News on Phytophthora

Lack of rain has left potato growers of Hassan - a district in the Southern Indian state of Karnataka in distress.

Late blight is a potentially destructive disease of potato and tomato crops worldwide that can result in significant losses if detected too late, diagnosed incorrectly, or if not treated properly.

Potato blight changed Europe and America, and led to widespread deaths and mass emigration. And we’re not rid of it yet. But where did it come from?

Innate Potatoes, a newly-approved, genetically modified potato variety, will not be grown commercially in Canada this year, says Simplot.

According to evaluations performed by the Agricultural Research Institute of Panama (IDIAP), the producers in the highland and medium regions of the province of Cocle could start producing potatoes.

A team of scientists from The Sainsbury Laboratory (TSL) and The Genome Analysis Centre (TGAC) have developed a new method to accelerate isolation of plant disease resistance genes and - using their new method - a brand new source of blight resistance genes in Solanum americanum, a wild relative of the potato.

Research to develop potatoes with sustainable resistance against phytophthora via genetic modification with genes from wild potatoes and good resistance management ended with the publication of the scientific results. The approach resulted in potato plants which require 80% less chemical control.

The Two Blades Foundation (2Blades) announced a research partnership between 2Blades, The Sainsbury Laboratory, and J. R. Simplot Company to develop potato varieties with increased resistance to oomycete and bacterial diseases.

In 2016 a number of new crop protection products for use in potato cultivation are available in Canada

Acaban de colocar en la web de Euroblight las conferencias del último taller realizado en Brazov (Rumania) entre el 13-15 de mayo de 2015.

Scientists in Bangladesh (BARI) have successfully field-tested a genetically modified (GMO) potato resistant to late blight, one of the most devastating potato diseases. Once the regulatory trial is over in February, they will apply for release of the variety.

In Uganda, a series of field trials began in 2015 to assess whether twelve highly resistant GM plants of the ‘Desiree’ and local ‘Victoria’ variety provided by the International Potato Center CIP offer a durable resistance to late blight

Australian potato growers are being reminded to prepare for late blight, a potato disease that strikes when conditions are humid, stagnant and warm.

The Food and Drug Administration has completed its food and feed safety assessment of the J.R. Simplot Company’s second generation of Innate® potatoes. Simplot will still need to complete its registration with the Environmental Protection Agency for these potatoes before introducing them for sale in the U.S. marketplace.

Research shows that crops with stacks of two or more resistance genes from closely related species, introduced into the crop via for instance genetic engineering, combined with the simultaneous introduction of resistance management, can ensure the long-term resistance of these plants to economically significant and aggressive diseases.

The J.R. Simplot Company is pleased that the USDA has deregulated the Russet Burbank variety of the second generation of Innate™ potatoes. Simplot is looking forward to the completion of the EPA registration and FDA consultation before the second generation of Innate™ potatoes can be introduced into the marketplace.

Scientific results of the potato field trials in Flanders and the Netherlands demonstrate that gene stacking is necessary for a strong and lasting resistance to late blight (Phytophthora infestans).

Late blight has become widespread in Idaho and is called the worst Idaho late blight outbreak since 1998.