Fusarium dry rot of potato (Fusarium solani) – identify and control
Fusarium dry rot of potatoes is a very common disease that causes the greatest losses in potatoes during storage.
Symptoms. In the beginning, brown, slightly sunken patches appear on the tubers, of variable size and shape, with soft tissues. The flesh of the tubers rots and turns dark brown, then dries out and hardens.
Gradually the attacked tuber shrivels and shrinks a lot, the flesh turns into a white-yellowish, crumbly mass.
Transmission of the fusarium dry rot from one year to the next via conidia, chlamydospores, and resistance mycelium in the attacked plants.
Prophylaxis. Crop rotation over a period of 5-6 years, excluding solanaceous crops, using healthy tubers for planting, sorting tubers before storage, ensuring a temperature between 1-3º C and good ventilation during storage, disinfecting storage rooms before introducing tubers.