Abstract
The occurrence, pathogenicity (1997 isolates only) and fungicide sensitivity of pathogens causing dry tuber rots in Scottish seed potatoes was investigated over three storage seasons between 1997 and 2000 in relation to region of production, cultivar, class and generation of seed potatoes, type of temperature control in store and earthiness of tubers. A total of 156 samples, each comprising up to ten rotted tubers, was received over the three seasons. The relative importance of each pathogen in causing rots was summarised by calculating a mean rot index that combined the prevalence of a pathogen in the samples with the incidence of tubers affected by the pathogen within those samples. Phoma foveata (gangrene) had the highest rot index, which was five times greater than for P. exigua and ten times greater than for P. eupyrena. This relationship was mirrored by the relative pathogenicities of P. foveata and P. eupyrena, as measured by size of rots developing at inoculated wounds in test tubers. Fusarium avenaceum appeared to be the greatest cause of Fusarium dry rots, having a rot index at least twice as great as that for F. solani var. coeruleum. Infection by F. sulphureum was relatively uncommon. In the pathogenicity test, F. avenaceum, F. solani var. coeruleum and F. sulphureum produced rots of similar depths and widths and larger than those of F. culmorum. The mean rot index for Cylindrocarpon spp. was slightly more than that for F. avenaceum, whereas C. destructans produced smaller rots in the tuber pathogenicity test. Region of production affected the prevalence of P. foveata and F. avenaceum, but only the occurrence of P. foveata was affected by class and generation of seed potatoes. Isolate sensitivity to thiabendazole and imazalil was examined in vitro over 2 years. Six out of seven isolates of F. sulphureum were resistant to thiabendazole, with the remaining isolate being partially resistant. The growth of two out of 34 isolates of F. avenaceum was inhibited by more than 50% only at 100 mg thiabendazole l−1. All isolates, except those of F. avenaceum,, were inhibited in their growth by more than 50% at either 1 or 10 mg imazalil l−1. However, the growth of 40% of isolates of F. avenaceum was inhibited only at 100 mg l−1. The various changes in pathogen prevalence and isolate sensitivity to fungicides recorded in this study highlight the need for regular monitoring programmes to be conducted in order that disease-control strategies can remain effective.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Boyd AEW (1972) Potato storage diseases. Rev Plant Pathol 51:97–321
Boyd AEW, Tickle JH (1972) Dry rot of potato tubers caused by Fusarium sulphureum Schlecht. Plant Pathol 21:195
Carnegie SF, Cameron AM (1991) Contamination of seed potato tubers grown from stem cutting or microplant-derived tubers by Phoma foveata and Polyscytalum pustulans in Scotland: the influence of site and fungicide treatment at harvest. Ann Appl Biol 118:27–38
Carnegie SF, Cameron AM (1992) Resistance to thiabendazole in isolates of Polyscytalum pustulans (skin spot) and Fusarium solani var. coeruleum (dry rot) in Scotland. Plant Pathol 41:606–610
Carnegie SF, Cameron AM, Hide GA, Hall SM (1994) The occurrence of thiabendazole-resistant isolates of Polyscytalum pustulans and Helminthosporium solani on potato seed tubers in relation to fungicide treatment and storage. Plant Pathol 43:961–971
Carnegie SF, Hide GA, Cameron AM, Haddon P, Hall SM (1996) Tuber health of Scottish seed potatoes. Abstracts of 13th Triennial Conference of European Association for Potato Research, pp 109–110
Choiseul J, Carnegie SF (2000) First report of Botryotinia fuckeliana causing soft rots in potato in Scotland. Plant Dis 84:806
Desjardins AE, Christ-Harned SP, McCormick SP, Secor GA (1993) Population structure and genetic analysis of field resistance to thiabendazole in Gibberella pulicaris from potato tubers. Phytopath 83:164–170
Gerlach W, Nirenberg H (1982) The genus Fusarium-a pictorial atlas. Mitteilungen aus der Biolischen Bundesanslalt fur Land-und Fortstwirlschaft 200:406
Hide GA, Read PJ, Hall SM (1992) Resistance to thiabendazole in Fusarium species isolated from potato tubers affected by dry rot. Plant Pathol 41:745–748
Kawchuk LM, Holley JD, Lynch DR, Clear RM (1994) Resistance to thiabendazole and thiophanate-methyl in Canadian isolates of Fusarium sambucinum and Helminthosporium solani. Am Potato J 71:185–192
Langerfeld E (1986) Thiabendazole resistance in Fusarium sulphureum. Nachrichenblatt des. Deutschen Pflanzenschutzdienstes (Braunschweig) 38:165–168
Langton FA (1971) The development of a laboratory test for assessing potato varietal susceptibility to gangrene caused by Phoma exigua var. foveata. Potato Res 14:29–38
Logan C (1983) Potatoes. In: Dennis C (ed) Post-harvest pathology of fruits and vegetables. Academic Press, London, pp 179–217
McKee RK (1952) Dry rot disease of potato. II Fungi causing dry rot of seed potatoes in Britain. Ann Appl Biol 39:38–43
Meijers CP (1986) Wat doen wij dit jaar aan de bewaarziekten bij pootgoed? Aardappelwereld Juli 13–15
Nelson PE, Tousson TA, Morasas WFO (1983) Fusarium species—an illustrated manual for identification. The Pennsylvania State University Press, University Park, p 193
Platt HW (1997) Resistance to thiabendazole in Fusarium species and Helminthosporium solani in potato tubers treated commercially in eastern Canada. Phytoprotection 78:1–10
Satyaprasad K, Bateman GL, Read PJ (1997) Variation in pathogenicity on potato tubers and sensitivity to thiabendazole of the dry rot fungus Fusarium avenaceum. Potato Res 40:357–366
Snowden JP (1998) Pesticide usage in Scotland—potato stores 1992, 1994 & 1996. Scottish Agricultural Science Agency, Edinburgh, 59 p
Snowden JP (2003) Pesticide usage in Scotland—potato stores 2002. Scottish Agricultural Science Agency, Edinburgh, 18 p
Thomas LA, Snowden JP (2001) Pesticide usage in Scotland—potato stores 1998. Scottish Agricultural Science Agency, Edinburgh, 20 p
Tivoli B, Deltour A, Molet D, Bedin P, Jouan B (1986) Isolation of thiabendazole resistant strains of Fusarium roseum var. sambucinum from potato tubers. Agronomie 6:219–224
Todd JM, Adam JW (1967) Potato gangrene: some interconnected sources and factors. Proceedings of 4th British Insecticide and Fungicide Conference 276–284
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Choiseul, J., Allen, L. & Carnegie, S.F. Fungi Causing Dry Tuber Rots of Seed Potatoes in Storage in Scotland. Potato Res. 49, 241–253 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11540-007-9020-y
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11540-007-9020-y