In Search of Better Management of Potato Common Scab

• Published in: Potato research Vol. 55; no. 3-4; pp. 249 - 268
• Main Authors: Dees, Merete W., Wanner, Leslie A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01-12-2012; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agriculture; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Cultivars; Disease resistance; Drug resistance in microorganisms; Environmental conditions; Gram-positive bacteria; Life Sciences; Pathogens; Plant diseases; Plant Genetics and Genomics; Plant pathology; Plant Sciences; Plant Systematics/Taxonomy/Biogeography; Potatoes; Soil acidity; Soil pH; Vegetables; Pathogenicity factors; spp; Thaxtomin; Gram-positive plant pathogen
• ISSN: 0014-3065; 1871-4528
• DOI: 10.1007/s11540-012-9206-9

Common scab (CS) is an important disease and quality problem in potato crops worldwide. CS degrades the appearance of the potato tubers, thereby diminishing market value. Knowledge of CS has expanded considerably over recent years, enabling improved detection of the causal pathogens and increased understanding of mechanisms of pathogenicity, and providing potential methods of modulating pathogen response for disease resistance. However, effective control of this disease remains elusive, and will require increased understanding of both the host and the pathogen. Traditional control strategies such as irrigation and reduced soil pH are not sufficient and often fail. Optimizing environmental conditions for reduction of CS can also lead to favorable conditions for other diseases. The most desirable control method would be disease-resistant potato cultivars. However, no currently available commercial potato cultivar has been shown to be completely resistant to CS. In this review, we provide an overview of potato CS caused by plant pathogenic
Streptomyces
species, recent research on mechanisms and management of the disease, and knowledge gaps that limit successful control of this ubiquitous and troublesome disease.