Maladies de la pomme de terre causées par des oomycètes

Abstract

Of the numerous pest and diseases that affect potato growth and tuber production, diseases caused by three oomycete species pathogens, such as late blight, pink rot and watery wound rot (leak), often result in the greatest crop-production and post-harvest losses. Specifically, potato late blight can completely destroy a growing, healthy crop in a matter of a couple of weeks under favourable climatic conditions. Meanwhile, potato pink rot and leak (watery wound rot) can result in major or complete post-harvest tuber losses even when crop growth has visibly been healthy. Extensive knowledge about disease occurrence, impact and symptoms has been acquired in the past 50 years about these diseases. Meanwhile, improved investigation techniques have begun to reveal complexities regarding aspects of pathogen biology and disease development that were poorly understood. Similarly, advances in agricultural production systems have led to evergreater needs for improved disease management methods. However, the increasing demands for high quality, low priced and safe food produced in an environmentally benign manner places further needs for more research on interactions among the pathogen - host - environment - human complex. This chapter summarizes various aspects of these issues and contains selected references for further information on these disease issues.