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Papua New Guinea's potato industry expected to bounce back from potato late blight disease

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A ProMED-mail post
ProMED-mail is a program of the International Society for Infectious Diseases

A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases <http://www.isid.org>

Date: January 17, 2008
Source: Pacific Magazine [edited]
<http://www.pacificmagazine.net/news/2008/01/17/17m-potato-industry-on-rebound>

Papua New Guinea's (PNG) K 50 million [USD 17 million] potato industry is expected to bounce back this year [2008] after it was hit by the potato late blight disease (PLB). The PNG government body Fresh Produce Development Agency [FPDA] is forecasting a full recovery of the industry this year after the disease wiped out most of the crop's seed base in PNG's Highlands region since its discovery in Enga province in 2003. The agency said a quick intervention program put in place with the support of partner agencies National Agricultural Research Institute and National Agriculture Quarantine Inspection Authority, fresh food and agriculture-oriented companies Alele, Chemica and Farmset, and donors NZAID and AusAID ensured the industry did not face total ruin.

Upon its discovery in Enga and its spread to the Western Highlands, Southern Highlands, Simbu, and Eastern Highlands between February and April last year [2007], the agency decided to divert all its resources to the eradication of the disease. "FPDA management committed the organization to fight the disease by redirecting funds," said FPDA Manager (production and supply division) Robert Lutulele. He added that the agency's elite potato seed production program had enabled over 100 000 households in the PNG Highlands to grow the crop before the outbreak of the disease.

Potato prices in PNG supermarkets reached a high of K 10 [USD 3.34] per kilogram but have dropped to K 5 [USD 1.67] per kilogram. While the disease nearly destroyed the industry, Lutulele said the outbreak enabled the agency to gain experience on how to combat future threats. "FPDA has gained a wealth of experience from this problem and is now consolidating the local production base and systems to strengthen the industry from succumbing to adverse biophysical factors in future," he added.

The agency's seed program currently covers over 20 certified seed growers living in the Southern, Western and Eastern Highlands provinces, unlike the pre-PLB period when it had 80 seed growers. Lutulele is adamant the PNG potato industry will return to its "glory days" prior to the PLB outbreak and could surpass its production targets in 2010. "FPDA is committed as ever to bringing back the industry because it serves many rural farmers,"
he said.

[byline: Alexander Rheeney, Port Moresby]

--
communicated by:
ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>

[Potato late blight is caused by the fungus _Phytophthora infestans_, which can also infect other solanaceous crops such as tomato or eggplant. It is one of the most important potato diseases worldwide, with reported yield losses of up to 75 per cent. It affects leaves as well as tubers and is favoured by cool, moist conditions. The fungus is spread by plant material (including seed tubers), wind and water, and solanaceous weeds can serve as pathogen reservoirs. Other fungi and bacteria often invade blight-infected tubers resulting in total tuber breakdown.

Worldwide, considerable variation in aggressiveness between different isolates of _P. infestans_ has been observed. A severe form of PLB was responsible for the Irish potato famine in the late 1840s. PLB is a concern in many countries because new and even more virulent strains continue to emerge. Some of these can destroy a potato plant in a matter of hours and a complete crop within days. There are 2 mating types of the fungus, A1 and A2. Where both are present, reproduction occurs sexually as well as asexually, increasing the chances of strains with higher fungicide resistance and increased yield losses to evolve.

A1 has spread worldwide; A2 is currently present in northern Europe, northern and Central America, and parts of Asia.

Disease management includes preventative fungicide treatments of seed tubers as well as fungicide sprays of crops. PLB-resistant potato varieties are available, and more are being developed for use in specific areas. A lack of adequate seed tuber treatments has been responsible for a number of outbreaks, especially in developing countries, and may also have triggered the current epidemic in PNG.

Fungi of the genus _Phytophthora_ (ancient Greek: "plant destroyer") are found worldwide, and many species belong to the most aggressive and most important plant pathogens. The fungi are associated with serious blight and rotting disease in a range of crops; for example: _P. palmivora_ (more than 150 tropical host species; budrot of palms, cocoa black pod); _P. capsici_ (more than 50 host species including cucurbit and solanaceous vegetable crops); _P. megakarya_ (cocoa black pod); _P. sojae_ (root and stem rot, soybean) _P. nicotianae_ and _P. citrophthora_ (citrus root rot); _P. fragariae_ (wilt and root rot of berry crops). _P. cinnamomi_ has caused immeasurable damage to native vegetation, natural environments and habitats in Australia. _P. kernoviae_ and _P. ramorum_ are considered serious pathogens of native trees and shrubs and introduced ornamentals in Europe.
Synergistic interactions with climatic extremes are considered a major cause for general decline of forests.

Maps of Papua New Guinea:
<http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/australia/papua_newguinea_pol89.jpg>
and <http://healthmap.org/promed?v=-6.5,145.2,5>
Pictures
PLB tuber symptoms:
<http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/2007/01/070102132649.jpg>
PLB leaf symptoms:
<http://www-biol.paisley.ac.uk/bioref/Chromista/potato_blight.jpg>
Links:
Disease information, history, and background:
<http://www.apsnet.org/online/feature/lateblit/>, and <http://www.olympusmicro.com/micd/galleries/brightfield/potatoblight.html>
Management of potato diseases including early and late blights:
<http://archives.eppo.org/EPPOStandards/PP2_GPP/pp2-02-e.doc>
Late blight information and resources via:
<http://www.potato.org.uk/department/knowledge_transfer/fight_against_blight/advice_blight.html
_P. infestans_ taxonomy:
<http://www.indexfungorum.org/Names/NamesRecord.asp?RecordID=232148>
Global Initiative on Late Blight:
<http://gilb.cip.cgiar.org/>
Impact of _Phytophthora_ species:
<http://www.baumkrankheiten.com/downloads/phytophthora-importance.pdf>
_Phytophthora_ taxonomy and species list:
<http://www.indexfungorum.org/Names/names.asp?strGenus=Phytophthora> - Mod.DHA]

[see also in the archive:
Fungal diseases, potato - Bangladesh 20080107.0091
2007
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Late blight, potato - India (02): (Punjab, W Bengal) 20071221.4099 Late blight, potato - UK: new strains 20071207.3939 Late blight, potato - India: (Punjab), alert 20071116.3715 Fungal diseases, vegetable crops - Canada: cucumber, potato 20070730.2442 Late blight, potato & vegetable fungal diseases - Europe 20070708.2174 Late blight, potato - India, UK 20070509.1491
2006
---
Late blight, potato - India (Kashmir) 20060424.1200 Late blight, potato - USA (AK), Bangladesh 20060324.0911
2003
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Late blight, potato - Papua New Guinea 20030306.0554
2002
---
Potato late blight, potato - Canada (Newfoundland) 20020818.5091
2001
---
Phytophthora infestans, potato late blight - Russia 20010620.1177 2000
---
Potato late blight, global research efforts 20001031.1903 Potato late blight: global initiative 20000516.0765
1996
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Potato late blight: global threat 19960617.1123]

 

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