What is potato mold?

Potato mold is a term that can refer to one of two potato diseases. Late mold is caused by oomycete phytththora infestans , an organism that was considered a fungus, but now considered to be related to algae. It is a notorious disease of plants, which is responsible for the Irish potato famine, which led to extensive death at the age of 40. Soon blight is caused by a fungus alternaria solani . Both of these plants can also affect tomatoes and other members of the Solanaceae family. It is the most devastating in wet, cold areas such as parts of North America, China and Western Europe. The entire fields can be destroyed within one or two weeks under the appropriate weather conditions. Potatoes can easily be infected and rot later in storage, although there is only a small amount of disease in the field.

Late mold is thus serious diseases of plants that several countries considered using a biological weapon to destroy foodcountry. Devastation, which can be caused by late mold, was shown by Irish potatoine famine of the 40th century. Irish farmers came to depend on potatoes as their primary food source, and when the weather was cooled and wet, the infestation of potato mold completely destroyed the potato crop. It is estimated that 1.5 million Irish people died of hunger and emigrated the same amount to escape starvation, especially to the United States.

Initial symptoms on plants are stains on the edges of the leaves that increase to become scattered areas. If the weather is wet, white molds are formed under the leaves and potato mold spreads to kill whole leaves. With the continuing wet weather, all parts of the plant above the ground. Diseases can stop if the weather dries, use again if the humid conditions return.

fungicides should be used if the conditions prefer late mold infection. At the end of the season should be destroyed after potatoes because mOhou have a pathogen. At the end of the season, all above -ground parts of the plant should be sprayed with herbicide, so they did not go as a source of potato blight. It is ideal to use resistant potato varieties, but many of the popular varieties are sensitive. One should only use seed potatoes that are certified to be late mold without pathogen.

There are many different races Phytophthora Infestans , which differ in the types of potatoes to attack. This situation has become a more complicated spread of another type of mating. Theoretically, this pathogen can reproduce sexually and asexually. All the world, however, was asexual reproduction. There was no genetic recombation that would help make the production of a new Stdeště easier.

In order for sexual reproduction, another type of mating was needed. This type of mating was found only in Mexico up to 80. It is now spreading around the world. Not only does this mean that sexual reproduction can lead to the production of new strains and newForms of aggressive pathogens, but sexual spore can survive in the soil for years. This complicates control measures because the asexual form requires live tissue and cannot survive in the soil.

Early blight, the second form of potato mold caused by alternaria solani is generally less devastating disease. Although it is usually present anywhere where potatoes are grown, this fungal disease rarely causes losses exceeding 20%, unless it is not checked. Despite its name, it usually causes disease on mature leaves. In some areas, leaf infection is the most serious problem, while tuber infection is a more serious problem in other places.

Foliar Symptoms of early fungi are easy to distinguish and include a number of dark concentric circles that alternate with the belts of leaf leaves. At the end of the growing season, the lesion can connect and cover a large part of the sheet. If the infection of the leaves and stems is severe, it increases the chances of losing yield and possible tuber infection.

The application of leaf fungicides is the most common and effective means of control. Spraying may not be started after flowering or the first sign of the disease. In areas where the disease prevails, they should avoid susceptible cultivars. Fungi mushrooms in the soil, so rotation with different crops can help prevent infection because it can plow under the race in autumn refusal.