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This map displays primary areas of potato cultivation, reported by province for Colombia, based on the distribution reported in Restrepo 1997 (please refer to the Colombia chapter of the World Potato Atlas) and adjusted slightly for more recent data reported by FAOSTAT, averaged for 2001-2003.

Potato cultivation in Colombia is a highland crop, concentrated at altitudes of approximately 1,800 to 3,200 meters above sea level. However, this altitude range occurs across the central to southern Cordillera Central and Cordillera Oriental where production is not reported, possibly due to the tenuous control by the Government of Colombia across some of the area. Green shading on the map estimates areas of likely potential for potato production, but no reported data.

For further information on Potato Production click here 

Aspects of Late Blight (Phytophthora infestans) in Colombia

Country Profile1

José Luis Zapata

1 Translated from Spanish. E.N Fernandez-Northcote (ed). 2002. Memorias del Taller Internacional Complementando la Resistencia al Tizón (Phytophthora infestans) en los Andes, Febrero 13–16, 2001, Cochabamba, Bolivia, GILB, Taller Latinoamérica 1. Centro Internacional de la Papa (CIP), Lima, Perú.

2 C.I. La Selva, Regional 4, CORPOICA. Rionegro, Antioquia, Colombia. Email: corpoic1(at)epm.net.co

Incidence and losses

In Colombia approximately 170,000 ha are planted to potato each year from which 2,938,600 t of potatoes are produced, or an average of 17.2 t/ha. The main production zones are situated in the departments of Cundinamarca, which constitutes about 34% of the production, Boyacá 25%, Nariño 19%, Antioquia 11% and other departments 10%. Potatoes are cultivated between 2000–3500 masl. Antioquia produces at the lowest altitudes between 2000–2800 masl and has the highest incidence and severity of late blight due to favorable temperatures, high relative humidity, and no defined growing season. Inoculum sources and crops at all stages of development can be found year-round, even in relatively small areas. In production zones at higher altitudes (Cundinamarca, Boyacá and Nariño) crops are affected to a lesser extent. Nonetheless, protectant and/or systemic fungicide are intensively used to control the disease (IICA, 2000).

Fungicides

According to FEDEPAPA (Antioquia), the fungicides most widely used in late blight control are the systemics (Cymoxanil), Ridomil (metalaxyl) and Previcur (procamocarb) and the protectants Dithane M45 and Manzate (both mancoceb) and Brestanid (tin hydroxide). In Cundinamarca and Boyacá, several forms of cymaxonil (Curathane, Fitoraz, Tiro and Curzate) and Acrobat (Dimetomorph) are also used. In the case of the region of Nariño, the most used contact fungicides are Dithane M45 and Manzate, according to CORPOICA. In general, the most widely used fungicides are Curzate, Previcur, Groland, Acrobat, Rodax, and Fitoraz. Usually, a systemic is mixed with a contact fungicide without reducing the recommended dose of either.

Application regimes

FEDEPAPA and CORPOICA report that producers follow a calendar application schedule, spraying every eight days in rainy weather and every eleven days under conditions of intermittent rainfall. Most farmers have their preferred fungicides and generally apply them throughout the growing season, depending on whether they given good results.

Adapting treatments to specific contexts

Unfortunately, 90% of the cultivars used in the country, as much as for fresh consumption as for

processing (Parda Pastusa and Diacol Capiro), are highly susceptible to late blight and therefore need periodic treatment. In fact, other cultivars with some level of disease resistance are available, such as ICA Zipa, ICA Morita and ICA Unica, but they are not widely accepted in the market and are therefore less adopted by farmers. When these resistant cultivars are grown, the usual practice is crop inspection prior to treatment to reduce the number of applications.

Adaptation to climatic conditions

For industrial crops, help is often obtained from a professionally trained technical assistant, who recommends applications, or not, depending on regional conditions. However, most farmers follow a calendar application schedule.

Fungicide resistance

According to Rave and Roldán (1998), resistance was found in vitro in four isolates of Phytophthora infestans from the municipalities of San Vicente, Sonsón, San Pedro and La Unión, situated in Antioquia. However, this resistance was not confirmed in tests using leaf discs and leaflets of potato (Rave et al., 1998).

Integrated management

Integrated management as such is hard to implement in the country due to the susceptibility of the cultivars used. However, in Antioquia, the use of certified or healthy seed and high hilling is common, and harvesting is carried out quickly and completely without leaving tubers in the field.

Institutional set up

Most agrochemical companies have a whole team of specialized technical assistants at their disposal to promote their products so, faced with these representatives, the average farmer is in a weak position. Large-scale farmers and those dedicated to growing potatoes for industrial processing have their own advisers, who help them choose what fungicides to use. In addition, many of these farmers visit specialists in universities, ICA, Departmental Secretariats for Agriculture, UMATAS (Unidad Municipal de Asistencia Técnica), CORPOICA and FEDEPAPA.

Literatura citada

IICA. 2.000. Acuerdo de Competitividad de la Cadena Agroalimentaria de la Papa. Serie de competitividad No. 14. Rave, I. y Roldán P. 1998. Evaluación de la resistencia In Vitro e In Vivo de Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bary al fungicida Metalaxyl, en aislamientos del departamento de Antioquia. Tésis de grado. Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Medellín.

Links to World Potato Atlas (WPA)

(English )    

http://research.cip.cgiar.org/confluence/display/wpa/Colombia

( Spanish)   

http://research.cip.cgiar.org/confluence/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=13605