Effects of viruses and other potato diseases on chip color

Conclusions

Leaf roll and spindle tuber virus infected tubers can be processed into potato chips as light and uniform in color as those of apparently healthy controls. Tubers from hills showing vine symptoms of mosaic and calico virus also made equally light colored chips as the checks. Haywire and giant hill infected plants can be expected to produce tubers that will chip much darker in color. In addition it has been observed that any condition which results in necrosis of tuber tissue will also produce dark chips.

Blackleg infected tubers produce chips with dark edges while Fusarium infection and the resulting discoloration causes a dark brown ring or portion of a ring in the chip.