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1. Late blight occurrence and LB severity by major production area in the country. What crops were affected (tomato, potato, others)? Disease sources (seed, cull piles, volunteer plants, soil)?

In the intensive production area in the northeast of Austria (Weinviertel) first blight was observed on 14 June. This is on an average over the last 20 years. After a short period of favorable weather conditions (16-19 June) infection pressure was very low due to a dry and warm July. From 6-27 August farmers had to cope with around 150 mm precipitation and infections of late blight could be found in many fields. In the seed production area in the north of Austria (Waldviertel) late blight occurred on 27 June. This is on an average over the last 20 years. The first period of critical weather conditions with an infection pressure from medium to high according to Simphyt III was between 18 June and 8 July. After some days with low to very low infection pressure a period with warm weather and medium infection pressure followed. From 6 August to the beginning of September infection pressure increased dramatically due to heavy rainfalls, leading to many flooded fields. Infection level reached 50 % in many fields.

In Petzenkirchen in western Lower Austria late blight occurred first on 19 June. This is one month earlier than the average over the last 20 years. Infection pressure was low during July. In August infection pressure rose because of rainy weather (over 200mm precipitation in 2 weeks) and the untreated controls were damaged very quickly. In September, harvest was also interrupted by rainfall and we could find many tuber infections in our trials.

In the intensive production area in Upper Austria, in the Eferdinger Becken, late blight was first found on 15 June in early potatoes grown under plastic cover. In late crops first symptoms showed up one month later. Even when infection pressure was medium to high in July farmers could control late blight very well and no severe outbreaks were mentioned.

In the Innviertel in Upper Austria first observations were made on 8 July. From the beginning of July until the end of the season the infection pressure was high to very high and farmers had big problems with blight. They sprayed every 8–12 days, 8–10 treatments were necessary. In the Grazer Becken in Styria late blight appeared early on 18 May in potatoes grown under cover. But during the season late blight did not cause any problems. July was very dry and during August when infection pressure rose most crops already had been desiccated.

2. LB impact (foliar damage, yield losses, tuber rot occurrences)?

Data for 2002²

Favorable weather conditions in August and September caused severe problems with tuber infections in Upper Austria. The processing company in Lower Austria in the Weinviertel did not have problems with tuber blight.

3. Fungicide use (amounts, types, etc.)?

Data for 2002²

Early crops were sprayed 3–5 times, late crops 8–12 times. The first two sprays were carried out with systemic fungicides (metalaxyl, propamocarb). Followed by 1-2 times a translaminar product (dimethomorph) to which fluazinam was added depending on the infection pressure. Contact fungicides (mancozeb, fluazinam) were sprayed 2–4 times at the end of the season. The last spray was mostly fluazinam.

In the Innviertel in Upper Austria the infection pressure was high to very high from the beginning of July until the end of the season farmers sprayed every 8–12 days, 8–10 treatments were necessary.

4. Other LB control measures (resistant cultivars, forecast systems, none)?

Validation trials for the Phytophthora — DSS of the European network for development of an integrated control strategy of potato late blight were carried out in different European countries, including Austria where SIMPHYT1/2 and NegFry were tested (Hansen et al, 2000; 2001; 2002)

Resistant potato varieties cultivated: Bionta, Julia, Merkur, Welsa, Zenith

Source: Global Catalog of Late Blight Resistant Varieties: www.cipotato.org/gilb/Gilb_catalog/principal.htm

5. LB control effectiveness (fungicide or host resistance failures)?

6. Pathogen strains (mating type, fungicide resistance, virulence factors, etc)?

Over 200 isolates were collected from commercial crops during 2002. 47% of the 169 isolates tested were A2. Only mt DNA haplotypes Ia and IIa were detected. 34.5% of the isolates were resistant to metalaxyl, 35.5% were intermediate and 30% sensitive. 84% of the isolates were intermediate to propamocarb and 16% sensitive. The A2 mating type was first detected in Austria in the 1990’s. (Rauscher, 2003)

7. Disease risks and/or major needs?

8. Any publications on late blight in the country?  

Hansen J G, Kleinhenz B, Jörg E, Wander J G N, Spits H G, Dowley L, Rauscher E, Michelante D, Dubois L and Steenblock T. 2002. Results of validation trials of Phytophthora DSSs in Europe, 2001. pp 231–242 in: Westerdijk C E and Schepers H T A M (eds), Proceedings of the Sixth Workshop of an European Network for development of an Integrated Control Strategy of potato late blight, 26–30, September 2001 , Edinburgh, Scotland, PPO-Special Report no. 8. Applied Plant Research BV, Wageningen, Netherlands.

Hansen J G, Kleinhenz and Jörg E. 2001. Results of validation trials of Phytophthora DSS in Europe in 2000. pp 23–38 in: Westerdijk K and Schepers H T A M (eds), Proceedings of the Workshop on the European network for development of an Integrated Control Strategy of potato late blight, 6–10 September 2000, Munich, Germany, PAV-Special Report no. 7. Applied Research for Arable Farming and Field Production of Vegetables, Lelystad, Netherlands

Kleinhenz B and Jörg E. 2000. Results of Validation Trials of Phytophthora DSS in Europe in 1999. pp 180–190 in: Schepers H (ed), Proceedings of the Workshop on the European network for development of an Integrated Control Strategy of potato late blight, 29 September – 2 October 1999, Oostende, Belgium, PAV-Special Report no. 6. Applied Research for Arable Farming and Field Production of Vegetables, Lelystad, Netherlands.

Rauscher E. 2003. First results of the characterization of Austrian isolates of Phytophthora infestans. pp 219–224 in: Westerdijk C E and Schepers H T A M (eds), Proceedings of the Seventh Workshop of an European Network for development of an Integrated Control Strategy of potato late blight, 2–6, October 2002 , Pozan, Poland, PPO-Special Report no. 9. Applied Plant Research BV, Wageningen, Netherlands.

9. Is tuber blight an increasing problem?

Data for 2002²

Favorable weather conditions in August and September caused severe problems with tuber infections in Upper Austria. The processing company in Lower Austria in the Weinviertel did not have problems with tuber blight.

Comments, additions and corrections are very welcome. Please contact us at GILB(at)cgiar.org

[1] Schepers, H T A M. 2003. The development and control of Phytophthora infestans in Europe in 2002. pp 9–22 in: Westerdijk C E and Schepers H T A M (eds), Proceedings of the Seventh Workshop of an European Network for development of an Integrated Control Strategy of potato late blight, 2–6, October 2002 , Pozan, Poland, PPO-Special Report no. 9. Applied Plant Research BV, Wageningen, Netherlands. Information regarding the late blight epidemic in 2002 in Austria provided by E. Rauscher