Skip to main content
ARS Home » Northeast Area » Orono, Maine » New England Plant, Soil and Water Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #237572
Title: Recent developments and challenges in the mansgement of tuber blight of potato (Solanum tuberosum) caused by Phytophthora infestans

Author
item Olanya, Modesto
item OJIAMBO, PETER - NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIV
item NYANKANGA, RICHARD - UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI
item Honeycutt, Charles
item KIRK, W - MICHIGAN STATE UNIV

Submitted to: Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/9/2009
Publication Date: 11/30/2009
Citation: Olanya, O.M., Ojiambo, P.S., Nyankanga, R.O., Honeycutt, C.W., Kirk, W.W. 2009. Recent developments and challenges in the mansgement of tuber blight of potato (Solanum tuberosum) caused by Phytophthora infestans. Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology. 31:280-289.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Tuber blight, caused by Phytophthora infestans, results in significant losses in both field production and storage of potatoes, occurring wherever potato is cultivated. Despite substantial progress resulting from decades of research, numerous challenges for managing this disease still exist. In this review, we highlight tuber blight disease components comprising of infection pathways, disease detection, tuber resistance, cultivar interactions, pathogen transmission and pathogen survival. New fungicide chemistries, novel approaches and cultural measures are presented, along with the implications of pathogen diversity, cultivar differences and edaphic factors on tuber blight incidence and control. As utilization of molecular genetics and novel sources of resistance in cultivar breeding for tuber blight improves, effective control of the disease by host-resistance is likely. However, there are many questions that need to be addressed. The quantitative relationships of inoculum load to tuber blight incidence and their interactions with edaphic factors are lacking. Forecasting or development of predictive models for tuber blight incidence in field and storage environments will greatly improve disease management. Furthermore, quantification and characterization of the interactions of P. infestans with storage pathogens (bacterial & fungi) and soil microbes have potential to improve effective management of tuber blight.