Phytophthora infestans potato. Photo: Rasbak
Globally, huge quantities of crop protection agents are sprayed to control potato late blight. To make potato farming more sustainable and less reliant on sprays, we need crops that are inherently resistant to such diseases.
“There is a continuous ‘arms race’ between the potato plant and Phytophthora,” says Vivianne Vleeshouwers, a plant scientist at Wageningen University & Research.
The plant fiercely defends itself when it can detect an invasion of this notorious fungus-like pathogen (known as an oomycete). Detection immediately triggers several defence responses, such as making part of a leaf die off in a controlled manner to stop the spread of the disease. However, Phytophthora, like many notorious crop pathogens, can repeatedly bypass detection by means of mutating.
Read the full article in the JanFeb2024 sample copy
Authors: Wageningen University & Research, University of Tübingen (Germany), The Sainsbury Laboratory in Norwich
Published in International Pest Control – January/February 2024 issue.
Category: Agriculture
