“Why did the potato go on a date with the tomato? Because it wanted to ‘ketchup’!”

Potato and tomato are not only a great pairing to eat, but they are also two of the crops that Spornado is highly focused on. Potato diseases can have a significant effect on yields and costs associated with potato production. In Canada, common potato diseases include late blight, early blight, Grey Mold, and silver scurf.

Late blight is caused by the fungus Phytophthora infestans and is the most serious potato disease. The disease can cause extensive damage to leaves, stems, and tubers. Late blight can result in significant reductions in yields (up to 100% if untreated) and the costs to prevent it are high.

Early blight is caused by the fungus Alternaria solani and is also a serious potato disease. The disease can cause extensive damage to leaves and stems. Early blight can cause yield losses ranging from 10 to 30%, depending on the severity of the infection.

Grey Mold is caused by the fungus Botrytis cinerea. The gray mold pathogen overwinters on crop debris, and pathogen spores are disseminated by wind, rain splash and irrigation. Infection requires high humidity and cool temperatures, which start to occur more frequently as rows start to close.  The economic impact of this disease is generally low, but it can mask other diseases and make accurate disease diagnosis difficult.

Silver scurf is caused by the fungus Helminthosporium solani and causes blemishes on tubers that greatly affect white and red skin table potatoes. While generally minor in the field, the disease can spread during storage and can reduce the market value of potatoes.

Tomatoes suffer from some of the same diseases that potatoes do because they are closely related species. In addition to Late blight, Early blight, and Grey Mold which also affect tomatoes, other diseases like Powdery Mildew, White Mold and Septoria leaf spot are usually more common. Each of these diseases can significantly reduce yields and affect crop quality.

Powdery mildew on tomato can be caused by two different pathogens: Pseudoidium neolycopersici and Leveillula taurica. Powdery mildew favours warm, humid conditions and fields under water stress and is much more common in tunnel production and greenhouses versus field grown.

White Mold caused by Sclerotinia affects many crop species and tomato is no exception. Generally attacking around the flowering period, it often invades through dead or injured tissue, or spent flower blossoms.

As its name suggests, Septoria leaf spot, caused by Septoria lycopersici creates a circular spot with yellow halo. The disease starts on lower leaves and spreads to younger leaves. Recommendations for management of this disease is a preventive spray program that requires weekly or biweekly applications. Losses can 100% in heavily defoliated fields.

Whether its Potato or Tomato, early or late blight, Spornado’s disease detection gives you the knowledge to make the best decisions possible. Early detection, better prevention.

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