A ProMED-mail post
ProMED-mail is a program of the
Date: 6 Oct 2009
Source: Express India [edited]
Heavy rainfall is causing the price of potato to increase steadily.
Heavy rains have damaged the potato crop in Sangli, Satara, and Kolhapur [Maharashtra state]. The potato crop is also affected because of late blight disease. "Supply of potato is down by 30 percent," said Vilas Bhujbal, director of the Agriculture Produce Market Committee.
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Communicated by:
[Potato late blight (PLB) is caused by the fungus-like organism _Phytophthora infestans_ and can cause 100 percent crop loss. The pathogen can also affect tomato and some other solanaceous crops. It is spread by plant material (including potato seed tubers), wind and water. PLB disease management generally relies on fungicide treatments of seed tubers and crops, but new and more virulent strains are emerging frequently. For more information on PLB see links below.
While PLB often causes problems in the region of India and its neighbours, the disease has been extraordinarily rampant this planting season (2008-2009), with outbreaks reported earlier from Punjab and West Bengal (previous ProMED-mail posts listed below).
Weather conditions have been partly blamed, but it must be considered that lack of efficient certification of seed potatoes may be playing a role in these recent outbreaks as well. Emergence of a new strain with increased fungicide resistances can also not be excluded.
Maps
India:
Maharashtra:
Maharashtra districts:
Pictures of PLB symptoms:
Links
Late blight fact sheets:
Disease history and background:
Late blight information and resources via:
_P. infestans_ taxonomy:
Global Initiative on Late Blight:
- Mod.DHA]
[see also:
Multiple pathogens, tomato, capsicum, strawberry - India 20090622.2284 Late blight, potato - India, Bangladesh: update 20090310.0989 Late blight, potato - India (02): (WB) 20090131.0435 Late blight, potato - India: (PB) 20090103.0018
2008
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Late blight, potato - India, Canada alert 20080815.2534 Potato diseases - India: (West Bengal) 20080206.0477
2007
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Late blight, potato - India (02): (Punjab, W Bengal) 20071221.4099 Late blight, potato - India: (Punjab), alert 20071116.3715 Late blight, potato - India, UK 20070509.1491
2006
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Late blight, potato - India (Kashmir) 20060424.1200]
