Impact of seed potatoes infected withPhytophthora infestans (US-1 or US-8 genotypes) on crop growth and disease risk

Abstract

As the surface area with late blight symptoms of seed tubers increased, the incidence of plant emergence decreased. This relationship was more dramatic with the US-8 genotype than the US-1 genotype ofhytophthora infestans, causal agent of late blight. However, when seed tubers were inoculated with both US-1 and US-8 isolates, the plant growth responses were generally intermediate to those obtained with the two genotypes alone. More resistant cultivars (eg. Dorita, Island Sunshine, and Sebago) had greater plant emergence and less seed rot than more susceptible cultivars (eg. Green Mountain and Shepody) but the response differences between resistant and susceptible cultivars was less clear with US-8 as most cultivars had 100% seed rot. Seed handling treatments affected crop growth and disease risk; as the inoculum levels and in some cases, the pre-planting storage period increased, plant emergence decreased generally due to greater seed rot incidences. Of the one registered seed treatment fungicide and several non-registered and/or experimental fungicides tested, only two significantly improved plant emergence.

During three years of study, “diseased” seed treatments generally led to seed rot except in 1996 when one plant in one experimental plot of infected seed had subsequent spread of the disease to the foliage. Furthermore, within one week, a field epidemic developed outwardly from the single infected plant due to the occurrence of favourable weather conditions. Further research opportunities are discussed relative to the impact of infected seed on crop growth and disease risk