Diseases of potatoes

Potato tubers are rich in starch and water, which makes them a favorable environment for the development of fungi and bacteria that cause various diseases of potatoes. The country of the Soviets will briefly talk about most common diseases of potatoes, their signs, methods of struggle and prevention.

Diseases of potatoes caused by fungi

Late blight: the affected tubers are covered with hard slightly depressed spots of lead-gray or brown color, which go inward in the form of brown uneven streaks.

Alternaria: the surface of the tubers is covered with clear dentsspots of irregular shape, having a darker color than the peel. On the surface of large spots, there may be parallel wrinkles arranged around the circle. If you cut the tuber, you can see that the fabric under the stains is rotten, hard, dense, dry, has a blackish-brown color.

Fukarose dry rot: on the tubers appear dull grayish-brown spots, sweetly pressed; gradually the flesh under them dries, the skin is wrinkled, in the tub the empty spaces filled with mycelium appear.

Scab (black, ordinary, powdery, silvery): all kinds of such a disease of potato as a scab are characterized by the appearance on the surface of tubers of spots, hardens, abrasions, scabs (pustules).

Rubber rot: on the surface of the tuber appear lightlyDeep gray or brownish-gray spots that occupy an increasing area; the pulp of the tuber becomes yellowish-gray or yellowish-brown, it darkens in the air, becoming brownish-gray or black. Grayish-yellow exudate may appear on the surface of the incision.

Potato diseases caused by bacteria

Ring rot: on the longitudinal section of the tubers, a soft vascular ring of a yellowish color is seen, from which a light yellow mass is released during squeezing.

Blackleg: the tuber begins to decay from the attachment site tothe stove to the middle, the flesh turns into a mushy mass (first into light, then into darkening in air) and emits a specific musty (putrefactive) smell.

Brown bacterial rot: on the cut you can see the brown circles, from which the sticky white mucus is released, when the tubers are stored, they gradually rot, giving off an unpleasant smell.

Mixed internal rot: secondary lesion against other diseases or mechanical damage; can be different depending on the types of bacteria or fungi that develop on the affected flesh.

Diseases of potatoes: treatment and prevention

Diseases of potatoes are easier to prevent than cure: effective means of combating them do not exist. Usually they fight with potato diseases with the help of pesticides, but this negatively affects the potato's nutritional quality, human health and the environment.

therefore focus should be on preventing disease. Potato diseases usually spread with planting material. Therefore, the correct preparation of potatoes for planting is very important: only healthy beautiful tubers are used for planting.

Another method of prevention - compliance with crop rotation, since pathogens accumulate in the soil. Potatoes can be returned to their original place no earlier than 3-4 years. This will help prevent many diseases of potatoes.

Proper cleaning, transportation and storage of tubers is also very important, because Many potato diseases are caused by mechanical damage or improper storage conditions (lack of oxygen, too high and lowtemperature, etc.). These include gray and glandular spots, darkening of flesh, hollow, freezing, greening and stifling of tubers, etc. Such potato diseases are often aggravated by fungal or bacterial infection.

The best way to prevent potato diseases - is to give due attention to the proper cultivation, harvesting and storage of potatoes and very carefully select the planting material.