Experts shed light on pink eye disease of potatoes

Pink eye is a disorder of potato tubers that can cause costly storage losses for potato growers and can reduce tuber quality to the point where tubers will be rejected by potato processors. Pink eye not only directly affects tubers, but also makes tubers more susceptible to diseases such as Pythium leak, bacterial soft rot, pink rot, and Fusarium dry rot. These diseases cause additional storage losses and reduction in quality. According to scientists Yi Wang, UW-Horticulture and Amanda Gevens, UW-Madison Plant Pathology in the US, pink eye is characterized by a short-lived external pink color that is often, but not always, found around the potato eyes of freshly harvested tubers. Eyes at the bud ends of tubers (i.e., those farthest from where tubers are attached to stems) more commonly show pink eye symptoms. The scientists say pink eye can eventually develop into corky patch/bull hide, which involves a thickening of areas of tuber skin extending approximately 1/10 of an inch into the tuber flesh. Read more