EuroBlight: Latest data on potato blight tracking in Europe now available

A team of researchers tracking the 2015 population of the potato late blight pathogen have added to the 2013 and 2014 data to provide three years of data on the spatial pattern of pathogen genetic diversity that visualises the distribution and diversity of dominant clones and reveals novel genetically diverse isolates in some regions. The changes in P. infestans populations directly influence the development and deployment of resistant cultivars, the performance of disease warning systems and the efficacy of plant protection products. Coordinated and continuous pathogen monitoring was proposed by the EuroBlight consortium at its meeting in 2013. Researchers in the Netherlands, Scotland Denmark and France, working with partners from research labs and industry, are now presenting their third report on its pathogen monitoring in potato crops in 2015. Disease pressure was generally low in 2015 which restricted the sample distribution. However, over 600 samples were genotyped from across 16 European countries. This data also includes that from the AHDB Potatoes ‘Fight Against Blight’ campaign in Great Britain. The data from 2013-2015 comprise over 2800 samples from 30 countries. More information. How to participate? Sampling protocol and a sampling form is updated here