Late blight

June 22, 2020 | Blogs

Late blight (Phytophthora infestans)

In regions where potatoes are grown year-round, such as in tropical highlands, there are always spores of the disease present to infect newly emerging crops. In temperate climates in spring, the sources of inoculum are seed tubers, dumps and cull piles, volunteer plants and asexual zoosporangia or sporangia (single sporangium) blown from elsewhere by the…

November 20, 2019 | Articles

Brits are looking for new Phytophthora resistances

Plant scientists from the British University of Dundee and the James Hutton Institute are looking for new Phytophthora resistances to produce robust potato varieties. Recently, chief scientist Dr Ingo Hein received additional funding of £626,000 from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).

October 16, 2019 | Articles

Smartphone as a mini-lab for early Phytophthora detection

Researchers at North Carolina State University in the United States have developed a simple and affordable test with which Phytophthora can be traced at an early stage with the help of the smartphone. A practical application of the mini-lab has now been made in the form of a prototype.

November 21, 2018 | Articles

Computer models give new insight into sustainable phytophthora control

Wageningen University & Research recently started using computer models to make the Phytophthora infestans potato blight controllable in a sustainable way. Francine Pacilly recently obtained her doctorate with a thesis on this socially-relevant method of working. Her research provides important insights for potato growers, breeders, seed potato traders, retailers and government authorities. Resistant varieties can…