b"For a previous story about rubbery rot check out:spudsmart.com/a-new-disease-called-rubbery-rot-is-lurking-in-potato-storages/ Rubbery Rot Emerges AgainA year after rubbery rot made headlines in the U.S., it has been found in Canada.BY: ASHLEY ROBINSONIF THERES ONE thing Vikram Bisht can remember from 2013, its the horrible smell he encountered while visiting a diseased potato storage. The crop had been harvested in 2012 and was oozing a horrible odour that had the potato grower wondering what was going on.It was stinking really bad, Bisht, a plant pathologist for potato and horticultural crops with Manitoba Agriculture, says in a Microsoft Teams interview. The storage had a really bad stink, and it was basically very wet.Bisht collected a sample from the storage, and it was sent to the Manitoba Crop Diagnostic Lab for diagnosis. When the results came back the spuds were found to be infected with the soft rot bacteria, Pectobacterium carotovorum, and severalTubers infected with rubbery rot that were found in Manitoba.PHOTO: VIKRAM BISHTpieces also had a secondary rot, Geotrichum candidum, which causes rubbery rot. It wasfor academics, I think it is something veryin the email.the first time the disease was reported ininteresting, he adds. In 2019, rubbery rot was diagnosed by Manitoba. Rubbery rot is caused by the pathogenthe Manitoba Crop Diagnostic Lab in tuber Almost a decade later in 2022, NorthGeotrichum candidum, which is found insamples from multiple fields.Dakota State University Plant Pathologysoils around the world. Tubers infected withBisht himself has encountered rubbery Professor Gary Secor discovered rubbery rotrubbery rot will look wet in appearance androt again. Rubbery rot was found in a in several samples from some Midwesternhave white tufts of fungal wart-like growthsManitoba potato storage in a crop harvested potato growing states. The only otheron their skin, and they will exude a sourin fall 2023. The tubers were from a field documented cases of it in North Americamilk odour. It has been found that rubberyknown to have pink rot infections and were in 2018 when the potato and sugarrot is usually a secondary infection to tuberstested at the Manitoba Crop Diagnostic beet pathology lab at the Michigan Stateand happens in wetter fields. Lab with Geotrichum candidum discovered University received tubers from a diseasedSince the diseases initial discoveryin them. During the 2023 growing season, potato storage, and in 2020 at the Universityin 2020 in Idaho, the university lab hasthe infected fields experienced high rainfall of Idaho (U of I) when samples with rubberyreceived one to two samples of rubbery rotamounts and warmer temperatures. rot infection were received.infected tubers per year, according to JamesWhen you have infections happening on At the time, there had been noWoodhall, an associate professor and plantthe potato and it is starting to rot, then you documentation noting the Manitobapathologist at the U of I. would see the tuft of fungus growing on it detection in 2013. The Manitoba finding wasI dont think this is a major disease forand that is one of the signs that it is possibly mentioned by Bisht during a presentationIdaho, but it might occasionally cause aalso having another fungus growing on too, Secor gave in early 2023 mentioning his ownproblem if the conditions are right for it,Bisht explains, adding that this rubbery rot discovery. Bisht hadnt previously announcedWoodhall stated in an email.infection was secondary following the pink it as he found rubbery rot to be a minor issueSecor hasnt encountered rubbery rot sincerot infection. to potato growers.his 2022 detection. In an email he statedWhile the disease hasnt caused any major Many of the potato books for productionhis lab hasnt received any samples from theproblems, researchers are still on the lookout and diseases don't even mention robbery rot.2023 crop infected with rubbery rot. for it. Most suspect it has been misdiagnosed Not because it is not known, but becauseI think if rubbery rot was present, wein the past due to it being a secondary it is of extremely minor importance. Butwould have received some samples, he saidinfection. 18SPUDSMART.COMWinter 2024"