w arm er grow ing regions o f the southern U nited States.…”

“…S ym ptom s o f the tuber rot phase o f P. nicotianae infections are sim ilar to those associated w ith P. erythroseptica, the causal agent o f pink rot, an im portant soilbom e disease o f potato tubers in the U nited States (58) and m ost other potato-grow ing areas in the w orld (16,40,62). H ow ever, in the case o f P. nicotianae, the pink discolor ation o f infected tuber cortical tissue is not as intense as P. erythroseptica (64).…”