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[Display omitted] • A portable assay kit for plant volatile (E) -2-hexenal, based on luminescent gold nanoclusters hydrogel, is proposed for the first time. • Michael addition reaction and etching ability of cysteine ensure anti-interference capacity. • The portable hydrogel kit demonstrates the potential for early identification of late blight in potato plants. Plants exhibit rapid responses to biotic and abiotic stresses by releasing a range of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Monitoring changes in these VOCs holds the potential for the early detection of plant diseases. This study proposes a method for identifying late blight in potatoes based on the detection of (E) -2-hexenal, one of the major VOC markers released during plant infection by Phytophthora infestans. By combining the Michael addition reaction with cysteine-mediated etching of aggregation-induced emission gold nanoclusters (Au NCs), we have developed a portable hydrogel kit for on-site detection of (E) -2-hexenal. The Michael addition reaction between (E) -2-hexenal and cysteine effectively alleviates the etching of cysteine-mediated Au NCs, leading to a distinct fluorescence color change in the Au NCs, enabling a detection limit of 0.61 ppm. Utilizing the superior loading and diffusion characteristics of the three-dimensional structure of agarose hydrogel, our sensor demonstrated exceptional performance in terms of sensitivity, selectivity, reaction time, and ease of use. Moreover, quantitative measurement of (E) -2-hexenal was made easier by using ImageJ software to transform fluorescent images from the hydrogel kit into digital data. Such method was effectively used for the early detection of potato late blight. This study presents a low-cost, portable fluorescent analytical tool, offering a new avenue for on-site detection of plant diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hourly average temperature and average relative humidity data of 260 meteorological stations in Chongqing from February to June in 2019-2023 were used to simulate the geographic distribution of spring potato late blight infection risk using the CARAH late blight model. The accuracy of the simulation was tested by using the late blight infection data of 26 monitoring stations in Wuxi county, Chongqing in 2022. Based on the geographic distribution of spring potato late blight infection risk simulated, the maximum entropy model was constructed using the climate grid data of the monthly average temperature, maximum temperature, minimum temperature, water vapor pressure and precipitation from February to June in 1970-2000 to analyze the climate impact factors of spring potato late blight in Chongqing, and to evaluate the climate risk of spring potato late blight, providing a reference for the prediction and scientific prevention of the disease. The results showed that simulations of late blight infection based on hourly weather data had high accuracy, with a false positive rate of 12.5%, false negative rate of 18.5% and TS score of 0.73. The mean area under curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) was above 0.9, indicating higher accuracy of the simulation results. Precipitation was the dominant climate factor affecting the risk distribution of late blight of spring potato in Chongqing, while relative humidity and temperature were important climate factors. Climate variables at the seedling stage and bud flowering stage had a great impact on the distribution of late blight risk. The low risk area of late blight of each maturity(early/late) and susceptibility (resistant/susceptible) combination of spring potato was less than or close to 10000km², with an average area proportion of 10.2%. The medium risk area and high risk area were both more than 30000km², with an average area proportion of 43.7% and 46.1%, respectively. The climate risk of spring potato late blight showed a spatial distribution characteristic of "high in the middle and low in the periphery" in Chongqing. The high risk area was concentrated in the parallel valley area in eastern Sichuan, the medium risk area was mainly distributed in Daba mountain area in northeast Chongqing, Wuling mountain area in southeast Chongqing, and the hilly area in central Sichuan in west Chongqing, and the low risk area was scattered in the fringe of Chongqing. Spring potato production in Chongqing area faces a high climate risk of late blight, with significant spatial differentiation characteristics. It should be addressed through reasonable production layout and improved cultivation techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precise and automatic plant disease detection represent a fundamental research topic. Indeed, traditional or manual disease detection can be laborious, inaccurate and time-consuming. In this work, a particular attention is given to automatic potato late blight disease detection. In fact, this devastating pathogen leads every year to a significant reduction in potato yields. In addition, since potatoes are a major food source for many nations, decreased production generate a real food insecurity. Therefore, considering these challenges, using advanced techniques in computer vision and machine learning allowed farmers to swiftly and accurately identify disease. The main objective of this research work is to generate a super-resolved labeled dataset (SRD) and evaluate its impact on plant disease detection. Three states of the art object detection methods (Faster-RCNN, Detr and Yolo V8) have been used to conduct an exhaustive evaluation on the effect of using a super-resolved dataset to perform detection. The obtained results show that the detection of potato late blight disease is enhanced using SRD. Training Yolo V8 model on SRD outperform other trained models in detecting very small lesions. In fact, training Yolo V8 on SRD reached higher mAP, lower Loss values and a reasonable inference time, making it suitable for real time applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microbial oomycete pathogen Phytophthora infestans causes severe epidemics of potato late blight in crops globally. Disease management benefits from an understanding of the diversity of pathogen populations. In this study, we explore the dynamics of P. infestans populations in the late blight-potato agro-ecosystem across the Indian subcontinent. Investigations of the macroecological observations at the field level and microbial ecological principles provided insights into future pathogen behavior. We use a comprehensive simple sequence repeat allele dataset to demonstrate that an invasive clonal lineage called EU_13_A2 has dominated populations over 14 years across India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. Increasing levels of subclonal variation were tracked over time and space, and, for the first time, populations in Asia were also compared with the source populations from Europe. Within India, a regional pathogen population structure was observed with evidence for local migration, cross-border movement between surrounding countries, and introductions via imports. There was also evidence of genetic drift and between-season transmission of more strongly pathogenic subclones with a complete displacement of some subclonal types. The limited introduction of novel genotypes and the use of resistant potato cultivars could contribute to the dominance of the 13_A2 lineage. The insights will contribute to the management of the pathogen in these key global potato production regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premise: The prompt categorization of Phytophthora infestans isolates into described clonal lineages is a key tool for the management of its associated disease, potato late blight. New isolates of this pathogen are currently classified by comparing their microsatellite genotypes with characterized clonal lineages, but an automated classification tool would greatly improve this process. Here, we developed a flexible machine learning–based classifier for P. infestans genotypes. Methods: The performance of different machine learning algorithms in classifying P. infestans genotypes into its clonal lineages was preliminarily evaluated with decreasing amounts of training data. The four best algorithms were then evaluated using all collected genotypes. Results: mlpML, cforest, nnet, and AdaBag performed best in the preliminary test, correctly classifying almost 100% of the genotypes. AdaBag performed significantly better than the others when tested using the complete data set (Tukey HSD P < 0.001). This algorithm was then implemented in a web application for the automated classification of P. infestans genotypes, which is freely available at https://github.com/cpatarroyo/genotypeclas. Discussion: We developed a gradient boosting–based tool to automatically classify P. infestans genotypes into its clonal lineages. This could become a valuable resource for the prompt identification of clonal lineages spreading into new regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper is devoted to study the dynamics of the infestation of potatoes owing to the occurrence of late blight disease over two successive years (2014 and 2015) in the Terai region of West Bengal. Nonlinear models have been fitted on the potato late blight data (i.e. percent disease index data). The goodness-of-fit tests on different models have been performed by the application of the following criteria, namely coefficient of determination, mean absolute error, mean absolute percentage error, average relative predictive error, Akaike's information criterion and Bayesian information criterion, respectively. The validation of the models has been carried out by the Shapiro-Wilk test and running test for conforming to the assumptions of normality and independence of the errors, respectively. Based on the application of the goodness-of-fit tests on the models, it was found that for 2014 and 2015, cubic and Gompertz models provided the best-fitted models based on the above sets of data, respectively. Using the best-fitted models referred to above, the values of two important parameters, namely (1) maximum rate of growth of the disease and (2) maximum disease severity, were determined. For the year 2014, it was observed that the maximum rate of growth of the disease occurred at 31 days after planting (DAP) and the maximum disease severity occurred at 48 DAP; however, even after the attainment of the maximum rate of the growth of the disease, the severity of the disease may increase, so it can be concluded that an additional application of fungicidal spray is necessary (when the disease is located in the field). On the other hand, for 2015, we observed that the maximum rate of growth of the disease occurred at 43 DAP. It indicates that any protection measure should be adopted at this stage (here, 43 DAP). Importantly, in an unprotected field, the late blight disease grows indefinitely as time advances infinitely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Phytophthora infestans is a major oomycete plant pathogen, responsible for potato late blight, which led to the Irish Potato Famine from 1845–1852. Since then, potatoes resistant to this disease have been bred and deployed worldwide. Their resistance (R) genes recognize pathogen effectors responsible for virulence and then induce a plant response stopping disease progression. However, most deployed R genes are quickly overcome by the pathogen. We use targeted sequencing of effector and R genes on herbarium specimens to examine the joint evolution in both P. infestans and potato from 1845–1954. Currently relevant effectors are historically present in P. infestans, but with alternative alleles compared to modern reference genomes. The historic FAM-1 lineage has the virulent Avr1 allele and the ability to break the R1 resistance gene before breeders deployed it in potato. The FAM-1 lineage is diploid, but later, triploid US-1 lineages appear. We show that pathogen virulence genes and host resistance genes have undergone significant changes since the Famine, from both natural and artificial selection. The joint evolution in Phytophthora infestans and potato over a one hundred period since the Famine is examined based on targeting sequencing of pathogen effector genes and host resistance genes from historic outbreak samples present in plant herbaria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The dirigent (DIR) genes encode proteins that act as crucial regulators of plant lignin biosynthesis. In Solanaceae species, members of the DIR gene family are intricately related to plant growth and development, playing a key role in responding to various biotic and abiotic stresses. It will be of great application significance to analyze the DIR gene family and expression profile under various pathogen stresses in Solanaceae species. Results: A total of 57 tobacco NtDIRs and 33 potato StDIRs were identified based on their respective genome sequences. Phylogenetic analysis of DIR genes in tobacco, potato, eggplant and Arabidopsis thaliana revealed three distinct subgroups (DIR-a, DIR-b/d and DIR-e). Gene structure and conserved motif analysis showed that a high degree of conservation in both exon/intron organization and protein motifs among tobacco and potato DIR genes, especially within members of the same subfamily. Total 8 pairs of tandem duplication genes (3 pairs in tobacco, 5 pairs in potato) and 13 pairs of segmental duplication genes (6 pairs in tobacco, 7 pairs in potato) were identified based on the analysis of gene duplication events. Cis-regulatory elements of the DIR promoters participated in hormone response, stress responses, circadian control, endosperm expression, and meristem expression. Transcriptomic data analysis under biotic stress revealed diverse response patterns among DIR gene family members to pathogens, indicating their functional divergence. After 96 h post-inoculation with Ralstonia solanacearum L. (Ras), tobacco seedlings exhibited typical symptoms of tobacco bacterial wilt. The qRT-PCR analysis of 11 selected NtDIR genes displayed differential expression pattern in response to the bacterial pathogen Ras infection. Using line 392278 of potato as material, typical symptoms of potato late blight manifested on the seedling leaves under Phytophthora infestans infection. The qRT-PCR analysis of 5 selected StDIR genes showed up-regulation in response to pathogen infection. Notably, three clustered genes (NtDIR2, NtDIR4, StDIR3) exhibited a robust response to pathogen infection, highlighting their essential roles in disease resistance. Conclusion: The genome-wide identification, evolutionary analysis, and expression profiling of DIR genes in response to various pathogen infection in tobacco and potato have provided valuable insights into the roles of these genes under various stress conditions. Our results could provide a basis for further functional analysis of the DIR gene family under pathogen infection conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Late Blight, also called Irish blight and brown rot, devastated potato crops in Ireland and countries in Europe in the 1840s, and led to famines, deaths, and the emigration of tens of thousands of poor farmworkers. The outbreaks were blamed on many factors, but finally it was demonstrated that the causal agent was an oomycete (water mould) Phytophthora infestans. The Queensland Government Entomologist and Vegetable Pathologist, Henry Tryon, claimed that he made the first discovery of Late Blight in Australia, on leaves and tubers of potato collected in May 1909 around Brisbane. Within three months, the disease was found in all Australian states. Tryon believed that the Queensland outbreak was caused by Phytophthora -infected planting tubers obtained from Tasmania, which growers and the government in that state initially refused to acknowledge. The Victorian Vegetable Pathologist, Daniel McAlpine, initially agreed with the Tasmanians, but later admitted that he had identified Ph. infestans in Tasmanian potato crops. A herbarium specimen of potato leaves collected in 1900 in Victoria, examined over a century later, was found to be infected with Phytophthora infestans. All the ruckus that ensued after Tryon's discovery was unnecessary; it was really a matter of where and when. Late blight, ultimately shown to be caused by the oomycete Phytophthora infestans , devastated potato crops in Ireland and other countries in Europe during the mid-late 1840s. In 1909 the disease was positively identified in Australia by the Queensland Vegetable Pathologist, Henry Tryon, who had compelling evidence that the source of the disease outbreaks was planting tubers from Tasmania. Growers and authorities in that state refused to believe the accusation but were soon proved wrong. Image credit: J. M. Berkeley (1846). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Late blight, caused by the notorious pathogen Phytophthora infestons, poses a significant threat to potato (Solanum tuberosum) crops worldwide, impacting their quality as well as yield. Here, we aimed to investigate the potential use of cinnamaldéhyde, carvacrol, and eugenol as control agents against P. infestons and to elucidate their underlying mechanisms of action. To determine the pathogen-inhibiting concentrations of these three plant essential oils (PEOs), a comprehensive evaluation of their effects using gradient dilution, mycelial growth rate, and spore germination methods was carried out. Cinnamaldéhyde, carvacrol, and eugenol were capable of significantly inhibiting P. infestons by hindering its mycelial radial growth, zoospore release, and sporangium germination; the median effective inhibitory concentration of the three PEOs was 23.87. 8.66, and 89.65 pl/liter, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that PEOs caused the irreversible deformation of P. infestons, resulting in hyphal shrinkage, distortion, and breakage. Moreover, propidium iodide staining and extracellular conductivity measurements demonstrated that all three PEOs significantly impaired the integrity and permeability of the pathogen's ceil membrane in a time- and dose-dependent manner. In vivo experiments confirmed the dose-dependent efficacy of PEOs in reducing the lesion diameter of potato late blight. Altogether, these findings provide valuable insight into the antifungal mechanisms of PEOs vis-à-vis late blight-causing P. infestons. By utilizing the inherent capabilities of these natural compounds, we could effectively limit the harmful impacts of late blight on potato crops, thereby enhancing agricultural practices and ensuring the resilience of global potato food production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Faced with increasing climate challenges, this pioneering study introduces groundbreaking approaches to ensure the resilience of potato crops in east-central Poland. Our research was aimed at developing an innovative, cost-effective system tailored to the diverse local conditions of this region. Conducted between 2018 and 2020, the study analyzed integrated and organic production systems across different soil types and potato varieties. The experiment was conducted using a randomized block design with three replications in two locations. Integrated production systems involve the strategic use of mineral fertilization and chemical protection to optimize crop growth and health, whereas organic production systems rely solely on natural inputs and biological pest control methods. Integrated practices, enhanced by mineral fertilization and chemical protection, notably delayed the onset of late blight by 16 days and extended the critical infection period by 17% compared to their organic counterparts. Remarkably, the integrated systems resulted in a 49% increase in total production and a 52% increase in commercial yields, demonstrating their effectiveness in enhancing crop resilience. Different potato varieties exhibit varied responses to cultivation systems, influencing both yield and disease resistance. Further investigation into these varietal responses can help optimize cultivation practices, leading to improved efficiency and sustainability in potato farming. Location and soil conditions have a significant impact on potato yield and the spread of potato blight. Specific soil properties such as pH levels, organic matter content, soil texture (clay, silt, and sand composition), moisture retention capacity, and nutrient availability are crucial in determining potato productivity and disease dynamics. Further research into these soil properties and the adaptation of varieties to local conditions can contribute to increased productivity and stability in potato production. This study not only paves the way toward sustainable agriculture but also highlights the crucial role of soil diversity in shaping resilient farming practices. Potato producers in the eastern-central region of Poland should implement integrated production systems using mineral fertilization and chemical plant protection, adapted to local soil conditions and potato varieties. These practices can delay the appearance of late blight and increase the total and marketable potato yield. Further research on soil properties and variety adaptation may increase production stability and efficiency. Promoting soil diversity and modern technologies will ensure resilient and sustainable agricultural production in the face of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Late blight, caused by Phytophthora infestans, is a major potato disease globally, leading to significant economic losses of $6.7 billion. To address this issue, we evaluated the antifungal activity of ZnO and CuO nanoparticles (NPs) against P. infestans for the first time in laboratory and greenhouse conditions. Nanoparticles were synthesized via a chemical precipitation method and characterized using various techniques. The XRD results revealed that the synthesized ZnO nanoparticles had a pure hexagonal wurtzite crystalline structure, whereas the CuO NPs had a monoclinic crystalline structure. TEM images confirmed the synthesis of quasi-spherical nanoparticles with an average size of 11.5 nm for ZnO NPs and 24.5 nm for CuO NPs. The UV–Vis Spectral Report showed peaks corresponding to ZnO NPs at 364 nm and 252 nm for CuO NPs.In an in vitro study, both ZnO and CuO NPs significantly (p < 0.05) inhibited the radial growth of P. infestans at all tested concentrations compared to the untreated control. The highest inhibitory effect of 100% was observed with ZnO and CuO NPs at 30 mg/L. A lower inhibition of 60.4% was observed with 10 mg/L CuO NPs. Under greenhouse conditions, 100 mg/L ZnO NPs was the most effective treatment for controlling potato late blight, with an efficacy of 71%. CuO NPs at 100 mg/L followed closely, with an efficacy of 69%. Based on these results, ZnO and CuO NPs are recommended as promising eco-friendly fungicides for the management and control of potato late blight after further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

P-type ATPase family members play important roles in plant growth and development and are involved in plant resistance to various biotic and abiotic factors. Extensive studies have been conducted on the P-type ATPase gene families in Arabidopsis thaliana and rice but our understanding in potato remains relatively limited. Therefore, this study aimed to screen and analyze 48 P-type ATPase genes from the potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) genome database at the genome-wide level. Potato P-type ATPase genes were categorized into five subgroups based on the phylogenetic classification of the reported species. Additionally, several bioinformatic analyses, including gene structure analysis, chromosomal position analysis, and identification of conserved motifs and promoter cis-acting elements, were performed. Interestingly, the plasma membrane H+-ATPase (PM H+-ATPase) genes of one of the P3 subgroups showed differential expression in different tissues of potato. Specifically, PHA2, PHA3, and PHA7 were highly expressed in the roots, whereas PHA8 was expressed in potatoes only under stress. Furthermore, the small peptide Pep13 inhibited the expression of PHA1, PHA2, PHA3, and PHA7 in potato roots. Transgenic plants heterologously overexpressing PHA2 displayed a growth phenotype sensitive to Pep13 compared with wild-type plants. Further analysis revealed that reducing potato PM H+-ATPase enzyme activity enhanced resistance to Pep13, indicating the involvement of PM H+-ATPase in the physiological process of potato late blight and the enhancement of plant disease resistance. This study confirms the critical role of potato PHA2 in resistance to Pep13. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stramenopiles form a clade of diverse eukaryotic organisms, including multicellular algae, the fish and plant pathogenic oomycetes, such as the potato blight Phytophthora, and the human intestinal protozoan Blastocystis. In most eukaryotes, glycolysis is a strictly cytosolic metabolic pathway that converts glucose to pyruvate, resulting in the production of NADH and ATP (Adenosine triphosphate). In contrast, stramenopiles have a branched glycolysis in which the enzymes of the pay-off phase are located in both the cytosol and the mitochondrial matrix. Here, we identify a mitochondrial carrier in Blastocystis that can transport glycolytic intermediates, such as dihydroxyacetone phosphate and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate, across the mitochondrial inner membrane, linking the cytosolic and mitochondrial branches of glycolysis. Comparative analyses with the phylogenetically related human mitochondrial oxoglutarate carrier (SLC25A11) and dicarboxylate carrier (SLC25A10) show that the glycolytic intermediate carrier has lost its ability to transport the canonical substrates malate and oxoglutarate. Blastocystis lacks several key components of oxidative phosphorylation required for the generation of mitochondrial ATP, such as complexes III and IV, ATP synthase, and ADP/ATP carriers. The presence of the glycolytic pay-off phase in the mitochondrial matrix generates ATP, which powers energy-requiring processes, such as macromolecular synthesis, as well as NADH, used by mitochondrial complex I to generate a proton motive force to drive the import of proteins and molecules. Given its unique substrate specificity and central role in carbon and energy metabolism, the carrier for glycolytic intermediates identified here represents a specific drug and pesticide target against stramenopile pathogens, which are of great economic importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bary, the oomycotic pathogen responsible for potato late blight, is the most devastating disease of potato production. The primary pesticides used to control oomycosis are phenyl amide fungicides, which cause environmental pollution and toxic residues harmful to both human and animal health. To address this, an antimicrobial peptide, NoPv1, has been screened to target Plasmopara viticola cellulose synthase 2 (PvCesA2) to inhibit the growth of Phytophthora infestans (P. infestans). In this study, we employed AlphaFold2 to predict the three-dimensional structure of PvCesA2 along with NoPv peptides. Subsequently, utilizing computational methods, we dissected the interaction mechanism between PvCesA2 and these peptides. Based on this analysis, we performed a saturation mutation of NoPv1 and successfully obtained the double mutants DP1 and DP2 with a higher affinity for PvCesA2. Meanwhile, dynamics simulations revealed that both DP1 and DP2 utilize a mechanism akin to the barrel-stave model for penetrating the cell membrane. Furthermore, the predicted results showed that the antimicrobial activity of DP1 was superior to that of NoPv1 without being toxic to human cells. These findings may offer insights for advancing the development of eco-friendly pesticides targeting various oomycete diseases, including late blight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Green manuring exhibits strong positive effects on soil fertility and crop yield, while its effects on agro-ecosystem multifunctionality (agro-EMF) and the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Methods: Based on a 7-year potato cropping field experiment, we conducted a holistic survey of soil and rhizosphere microbiomes, plant performance (i.e. yield and disease resistance) and soil functions, and assessed agro-EMF under conventional chemical potassium (K) fertilization and green manure (GM) amendment practices. Results: We demonstrated that GM application significantly promoted agro-EMF compared to chemical K fertilizer, as indicated by improved crop yield (5.8%-20.6%), reduction in potato late blight incidence (2.8%-46.2%), and increased soil nutrient contents. GM amendment drastically altered microbial community composition, especially in the rhizosphere. Intriguingly, agro-EMF was primarily predicted by microbial community composition, rather than microbial diversity, with a higher agro-EMF variation explained by the rhizosphere microbiome. In comparison to chemical K fertilizer, GM treatments greatly improved the complexity (58.5%-125.8%) and stability (8.2%-21.5%) of the microbial inter-kingdom network. Correspondingly, GM amendment significantly enriched keystone taxa, including the bacterial taxa Xanthomonadaceae, Rhizobiaceae and Sphingobacteriaceae, the fungal taxon Chaetomiaceae and the protistan taxon Cercozoa in the rhizosphere, of which are closely associated with soil nutrient cycling, plant growth promotion, and disease resistance. Conclusion: Taken together, our study revealed that green manuring greatly promoted agro-EMF via coordinating soil nutrient cycling, rhizosphere microbiome and microbial network interactions for greater crop yield, disease resistance and soil functions. This study provides critical information on the mechanisms of ecosystem functions maintenance in agro-ecosystems and presents a basis towards developing conservation farming practices for agricultural sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The NEGFRY system is presented in this research work as a novelty strategy for the control of potato late blight in A Limia (NW Spain). The aim was to analyse the number of fungicide applications established by NEGFRY (Decision Support System, DSS) with respect to the routine calendars of this potato production area. This approach is in accordance with the requirements imposed by European policies, participating in more profitable and environmentally friendly agriculture. For this purpose, the relationships between the pathogen and the environmental conditions and epidemiological parameters were analysed in different plots compared to late blight infection in both Routine and DSS strategies. In addition, economic and environmental impacts of fungicide sprays were also analysed to check the adaptability of the decision support system to late blight in the area. Results confirmed that it is possible to reduce sprays following the NEGFRY model by more than 50% compared with Routine applications. Therefore, NEGFRY is a promising strategy to achieve lower footprint potato yields through a reduction in applied pesticides and water, lower gas emissions and less soil compaction due to a reduction in the number of tractor passes over the soil. The commitment to this strategy contributes to improving the economy of farmers, the health of the biodiversity, the environment and consumers, as well as to comply with demands of global economies in terms of more sustainable and resilient agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Late blight, caused by Phytophthora infestans, is one of the most serious diseases affecting potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.). Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are transcripts with a length of more than 200 nucleotides that have no proteincoding potential. Few studies have been conducted on lncRNAs related to plant immune regulation in plants, and the molecular mechanisms involved in this regulation require further investigation. We identified and screened an lncRNA that specifically responds to P. infestans infection, namely, StlncRNA13558. P. infestans infection activates the abscisic acid (ABA) pathway, and ABA induces StlncRNA13558 to enhance potato resistance to P. infestans. StlncRNA13558 positively regulates the expression of its co-expressed PR-related gene StPRL. StPRL promotes the accumulation of reactive oxygen species and transmits a resistance response by affecting the salicylic acid hormone pathway, thereby enhancing potato resistance to P. infestans. In summary, we identified the potato late blight resistance lncRNA StlncRNA13558 and revealed its upstream and downstream regulatory relationship of StlncRNA13558. These results improve our understanding of plant-pathogen interactions' immune mechanism and elucidate the response mechanism of lncRNA-target genes regulating potato resistance to P. infestans infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the fourth most prevalent food crop, potato is very important in the global economy, but it is affected by numerous pests, and by many bacterial, viral and fungal diseases. Among these diseases, potato virus Y (PVY), which is transmitted from plant to plant by aphids, causes significant yield losses, but as far as we know, the economic impact of PVY in Europe has not been quantified. Our economic study covers a period of 13 years between 2004 and 2017 and is based on an analysis of statistical, economic and agronomic data, obtained from various stakeholders in the potato sector in Switzerland and the European Union, as well as from field experiments. In Switzerland, the economic loss due to PVY for seed and ware production was estimated at about 2000 and 200 CHF/ha, respectively. For the European Union, the annual losses were estimated at 187 M EUR, respectively 96 and 91 M EUR for seed and ware. These losses were due mainly to the cost of chemical treatments applied in seed potato production and the yield drop in ware potato production. However, based on literature, these significant losses are lower than those caused by potato late blight (Phytophthora infestans), which is considered to be the most economically damaging potato disease in Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Phytophthora infestans, the causative agent of late blight disease, has gained notoriety for its destructive potential, leading to substantial losses in potato yields. Although conventional systemic fungicides have been shown to be effective in controlling plant pathogens, growing environmental concerns have prompted the need for more integrated disease management approaches. Hence, in this study, the effectiveness of wild Origanum elongatum extracts as biopesticides was explored in controlling P. infestans and potentially mitigating its devastating impact in planta. Methods: The aerial parts of O. elongatumwere subjected to sequential extraction usingwater, hexane, chloroform, and methanol. The obtained extracts were tested in vitro through the poisoned food procedure for their capacity to obstruct P. infestans growth and to defeat potato blight severity in vivo. The phyto-contents (total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC)), as well as the antioxidant activities, were spectrophotometrically determined in all extracts, and the phytoconstituents of themost active extract (methanolic extract) were profiled via high-performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-PDA-MS/MS). Results: In vitro, the complete inhibition rate of the P. infestans was obtained using the methanolic extract at 5 mg/mL, followed by the hexane and chloroform extracts at 10 mg/mL. Interestingly, complete inhibition of the pathogen was achieved upon the application of the aqueous extract at 10 mg/mL. In vivo, the aqueous extract at 25 mg/mL reduced the P. infestans severity rate to 27.25%, while the methanolic extract at 20 mg/mL led to the lowest severity rate. Moreover, the hexane and chloroform extracts impaired the pathogen severity rate to 50% and 41% using 20 mg/mL, respectively. The TPC and TFC in the extracts were variable with high concentrations detected in the methanolic extract with 485.42 mg GAE/g and 58.24 mg QE/g, respectively. In addition, the methanolic extract showed the highest antioxidant activities, while the chloroform extract exhibited the lowest activity. Liquid chromatography (LC)- MS/MS analysis of the methanol extract revealed 56 components from diverse classes. These included organic acids, phenolic acids, flavonoids, tannins, and coumarins. Conclusion: These findings suggest that O. elongatum could be investigated as a potential source of antifungal compounds targeting different phytopathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Potato late blight, caused by Phytophthora infestans, is the most devastating disease on potato. Dissecting critical immune components in potato will be supportive for engineering P. infestans resistance. Upon pathogens attack, plant Ca2+ signature is generated and decoded by an array of Ca2+ sensors, among which calcineurin B-like proteins (CBLs) coupled with plant specific CBL-interacting protein kinases (CIPKs) are much less explored in plant immunity. Results: In this study, we identified that two differential potato CBL-CIPK modules regulate plant defense responses against Phytophthora and ROS production, respectively. By deploying virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) system-based pathogen inoculation assays, StCBL3 was shown to negatively regulate Phytophthora resistance. Consistently, StCBL3 was further found to negatively regulate PTI and ETI responses in Nicotiana benthamiana. Furthermore, StCIPK7 was identified to act together with StCBL3 to negatively regulate Phytophthora resistance. StCIPK7 physically interacts with StCBL3 and phosphorylates StCBL3 in a Ca2+-dependent manner. StCBL3 promotes StCIPK7 kinase activity. On the other hand, another StCBL3-interacting kinase StCIPK24 negatively modulating flg22-triggered accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by interacting with StRBOHB. Conclusions: Together, these findings demonstrate that the StCBL3-StCIPK7 complex negatively modulates Phytophthora resistance and StCBL3-StCIPK24 complex negatively regulate ROS production. Our results offer new insights into the roles of potato CBL-CIPK in plant immunity and provide valuable gene resources to engineer the disease resistance potato in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytophthora infestans is a destructive oomycete that causes the late blight of potato and tomato worldwide. It secretes numerous small proteins called effectors in order to manipulate host cell components and suppress plant immunity. Identifying the targets of these effectors is crucial for understanding P. infestans pathogenesis and host plant immunity. In this study, we show that the virulence RXLR effector Pi23014 of P. infestans targets the host nucleus and chloroplasts. By using a liquid chromatogrpahy‐tandem mass spectrometry assay and co‐immunoprecipitation assasys, we show that it interacts with NbRBP3a, a putative glycine‐rich RNA‐binding protein. We confirmed the co‐localization of Pi23014 and NbRBP3a within the nucleus, by using bimolecular fluorescence complementation. Reverse transcription‐quantitative PCR assays showed that the expression of NbRBP3a was induced in Nicotiana benthamiana during P. infestans infection and the expression of marker genes for multiple defence pathways were significantly down‐regulated in NbRBP3‐silenced plants compared with GFP‐silenced plants. Agrobacterium tumefaciens‐mediated transient overexpression of NbRBP3a significantly enhanced plant resistance to P. infestans. Mutations in the N‐terminus RNA recognition motif (RRM) of NbRBP3a abolished its interaction with Pi23014 and eliminated its capability to enhance plant resistance to leaf colonization by P. infestans. We further showed that silencing NbRBP3 reduced photosystem II activity, reduced host photosynthetic efficiency, attenuated Pi23014‐mediated suppression of cell death triggered by P. infestans pathogen‐associated molecular pattern elicitor INF1, and suppressed plant immunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Late blight, caused by Phytophthora infestans, is the most devastating disease of potato worldwide that can cause up to 100% crop loss under disease conducive conditions. The present study was carried out to evaluate and identify effective Trichoderma isolates against the disease. Thirty‐nine isolates of Trichoderma spp. isolated at Nepal Plant Disease and Agro Associates (NPDA), Kathmandu from Likhu areas of Nuwakot, Nepal were screened against P. infestans in detached leaf assay for their efficacy in reducing the lesion size of late blight. Fifteen isolates significantly reduced lesion size by 19%–46% compared with the control (water spray). Of them, top 10 isolates along with Sanjeevni (T. viride), a commercial product were tested in field experiments under natural epiphytotic conditions at Thansing and Dhikure of Likhu Rural Municipality in 2020–2021 and 2022–2023 crop years, respectively. The Trichoderma isolates significantly (p <.001) increased plant growth, tuber yield and reduced disease severity in both years. In 2020–2021, isolates, TL1‐2A, TL4‐81A and TL5‐21A reduced disease severity by 37.3%, 37.2% and 30.4%, respectively. The isolate TL1‐2A also significantly increased plant height, ground coverage and tuber yield by 41.2%, 30.3% and 72.3%, respectively compared with the control (water spray). In 2022–2023, TL1‐2A reduced disease severity by 40.2% and increased tuber yield by 46.4%. Other isolates, though significantly different from control, did not have satisfactory effect on disease control and tuber yield. In both years, the isolate TL1‐2A significantly reduced the disease, and increased plant growth and tuber yield. Thus, TL1‐2A isolate can be a potential candidate as a biocontrol agent for the integrated management of potato late blight in Nepal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to clarify the temporal and spatial dynamics in the sensitivity of Phytophthora infestans to dimethomorph, mandipropamid, and control efficacies of the commonly used fungicides against potato late blight in one-crop potato planting regions of Northern China, the sensitivity to dimethomorph and mandipropamid in P. infestans strains collected in Hebei Province, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Jilin Province from 2011 to 2019 was measured with the mycelial growth inhibition test. Also, the control efficacies of seven fungicides including dimethomorph and mandipropamid under the recommended dosages to potato late blight were assayed in the fields by spraying stems and leaves with fungicide suspensions in 2018 and 2019. The results showed the resistance frequency and resistance index of 922 P. infestans strains to dimethomorph over the years were 25.71% to 100% and 0.31 to 0.50, respectively. The resistance frequency of 890 P. infestans strains to mandipropamid over the years was 0 to 1.43% and only one resistant strain was found in 2013, and the resistance index was 0.25 for each year. The resistance frequency and resistance index of P. infestans strains in the three provinces to dimethomorph were 57.19% to 66.56% and 0.39 to 0.42, respectively. The resistance frequency of P. infestans strains in the three provinces to mandipropamid was 0 to 0.36% and the resistance index was all 0.25. The results of field efficacy trials showed the control efficacy of dimethomorph 50% WP 300.0 g a.i./hm2 (83.3% to 85.6%) were higher than those of mandipropamid 23.4% SC 140.4 g a.i./hm² (76.9% to 78.6%) and fluopimomide 50% WG 75.0 g a.i./hm² (70.0% to 71.4%). The control efficacies of cymoxanil 20% SC 162.0 g a.i./hm², fluopimomide + dimethomorph 40% SC 240.0 g a.i./hm², cymoxanil + mandipropamid 43% WG 290.3 g a.i./hm², and fluopicolide + propamocarb hydrochloride 687.5 g/L SC 773.4 g a.i./hm² were 79.8% to 86.9%. Thus, dimethomorph singly or in mixtures and mandipropamid in mixtures could be used to control potato late blight in Hebei Province, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and Jilin Province, but it was necessary to monitor the sensitivity dynamics of P. infestans to dimethomorph and mandipropamid, and apply fungicides containing dimethomorph or mandipropamid in mixtures or rotation with the fungicides of different action modes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potato late blight (PLB) caused by Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bary, its incidence and development are highly dependent on meteorological conditions. To solve the problem of PLB in mountainous terrain under the condition of limited meteorological monitoring capability, the air temperature and humidity was estimated based on the basic meteorological datasets, the forecast effect of the onset period and infection cycle of PLB based on CARAH rules was evaluated. The average MAE, RMSE and CI of the estimated air temperature and observations were 1.17 °C, 1.52 °C and 0.95, respectively. The average MAE, RMSE and CI of the estimated relative humidity and observations were 8.0 %, 10.7 % and 0.53, respectively. The curve of the infection cycle of PLB at different locations were estimated from the basic meteorological datasets based on the CARAH rules, and the false alarm and missing ratios were 8.8 % and 4.6 % respectively. It may be delayed by 1 or 2 fungal generations compared to the observations, and then the protective fungicide should be adjusted to a systemic fungicide. The false alarm of the infection cycle of PLB may increase in dry air conditions, and the missing report may occur in humid condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Late blight is one of the most devastating diseases on potato the world over, including West Bengal, India. The economic and yield losses from outbreaks of potato late blight can be huge. In this article, application of statistical models such as autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA), autoregressive integrated moving average with exogenous variables (ARIMAX) in combination with machine learning models such as, neural network auto regression (NNAR), support vector regression (SVR) and classification and regression tree (CART) have been explored to predict the percentage disease index (PDI) of potato late blight in the northern part of West Bengal. Models were developed to predict PDI at 3- and 7-days interval using the weather variables viz., rainfall, maximum and minimum temperature, maximum and minimum relative humidity, and dew point temperature. Among the developed models, CART to predict PDI at 7 days interval was found to be the best fitted model on the basis of least RMSE, MAE and MAPE. The results of CART showed that dew point temperature had a significant effect on PDI at 7 days interval and the incidence of potato late blight was high when dew point temperature was greater than 12 °C in the preceding week. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: As a highly prevalent epidemic disease of potato, late blight caused by Phytophthora infestans poses a serious threat to potato yield and quality. At present, chemical fungicides are mainly used to control potato late blight, but long‐term overuse of chemical fungicides may lead to environmental pollution and human health threats. Endophytes, natural resources for plant diseases control, can promote plant growth, enhance plant resistance, and secrete antifungal substances. Therefore, there is an urgent need to find some beneficial endophytes to control potato late blight. RESULTS: We isolated a strain of Bacillus subtilis H17‐16 from potato healthy roots. It can significantly inhibit mycelial growth, sporangia germination and the pathogenicity of Phytophthora infestans, induce the resistance of potato to late blight, and promote potato growth. In addition, H17‐16 has the ability to produce protease, volatile compounds (VOCs) and form biofilms. After H17‐16 treatment, most of the genes involved in metabolism, virulence and drug resistance of Phytophthora infestans were down‐regulated significantly, and the genes related to ribosome biogenesis were mainly up‐regulated. Moreover, field and postharvest application of H17‐16 can effectively reduce the occurrence of potato late blight, and the combination of H17‐16 with chitosan or chemical fungicides had a better effect than single H17‐16. CONCLUSION: Our results reveal that Bacillus subtilis H17‐16 has great potential as a natural fungicide for controlling potato late blight, laying a theoretical basis for its development as a biological control agent. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytophthora infestans causes late blight on potatoes and tomatoes, which has a significant economic impact on agriculture. The management of late blight has been largely dependent on the application of synthetic fungicides, which is not an ultimate solution for sustainable agriculture and environmental safety. Biocontrol strategies are expected to be alternative methods to the conventional chemicals in controlling plant diseases in the integrated pest management (IPM) programs. Well‐studied biocontrol agents against Phytophthora infestans include fungi, oomycetes, bacteria, and compounds produced by these antagonists, in addition to certain bioactive metabolites produced by plants. Laboratory and glasshouse experiments suggest a potential for using biocontrol in practical late blight disease management. However, the transition of biocontrol to field applications is problematic for the moment, due to low and variable efficacies. In this review, we provide a comprehensive summary on these biocontrol strategies and the underlying corresponding mechanisms. To give a more intuitive understanding of the promising biocontrol agents against Phytophthora infestans in agricultural systems, we discuss the utilizations, modes of action and future potentials of these antagonists based on their taxonomic classifications. To achieve a goal of best possible results produced by biocontrol agents, it is suggested to work on field trials, strain modifications, formulations, regulations, and optimizations of application. Combined biocontrol agents having different modes of action or biological adaptation traits may be used to strengthen the biocontrol efficacy. More importantly, biological control agents should be applied in the coordination of other existing and forthcoming methods in the IPM programs. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports on the first detection of the Phytophthora infestans EU_43_A1 clonal lineage and the associated PiCesA3 mutation G1105S in Ireland. Phytophthora infestans is the cause of potato late blight, which is a destructive disease for potato crops in Ireland. The study found that the Irish P. infestans population is dominated by a small number of genotypes, and the combination of weather conditions and susceptibility of potato cultivars requires frequent fungicide applications for disease control. The emergence of fungicide resistance in P. infestans can have significant consequences for control programs. The article emphasizes the importance of implementing anti-resistance measures to minimize selection and suggests using fungicides with different modes of action and alternating them in each application. [Extracted from the article]

Late blight, caused by Phytophthora infestans, is one of the most destructive potato diseases in the world. In Yemen, identification of P. infestans still depends on a visual survey and external examination of late blight symptoms. The objective of this study was to isolate and identify P. infestans by using advanced methods. We collected 71 disease samples and isolated the pathogen using the tuber slice method. To identify an isolated pathogen, we performed morphological characterization and gene sequence analysis of the coding genes for internal transcribed spacers. We used Koch's hypotheses to confirm the previous results. In our study. The morphological characters of the mycelium pattern of P. infestans isolates in Yemen were profusely branching, fluffy, and white. The sporangia showed remarkable limoniform papillate sporangial shape. with average length and width of 30.6 and 28.6 µm, respectively. The sequences analysis showed high homology with a degree of identity ranging from 98 to 100% to the database sequences on GenBank. Pathogenicity tests showed that the P. infestans was the causal agent. To our knowledge, this is the first study of the isolation and characterization of P. infestans in Yemen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytophthora infestans, an Oomycete pathogen, has a devastating impact on potato agriculture, leading to the extensive use of chemical fungicides to prevent its outbreaks. Spraying double-stranded RNAs to suppress specific genes of the pathogen via the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway may provide an environmentally friendly alternative to chemicals. However, this novel approach will require various target genes and application strategies to be tested. Using the L4440 backbone, we have designed two plasmids to express dsRNA targeting inf1 and inf4 genes of P. infestans that are known to contribute to the disease development at different stages. The dsRNA produced by the bacteria was tested on potato explants and demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in lesions five days after inoculation compared to water treatment. The study results allow us to consider our approach to be promising for potato late blight control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potato late blight disease is caused by the oomycete Phytophthora infestans and is listed as one of the most severe phytopathologies on Earth. The current environmental issues require new methods of pest management. For that reason, plant secondary metabolites and, in particular, essential oils (EOs) have demonstrated promising potential as pesticide alternatives. This review presents the up-to-date work accomplished using EOs against P. infestans at various experimental scales, from in vitro to in vivo. Additionally, some cellular mechanisms of action on Phytophthora spp., especially towards cell membranes, are also presented for a better understanding of anti-oomycete activities. Finally, some challenges and constraints encountered for the development of EOs-based biopesticides are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Botanicals are various plant-based products like plant extracts or essential oils. Anti-fungal activities of selected essential oils were tested on the pathogen causing potato and tomato late blight (Phytophthora infestans). Tests to evaluate anti-oomycete activities of commercial essential oils and their major compounds were carried out in vitro in microplate in liquid media. Anti-oomycete activities on Phytophthora infestans strain were obtained from essential oils/major compounds: Eucalyptus citriodora/citronellal; Syzygium aromaticum (clove)/eugenol; Mentha spicata/D-Carvone, L-Carvone; Origanum compactum/carvacrol; Satureja montana (savory)/carvacrol; Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree)/terpinen-4-ol, and Thymus vulgaris/thymol. As an active substance of mineral origin, copper sulfate was chosen as a control. All selected essential oils showed an anti-oomycete activity calculated with IC50 indicator. The essential oils of clove, savory, and thyme showed the best anti-oomycete activities similar to copper sulfate, while oregano, eucalyptus, mint, and tea tree essential oils exhibited significantly weaker activities than copper sulfate. Clove essential oil showed the best activity (IC50 = 28 mg/L), while tea tree essential oil showed the worst activity (IC50 = 476 mg/L). For major compounds, three results were obtained: they were statistically more active than their essential oils (carvacrol for oregano, D- and L-Carvone for mint) or as active as their essential oils sources (thymol for thyme, carvacrol for savory, terpinen-4-ol for tea tree) or less active than their original essential oils (eugenol for clove, citronellal for eucalyptus). Microscopical observations carried out with the seven essential oils showed that they were all responsible for a modification of the morphology of the mycelium. The results demonstrated that various essential oils show different anti-oomycete activities, sometimes related to a major compound and sometimes unrelated, indicating that other compounds must play a role in total anti-oomycete activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potato late blight (causal agent Phytophthora infestans) is a disease of potatoes with economic importance worldwide. Control is primarily through field monitoring and the application of fungicides. Control of late blight with fungicides and host plant resistance is difficult, with documented cases of such control measures failing with the advent of new pathotypes of P. infestans. To better understand host plant resistance and to develop more durable late blight resistance, Quantitative Trait Locus/Loci (QTL) analysis was conducted on a tetraploid mapping population derived from late blight-resistant potato cultivar Palisade Russet. Additionally, QTL analyses for other traits such as Verticillium wilt and early blight resistance, vine size and maturity were performed to identify a potential relationship between multiple traits and prepare genetic resources for molecular markers useful in breeding programs. For this, one hundred ninety progenies from intercrossing Palisade Russet with a late blight susceptible breeding clone (ND028673B-2Russ) were assessed. Two parents and progenies were evaluated over a two-year period for response to infection by the US-8 genotype of P. infestans in inoculated field screenings in Corvallis, Oregon. In Aberdeen, Idaho, the same mapping population was also evaluated for phenotypic response to early blight and Verticillium wilt, and vine size and maturity in a field over a two-year period. After conducting QTL analyses with those collected phenotype data, it was observed that chromosome 5 has a significant QTL for all five traits. Verticillium wilt and vine maturity QTL were also observed on chromosome 1, and vine size QTL was also found on chromosomes 3 and 10. An early blight QTL was also detected on chromosome 2. The QTL identified in this study have the potential for converting into breeder-friendly molecular markers for marker-assisted selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potatoes are an important source of food for millions of people worldwide. Biotic stresses, notably late blight and potato cyst nematodes (PCN) pose a major threat to potato production worldwide, and knowledge of genes controlling these traits is limited. A genome-wide association mapping study was conducted to identify the genomic regulators controlling these biotic stresses, and the genomic prediction accuracy was worked out using the GBLUP model of genomic selection (GS) in a panel of 222 diverse potato accessions. The phenotype data on resistance to late blight and two PCN species (Globodera pallida and G. rostochiensis) were recorded for three and two consecutive years, respectively. The potato panel was genotyped using genotyping by sequencing (GBS), and 1,20,622 SNP markers were identified. A total of 7 SNP associations for late blight resistance, 9 and 11 for G. pallida and G. rostochiensis, respectively, were detected by additive and simplex dominance models of GWAS. The associated SNPs were distributed across the chromosomes, but most of the associations were found on chromosomes 5, 10 and 11, which have been earlier reported as the hotspots of disease-resistance genes. The GS prediction accuracy estimates were low to moderate for resistance to G. pallida (0.04-0.14) and G. rostochiensis (0.14-0.21), while late blight resistance showed a high prediction accuracy of 0.42-0.51. This study provides information on the complex genetic nature of these biotic stress traits in potatoes and putative SNP markers for resistance breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New solutions to reduce the use of chemical pesticides to combat plant diseases and to meet societal and political demands are needed to achieve sustainable agriculture. Tomato production, both in greenhouses and in open fields, is affected by numerous pathogens. The aim of this study is to assess the possibility of controlling both late blight and powdery mildew in tomatoes with a single biocontrol product currently under registration. The biocontrol product AXP12, based on the lysate of Willaertia magna C2c Maky, has already proved its efficacy against downy mildew of grapevine and potato late blight. Its ability to elicit tomato defenses and its efficacy in the greenhouse and in the field were tested. This study establishes that AXP12 stimulates the tomato genes involved in plant defense pathways and has the capacity to combat in greenhouse and field both late blight (Phytophtora infestans) and powdery mildew (Oidium neolycopersici and Leveillula taurica) of tomato. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytophthora infestans, a highly destructive plant oomycete pathogen, is responsible for causing late blight in potatoes worldwide. To successfully infect host cells and evade immunity, P. infestans secretes various effectors into host cells and exclusively targets the host nucleus. However, the precise mechanisms by which these effectors manipulate host gene expression and reprogram defenses remain poorly understood. In this study, we focused on a nuclear-targeted effector, Pi07586, which has been implicated in immune suppression. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis showed Pi07586 was significant up-regulation during the early stages of infection. Agrobacterium-induced transient expression revealed that Pi07586 localized in the nucleus of leaf cells. Overexpression of Pi07586 resulted in increased leaf colonization by P. infestans. RNA-seq analysis revealed that Pi07586 effectively suppressed the expression of PR-1C-like and photosynthetic antenna protein genes. Furthermore, high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) analysis indicated that Pi07586 overexpression led to a substantial decrease in abscisic acid (ABA), jasmonic acid (JA), and jasmonoyl-isoleucine (JA-Ile) levels, while not affecting salicylic acid (SA) and indole-3- acetic acid (IAA) production. These findings shed new light on the modulation of plant immunity by Pi07586 and enhance our understanding of the intricate relationship between P. infestans and host plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Svalöf is a yellow-skinned, light yellow-fleshed, high-yielding table potato cultivar for the high latitude of Scandinavia, showing partial resistance to Phytophthora infestans (causing late blight) and same specific gravity as the mealy cultivar King Edward, which is preferred in the fresh market by consumers in Sweden. It was selected as breeding clone SLU 1314015 in the first clonal generation (T1) at the late-blight prone site of Mosslunda (Skåne, southern Sweden) in October 2015. The cross for obtaining it was made by the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in 2013 involving the breeding clone D09 1:2 1701 as female parent and the Dutch cultivar Carolus as male parent. Svalöf show very large, round-oval tubers with shallow eyes and smooth skin. Its tuber yield averaged above 6%, 23%, 25% and 59% of Dutch cultivars Connect, Fontane, Carolus and Bintje, respectively, across multi-site trials in Sweden. Its unstable reducing sugar in the tuber flesh, as determined by multi-site testing, suggests that it will not be suitable for the crisp or chip processing. SLU's Svensk potatisförädling is seeking registration to be included in the Svenska Sortlistan, which lists cultivars available and is a pre-condition for certification of planting materials in the European Union. The release of Svalöf as new potato cultivar will be the first entirely bred for this crop in Sweden since the mid-1990s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Phytophthora infestans causes late blight, threatening potato production. The tropane alkaloid scopolamine from some industrial plants (Datura, Atropa, etc.) has a broad‐spectrum bacteriostatic effect, but its effect on P. infestans is unknown. RESULTS: In the present study, scopolamine inhibited the mycelial growth of phytopathogenic oomycete P. infestans, and the half‐maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) was 4.25 g L−1. The sporangia germination rates were 61.43%, 16.16%, and 3.99% at concentrations of zero (control), 0.5 IC50, and IC50, respectively. The sporangia viability of P. infestans was significantly reduced after scopolamine treatment through propidium iodide and fluorescein diacetate staining, speculating that scopolamine destroyed cell membrane integrity. The detached potato tuber experiment demonstrated that scopolamine lessened the pathogenicity of P. infestans in potato tubers. Under stress conditions, scopolamine showed good inhibition of P. infestans, indicating that scopolamine could be used in multiple adverse conditions. The combination effect of scopolamine and the chemical pesticide Infinito on P. infestans was more effective than the use of scopolamine or Infinito alone. Moreover, transcriptome analysis suggested that scopolamine leaded to a downregulation of most P. infestans genes, functioning in cell growth, cell metabolism, and pathogenicity. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first study to detect scopolamine inhibitory activity against P. infestans. Also, our findings highlight the potential of scopolamine as an eco‐friendly option for controlling late blight in the future. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sugar Efflux transporters (SWEET) are involved in diverse biological processes of plants. Pathogens have exploited them for nutritional gain and subsequently promote disease progression. Recent studies have implied the involvement of potato SWEET genes in the most devastating late blight disease caused by Phytophthora infestans. Here, we identified and designated 37 putative SWEET genes as StSWEET in potato. We performed detailed in silico analysis, including gene structure, conserved domains, and phylogenetic relationship. Publicly available RNA-seq data was harnessed to retrieve the expression profiles of SWEET genes. The late blight-responsive SWEET genes were identified from the RNA-seq data and then validated using quantitative real-time PCR. The SWEET gene expression was studied along with the biotrophic (SNE1) and necrotrophic (PiNPP1) marker genes of P. infestans. Furthermore, we explored the co-localization of P. infestans resistance loci and SWEET genes. The results indicated that nine transporter genes were responsive to the P. infestans in potato. Among these, six transporters, namely StSWEET10, 12, 18, 27, 29, and 31, showed increased expression after P. infestans inoculation. Interestingly, the observed expression levels aligned with the life cycle of P. infestans, wherein expression of these genes remained upregulated during the biotrophic phase and decreased later on. In contrast, StSWEET13, 14, and 32 didn't show upregulation in inoculated samples suggesting non-targeting by pathogens. This study underscores these transporters as prime P. infestans targets in potato late blight, pivotal in disease progression, and potential candidates for engineering blight-resistant potato genotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Late blight (LB), caused by the fungus Phytophthora infestans is an economical disease of potato worldwide. Little is known about how defense-related genes cooperate to resist potato LB development. In the current work, expression of two genes PR3 and TUB were examined in resistant and susceptible potato cultivars at early stages of LB infection using quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). The results showed significant variance in the expression patterns of the both genes between resistant and susceptible potato - P. infestans interactions as compared to the non-inoculated controls. It is also notable that PR3 and TUB genes were highly expressed in the resistant cultivar as compared to a susceptible one. qPCR analysis revealed strong expression of genes in resistant cultivar when compared to susceptible with expression for PR3 (6.1 and 2.5-fold) and TUB (1.8 and 1.3-fold) respectively, at 72 hours post inoculation. The obtained results suggest that PR3 and TUB genes, positively regulate P. infestans -- resistance in potato plants during disease progress, which can provide testable hypotheses that will need direct future tests to determine how these changes may be specified in the potato plant cytoskeleton rearrangement during the biotrophic stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tubers destined for starch production in potato industry need to meet certain commercial quality standards. The objective of the work was to conduct a multivariate assessment of yield potential and tuber quality of starchy potato cultivars. An analysis was performed of data describing potato cultivars listed in the National List of Potato Varieties (KRO) in Poland published by the Plant Breeding and Acclimatization Institute - National Research Institute at Radzików. Very early and early as well as medium late and late starchy potato cultivars were analysed in terms of 13 quantitative characteristic using principal component analysis and cluster analysis. It was demonstrated that, regardless of earliness group, the following traits had the greatest share in the total variation of starchy potato cultivars: tuber yield, starch content, starch yield and bioethanol yield. Cluster analysis allowed the division of very early and early cultivars into 3 groups. The cultivars Szyper, Zuzanna, Kuba and Jubilat, included in the first group, produced superior yields, the highest bioethanol yield and were the most resistant to potato blight. Medium late and late cultivars were divided into two groups. The first group (Pokusa, Gandawa, Rudawa, Hinga, Inwestor, Pasja, Pomorska and Ikar) gave poorer yields and lower bioethanol yields but were more resistant to potato blight in comparison with the second group (Sonda, Kuras, Jasia, Bzura, Skawa and Danuta). The multidimensional methods applied allowed a simultaneous assessment of starchy potato cultivars in terms of many characteristics, and grouping into clusters sharing similar traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potato late blight caused by Phytophthora infestans is a devastating disease worldwide. Unlike other plant pathogens, double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) is poorly taken up by P. infestans, which is a key obstacle in using dsRNA for disease control. Here, a self-assembled multicomponent nano-bioprotectant for potato late blight management is designed based on dsRNA and a plant elicitor. Nanotechnology overcomes the dsRNA delivery bottleneck for P. infestans and extends the RNAi protective window. The protective effect of nano-enabled dsRNA against infection arises from a synergistic mechanism that bolsters the stability of dsRNA and optimizes its effective intracellular delivery. Additionally, the nano-enabled elicitor enhances endocytosis and amplifies the systemic defense response of the plants. Co-delivery of dsRNA and an elicitor provides a protective effect via the two aspects of pathogen inhibition and elevated plant defense mechanisms. The multicomponent nano-bioprotectant exhibits superior control efficacy compared to a commercial synthetic pesticide in field conditions. This work proposes an eco-friendly strategy to manage devastating plant diseases and pests. Unlike the other plant pathogens, Phytophtora infestans, the causative pathogen of potato late blight, can hardly take up dsRNA, which is a key obstacle in using dsRNA for disease control. Here, the authors design a self-assembled multicomponent nano-bioprotectant for potato late blight management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mandipropamid is an active ingredient in the carboxylic acid amide group of fungicides and plays a key role in current potato late blight (Phytophthora infestans) management programmes. However, reports from Danish potato growers in 2022 suggested that mandipropamid had lost its efficacy. A study was therefore conducted to investigate the sensitivity of isolates collected from fields in which mandipropamid had been reported to be ineffective. Seventy‐two isolates of P. infestans collected from potato fields in Denmark were genotyped using microsatellite markers, revealing a dominance of the clonal lineage EU43 and fewer isolates of EU41 and 'other' genetically distinct genotypes. Isolates belonging to the EU43 and EU41 lineages were selected, in addition to representative isolates of clones EU36 and EU37 from Scotland, and tested for sensitivity to mandipropamid at five concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 10 μg/mL on potato leaf discs (cultivar Maris Piper). The EU43 genotype infected leaf discs at all tested concentrations, and therefore no dose–response curve could be calculated. A dose response was observed for isolates of genotypes EU36, EU37 and EU41 with EC50 values ranging from 0.35 to 0.75 μg/mL. Field experiments confirmed resistance of tested isolates of genotype EU43 to mandipropamid, with no significant difference in the area under the disease curve between the untreated and mandipropamid treatments. Analysis of the Danish population of P. infestans showed that EU43 was widely distributed across the country. To our best knowledge, this is the first report of resistance to mandipropamid in P. infestans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytophthora is a dreaded pathogen and difficult to control by traditional methods. Nanotechnology is a potential alternative for the management of Phytophthora diseases. Nanomaterials can be applied for the detection and delivery of fungicides, and therapy of pathogens. The nano-based tools are less toxic, cost-effective, and without risk of plants developing resistance. Members of the Phytophthora genus are soil-dwelling pathogens responsible for diseases of several important plants. Among these, Phytophthora infestans causes late blight of potatoes, which was responsible for the Irish potato famine during the mid-19th century. Various strategies have been applied to control Phytophthora, including integrated management programs (IMPs) and quarantine, but without successful full management of the disease. Thus, there is a need to search for alternative tools. Here, we discuss the emerging role of nanomaterials in the detection and treatment of Phytophthora species, including slow delivery of agrochemicals (microbicides and pesticides). We propose integrating these tools into an IMP, which could lead to a reduction in pesticide use and provide more effective and sustainable control of Phytophthora pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"The Great Famine in Ireland and Britain's Financial Crisis" by Charles Read and "Dublin and the Great Irish Famine" edited by Emily Mark-Fitzgerald, Ciarán McCabe, and Ciarán Reilly are two books that explore the Great Famine in Ireland. The Famine, also known as An Gorta Mór or the Irish potato famine, occurred between 1845 and the early 1850s and resulted in the loss of around two million lives and a significant decline in Ireland's population. The books examine the economic and political factors that contributed to the Famine, including the British government's response and the impact on Dublin. They also discuss the cultural memory and legacy of the Famine. These books provide valuable insights into this devastating event and its lasting effects on Ireland. [Extracted from the article]