Phytophthora Conundrum
Problem statement:
Late blight is a destructive disease of potato foliage and tubers, causing severe yield and quality losses. Conventional control relies heavily on fungicides, while organic systems have no effective tools beyond sanitation and more resistant varieties. Phytophthora infestans is rapidly evolving, very quickly developing fungicide resistance and overcoming host resistance genes, creating increasingly capable and aggressive variants.
Societal and policy pressures demand a 50% reduction in pesticide use by 2030, coupled with the withdrawal of active ingredients from available products, highlighting the urgent need for sustainable, effective management strategies that, at the same time, reduce the chemical dependence and input.
Integrated approach:
By combining more resistant cultivars, cultural practices, real-time monitoring, decision support and precision interventions, the IPM/ICM framework addresses both conventional and organic systems. This integrated approach aligns with Farm to Fork policy goals for pesticide reduction, adapts to evolving pathogen populations, and protects yields, tuber quality, and environmental sustainability, offering a resilient, proactive solution to the challenges posed by late blight.
Practical recommendations:
- Rotation and sanitation
Use diverse rotations, remove volunteers, manage waste piles and destroy infected plants to reduce inoculum sources. - High-quality seed and resistant cultivars
Plant certified seed and select varieties with stacked resistance genes to lower disease risk and input needs. - Soil and field hygiene management
Prevent survival of infected tubers and minimise carry-over of oospores between seasons. - Monitoring and decision support
Apply weather-based forecasting and risk tools to optimise timing of interventions. - Targeted, integrated control
Use chemical or biological treatments only when necessary within an IPM/ICM framework.
Additional information
Benefits:
- Reduced pesticide use
Lowers fungicide applications while maintaining effective late blight control, supporting EU reduction targets. - Sustained disease control
Reduces selection pressure on Phytophthora infestans, slowing resistance and virulence development. - Improved yield and tuber quality
Protects foliage and tubers, limiting yield losses and defects across production systems. - Greater system resilience
Integrates resistance, cultural practices, monitoring and targeted interventions to address evolving pathogen populations. - Lower input costs and dependency
Optimised treatment timing reduces chemical costs and reliance on limited fungicide options. - Environmental and societal benefits
Decreases contamination risks, supports biodiversity and improves public acceptance. - Broad applicability
Suitable for conventional, low-input and organic farming beyond sanitation-only approaches.
Integrating breeding for IPM into the deployment landscape for wheat, potatoes and grain legumes
Ongoing | 2024-2028
- Main funding source
- Horizon Europe (EU Research and Innovation Programme)
- Geographical location
- Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Spain, Serbia, Switzerland, UK