News on Potato Defects and Diseases

India’s potato industry needs a stronger seed ecosystem to close its productivity gap. Scientific seed multiplication, digital agronomy and market-aligned varieties can improve yields, reduce risks and build a profitable supply chain.

Global warming is accelerating, threatening potato production through heat, drought, pests, and storage challenges. Climate-smart farming, resilient varieties, and improved irrigation are essential to protect future yields and quality.

China has introduced new phytosanitary measures to prevent the entry of Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum (CLso), suspending seed potato import approvals from affected countries and tightening import requirements for planting materials.

Met Éireann has issued a potato blight advisory for parts of Ireland, warning that humid weather could favour the spread of Phytophthora infestans. The advisory also highlights limited spraying opportunities and varying soil moisture deficits

Renaissance BioScience has secured Genome BC funding to develop a yeast-based RNAi biopesticide targeting wireworms. The project aims to extend the company's RNAi platform to soil-dwelling pests, offering a potential new tool for potato growers.

Productores de papa en Quilmaná (Perú) destruyeron unas 100 hectáreas de cultivo tras un brote de plaga favorecido por las altas temperaturas asociadas a El Niño. Estiman pérdidas de 2 millones de soles y piden apoyo del Gobierno.

Cellar Insights launched the Rotten Potato Data Project, inviting Canadian growers to share historical potato storage spoilage data. The project uses machine learning to improve early warning for rot and storage losses while paying participants.

The UK has approved PiperPlus, the first precision-bred disease-resistant Maris Piper potato. Developed by The Sainsbury Laboratory, it resists late blight, PVY and PLRV, reducing fungicide use and supporting more sustainable potato production.

Solynta has secured approval for its hybrid true potato seed variety SOLHY023 in Kenya, expanding its HTPS portfolio with stronger late blight resistance and supporting resilient, disease-free potato production through advanced hybrid breeding.

Global seed potato trade is entering a new biosecurity era as countries tighten phytosanitary rules, expand digital ePhyto certification, and strengthen disease testing, making certified, traceable seed essential for global market access.

Advanced post-harvest technologies are helping cut food waste, reduce carbon emissions, improve storage efficiency, and strengthen sustainable food supply chains through AI, IoT, precision sorting, renewable energy, and smart cold storage solutions.

Hutton Scientific Services launched a commercial potato virus testing service for the 2026 United Kingdom seed potato campaign. The new service offers PLRV and PVY testing following SASA's withdrawal, supporting crop health and market confidence.

Around 70 Dutch seed potato growers watched an autonomous robot identify virus-infected plants during a field demonstration. The robot marks infected plants for easier manual removal, while automated removal is being explored for future versions.

The invasive serpentine leafminer has been detected in Tasmania for the first time after being found at a commercial grower in the state's north-west. The pest attacks more than 200 plant species, including potatoes, and can reduce crop yields.

Ohalo and Allied Potato form a strategic partnership to advance Boosted potato breeding, combining Ohalo Boosted Breeding platform with Allied Potato expertise to develop higher-yield disease-resistant potatoes and explore potato seed systems.

East African potato farmers face rising costs from late blight. Through the Crop Trust's BOLD project, breeders and farmers are testing potatoes with wild resistance traits to cut spraying, lower costs and improve food security in Kenya and Uganda.

Europatat welcomes the EU’s adoption of the NGT Regulation, opening new opportunities for innovative potato varieties with improved disease resistance, climate adaptability, and processing traits, while boosting breeding research and investment.

Modern potatoes are bred from a relatively narrow genetic pool, while the diseases and environmental pressures affecting potato production continue to evolve.