Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
11
Fungal and Bacterial Disease
Aspects in Potato Production
William W. Kirk
1
* and Phillip S. Wharton
2
1
Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Science, Michigan
State University, East Lansing, USA;
2
University of Idaho,
Aberdeen Research and Extension Center, Aberdeen, USA
Potatoes (
Solanum tuberosum
L
.
) are seriously
impacted by disease. Crop losses due to late
blight alone have been estimated as high as
US$210.7 million in the USA, with control costs
totaling US$77.1 million for fungicides. This
amounts to US$507 ha
-
1
on average, not includ-
ing non-fungicide control practices (Guenthner
et al
., 2001). This chapter presents the disease
cycles for various common and economically
significant pathogens of the potato crop and em-
phasizes where in the cycle interventions are
thought to be most effective.
In developing economies, apart from late
blight as the top-ranked problem, other destruc-
tive pathogens have high incidence. For example,
in a survey, in East Africa,
Ralstonia solanacear-
um
, the cause of bacterial wilt of potatoes, was
found on 74% of potato farms (Gildemacher
et al
., 2009). The International Potato Center
(CIP) identified other factors that could be influ-
enced by the global term “disease”. These in-
cluded improved cultivars for high and stable
yield potential that were suitable for consump-
tion; improved supply of quality potato seed
(seed systems management and seed production);
control of viruses and their vectors (through
varietal resistance, seed production, and crop
management); and control of bacterial wilt (through
varietal resistance and crop management). These
five needs were ranked high in all or most of the
potato growing regions of Asia, Africa, and
Latin America for which the respondents reported
(Fuglie, 2007).
Potato is ranked fourth in the world's food
crop production after wheat, maize, and rice
(Bradshaw and Ramsay, 2009). Potato produc-
tion has increased worldwide since the early
1990s, due largely to increases in the developing
economies of Asia and South America (Guenth-
ner, 2010). Most potatoes were grown and con-
sumed in Europe, North America, and countries
of the former Soviet Union until the early 1990s.
Recently, the increase in demand for potatoes in
Asia, Africa, and Latin America has resulted in
increased production, from less than
30
to more
than
165
million tonnes (Mt) from the early
1960s to 2007 (
http://www.fao.org/potato-2008/
en/world/index.html
). Almost 33% of all pota-
toes are grown and harvested in China and
India. However, disease incidence in both the
field and storage remains the major limiting fac-
tor in profitable potato production (Secor and
Gudmestad, 1999).
Potato production throughout the year is
not feasible in North America and other nor-
thern climates (Sonnewald, 2001); hence, long-
term storage is essential to maintain year-round
delivery of fresh market and processing potatoes.
