​​Soft Rot and Blackleg Diseases of Potato

December 2012 | 15 min., 46 sec.
by Amy Charkowski
University of Wisconsin-Madison

Summary

​This presentation will help consultants, growers, and other practitioners control bacterial blackleg, soft rot, and stem rot in potato by providing information on how to interfere with these diseases at planting, during the growing season, and at harvest. Some fundamentals of the biology and ecology of these bacterial pathogens that are related to the control of these diseases also will be presented. There are no curative treatments for these bacterial diseases and no resistant potato varieties, so appropriate production practices are required to combat losses caused by these diseases. By the end of the presentation, viewers should understand why the recommended cultural practices work to control these diseases.

About the Presenter

Amy Charkowski​​ Amy Charkowski received her undergraduate degree in biochemistry and plant pathology at the University of Wisconsin (UW)-Madison. She received her PhD in plant pathology at Cornell University and then worked for nearly 3 years in a USDA Agricultural Research Service food safety research unit studying bacterial contamination of fresh fruits and vegetables. She returned to UW Madison in 2001 as an assistant professor in the Department of Plant Pathology and was promoted to associate professor in 2008. For the past several years, her lab has focused on the ecology and genetics of soft rot bacterial pathogens and seed potato production challenges. Recently, her group has initiated projects focused on production of organic seed potatoes and control of Potato virus Y.

Contact Information:
Email: acharkowski@wisc.edu

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