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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)?

The development of the potato crop was 10–15 days earlier than normal. A general warning was given for risk of primary attacks on 10 June. This warning coincided with the findings of the first blight in early potatoes. The infection pressure was high in June and July and low in August and September. At the end of the season 70–80% of the conventional fields was infected at a low level.

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

Data 2002²

In early July, a tuber blight epidemic occurred in the organic crop.

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

Data 2002²

4–6 sprays were needed in seed potatoes, 7–8 in ware potatoes and 10–12 in starch potatoes. Shirlan and Tattoo were used more than in 2001, whereas Dithane and Acrobat were used less.

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

The PlanteInfo system (www.planteInfo.dk) includes a national monitoring system for first late blight infections, a general weather and disease forecast, a variety and a fungicide database with information about crop resistance and fungicides available for late blight control. A joint project involving Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden is currently underway with the objective to evaluate and quantify epidemiological parameters of the “new” Phytophthora infestans populations. The results will be implemented in existing and new forecasting and Decision Support Systems (DDS).

Since February 21, 2003, Web-blight, an international web-based information and decision support system for potato late blight is bringing day-to-day information on the first occurrences and the development of late blight in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland (http://www.web-blight.net/) 

Resistant varieties cultivated: Bzura, Danva, Dorita, Kiva, Norteña, Oleva.

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)?

Mating type A2 was found in Denmark in 1996 (Bodker et al, 1998). Complex races have been observed. Virulences 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10 and 11 have been detected. (Gurtler, 1984).

7. Disease risks and/or major needs?

8. Any publications on late blight in the country?  

Bodker L, Kidmose, Hansen J. G. and Holm. 1998. Potato late blight – before and now. pp 81–89 in: 15 Danish Plant Protection Conference, DJF report nr. 3.

Bodker L and Nielson B J. 2001. Preventative and curative effect of fungicides against potato late blight. pp. 261–264 in: Westerdijk C E 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.

Gurtler, H. 1984. Physiological races of Phytophthora infestans in Denmark and low temperature storage of isolates. Potato Research 27:25–31.

Hansen J G. 1999. Information and decision support for the control of potato late blight based on integrated PC and Internet applications. pp 66–80 in Schepers H and Bouma E (eds), Proceedings of the Workshop on the European network for development of an Integrated Control Strategy of potato late blight, 9–13 September 1998, Uppsala, Sweden, PAV-Special Report no. 5. Applied Research for Arable Farming and Field Production of Vegetables, Lelystad, Netherlands.

Hansen J G. 1998. Availibility and use of meteorological data for disease forecasting in Denmark. pp 125–136 in: Schepers H and Bouma E (eds), Proceedings of the Workshop on the European network for development of an Integrated Control Strategy of potato late blight, 24–27 September 1997, Carlow Ireland, PAV-Report no. 3. Applied Research for Arable Farming and Field Production of Vegetables, Lelystad, Netherlands.

Hansen J G. 1997. Field specific and regional warning for development of potato late blight. pp 127–134 in: Bouma E 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, 30 September – 3 October 1996, Lelystad, The Netherlands, PAV-Report no. 1. Applied Research for Arable Farming and Field Production of Vegetables, Lelystad, Netherlands.

Hansen J G, Bodger L and Nielsen B J. 2002. Implementation of variety resistance in control strategies of potato late blight. pp 111–124 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 B, Jörg E, Wander J G N, Spits H G, Dowley L, Rauscher E, Michelante D, Dubois L and Steenblock T. 2002. Resutls 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, Lassen P and Röhrig. 2001. Monitoring of potato late blight based on collaborative PC-and Internet applications. pp 39–54 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.

Hansen J G, Lassen P, Turka I, Stuogienne L, Valskyte A, and Koppel M. 2000. Validation and implementation of a Danish decision support system for the control of potato late blight in the Baltic countries. pp 117–130 in: Schepers H. T. A. M (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.

Hansen, J.G. Andersson, B. Hermansen, A. 1995 NEGFRY – A system for scheduling chemical control of late blight in potatoes. pp 201–208 in: Dowley L J, Bannon E, Cooke L R, Keane T and O’Sullivan E (eds), Phytopthora infestans 150, Proceedings of EAPR-Pathology Section, September 1995 Dublin, Ireland. Boole Press, Ltd., Temple Bar in conjunction with Teagasc, Carlow. Ireland.

Hostgaard, M. 1995. Local weather data from the HARDI METPOLE^® and disease forecasting. pp 366–367 in: Dowley L J, Bannon E, Cooke L R, Keane T and O’Sullivan E (eds), Phytopthora infestans 150, Proceedings of EAPR-Pathology Section, September 1995 Dublin, Ireland. Boole Press, Ltd., Temple Bar in conjunction with Teagasc, Carlow. Ireland.

Jensen, A. 1965. The warning-service against potato blight in Denmark. European Potato Journal 8:186–187.

Murali, N S and Hansen J G. 1997. Integration of Negfry with PC-Plantprotection: Perspectives. pp 114–116 in: Bouma E 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, 30 September – 3 October 1996, Lelystad, The Netherlands, PAV-Report no. 1. Applied Research for Arable Farming and Field Production of Vegetables, Lelystad, Netherlands.

Nielsen B J and Bodker L. 2001. Strategies for control of late blight (Phytophthora infestans) integrating variety resistance, intervals, fungicide doses and weather forecast. pp 207–214 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.

9. Is tuber blight an increasing problem?

Data 2002²

Only in the organic crops.

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

[2] 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 Denmark provided by B. Nielsen.