Diseases and pests

September 23, 2021 | Articles

Wageningen University scientists solve mystery: ‘This is how Phytophthora infestans invades plants’

In a unique collaboration, plant pathologists, cell biologists and physicists from Wageningen University & Research (WUR) have found the answer to the question of how the notorious Phytophthora infestans pathogen finds its way through the outer protective layer on the leaves of agricultural crops.

July 30, 2021 | News

New machine for sustainable pest control in potatoes: the Colorado Beetle Catcher

Two new prototypes of the Colorado Beetle Catcher, a new way of mechanical pest control, have been developed in 2021.

July 23, 2021 | News

Mystery solved: ‘This is how potato blight pathogen penetrates plant’

Research results by Wageningen scientists open up new avenues for protecting crops more effectively, efficiently and sustainably against Phytophthora infestans.

May 25, 2021 | Blogs

What effect does climate change have on fungal potato diseases?

When potato originally was introduced from South America to Europe and from there was distributed globally, hardly any diseases and pests came along. Possibly initially only healthy true seed was brought on the ships and no tubers with diseases crossed the ocean. The first widely reported incidence, disaster rather, of an introduction of a major…

January 11, 2021 | Blogs

Fungus diseases: Rhizoctonia canker (black scurf) in potatoes

Rhizoctonia solani (Thanatephorus cucumeris) is a commonly in soil occurring fungus, which causes damage to many crops. It causes a range of symptoms in potatoes. Most damage in seed potato crops is caused by the presence of sclerotia on the tubers. This symptom is known as black scurf.

December 28, 2020 | Blogs

Fungus diseases: Silver scurf in potatoes

Silver scurf is caused by the fungus Helminthosporium solani. It is a very common potato disease which only develops on tubers. In the field early varieties usually become more severely affected than late maturing ones.