When the potatoes have been harvested, graded and put into storage a great weight has been lifted. The spuds aren’t going to be stuck in the ground due to late season rain. Grubs and bugs aren’t going to start affecting the tubers, and it looks like most of the disease issues have been avoided. They’re safe. Except there is another consideration, and that is storage diseases, discussed in this PotatoLink magazine article.

During the Australian summer, potatoes are susceptible to various pests and diseases that can thrive in the warm and humid conditions. Get the mini guide in this PotatoLink Magazine article.

On the 2nd of February 2023, PotatoLink hosted a workshop In Ballarat. Weeds, disease, seed and storage were all covered in these presentations.

Powdery scab is a devastating pathogen affecting potato growers of Australia causing annual losses estimated to top $13.4 million annually. In issue 07 of PotatoLink magazine, Prof Calum Wilson from Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture reports on his 3-year project — Mechanisms and manipulation or resistance to powdery scab in potato roots.

This webinar, delivered by Dr Robert Tegg from the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, at The University of Tasmania, focused on pink rot of potatoes. Dr Tegg provided an overview of the pathogen causing pink rot, highlighted the characteristics most favourable for the disease and its symptoms in potatoes.

Rhizoctonia Solani is a fungal pathogen comprised of many species and strains that can cause diseases in vegetable crops such as damping off, root and stem rots, and sometimes leaf blighting or leaf spots. This Soil Wealth & Integrated Crop Protection factsheet outlines the how the pathogen survives, spreads and infects plants.

Dr Phillip Wharton from Idaho University delivered this webinar on rot diseases in potatoes including Pink Rot, Leak (Pythium), Dry Rot and Soft Rot. It looked at the biology of the pathogens, symptoms and management options.

Late Blight, also known as Irish Blight is caused by the fungal-like organism Phytophthora infestans, which can exist as two mating types, A1 and A2, each with numerous strains that have developed over time. Learn more about the disease, conditions conducive to its spread and management options.

Join the PotatoLink team and guest speakers, Steven Johnson, Crop Specialist and Extension Professor from the University of Maine USA, and Rudolf de Boer, Senior Research Scientist at Agriculture Victoria, for the next webinar in the disease series - Late blight (Phytophthora infestans).

Developed by SARDI (South Australian Research and Development Institute), PREDICTA Pt is a commercial DNA testing service that can identify which pathogens are in the soil or skin of seed tubers.

In Issue 05 of PotatoLink magazine, Ryan Hall and Jenny Ekman from the PotatoLink team report on PREDICTA Pt including a 5-year case study describing its use in monitoring powdery scab and rhizoctonia on a commercial farm.

In Issue 05 of PotatoLink magazine, the Spud GP answers the question: Why are some of my spuds looking pretty ugly? As well as a comprehensive response, preventative strategies for the future are also offered.

Join the PotatoLink webinar on Black dot (Colletotrichum coccodes) presented by Dr Julie Pasche, associate professor from North Dakota State University and plant pathologist Len Tesoriero from the NSW Department of Primary Industries.

In this PotatoLink Disease Webinar series No. 2, join Jacquie van der Waals, Associate Professor, Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Pretoria South Africa as she discusses symptoms, epidemiology & management of Early Blight & Brown Spot.

Black dot is a fungal disease caused by Colletotrichum coccodes. Once considered a minor pathogen, recently there have been significant yield losses and reduced quality. Read this factsheet to know what to look for, how it spreads, and what you can do about it.

Albert Schirring covers the role of biologicals in soil health and the opportunities in enhancing crop productivity in potatoes.

Pink rot is an important soil-borne disease caused by Phytophthora erythroseptica. It can cause rots at all parts of the growing cycle. Read this factsheet to know what to look for, how it spreads, and what you can do about it.

In this online session, with a NSW focus, experienced phytopathologist Len Tesoriero will give a short presentation on early blight and other Alternaria diseases followed by a discussion with Len, Marc Hinderager and Peter O’Brien to answer questions (Q&A).

Catch up on Day 2 of the Australian Potato R&D Forum 2021, which focused on soil health and disease management. 

This research summary describes work assessing late blight of potatoes using spectral imagery collected by a drone.

The diseases caused by Spongospora subterranea (tuber powdery scab and root hyperplasia) can cause significant yield and quality loss. Not all soils are equally susceptible to this disease. This 2020 report determined factors that resulted in Spongospora suppressive soils in New Zealand.