An international consortium has released a map which tracks the European spatial distribution of Phytophthora infestans in 2019, the plant pathogen responsible for potato late blight. The map uses data which visualizes the distribution and diversity of dominant clones in the 2019 crop.
Plant pathologists from the EuroBlight consortium, which includes the James Hutton Institute, Aarhus University, Wageningen University and INRA, along with industry and research partners, compiled the map as part of their latest report on pathogen monitoring in potato crops. The report includes information from approximately 1,800 samples collected and genotyped.
It was found emerging clones of Phytophthora infestans rose from 10 per cent in 2016 to 40 per cent in 2019 in frequency. Regional differences exist though as frequency declined 10 per cent or less between 2018 and 2019 in The Netherlands and Britain, but remains at 25 per cent in Belgium and France.
The weather in 2019 was very dry and unfavourable for late blight development in some regions but very conducive for blight in other regions like Denmark and Northern Britain, the report states.
For more information from the report visit the EuroBlight website.
