Management Practices of Potato Common Scab

The potato common scab has become increasingly threatening to potato production since its causal Streptomyces species can be carried both in the seed tuber and in the soil. A sizable amount of ware-potato may remain unmarketable or may cause downgrading and rejection of seed consignments. Practical disease problems have become increasingly complex as scientists are more frequently indulged in aspects not directly related to practical management of diseases. So considerable gaps seem to exist between the prevailing knowledge of such diseases and how logically they should be managed. This publication is meant to bridge these gaps. The book discusses three practical approaches of scab management, which proved to be very effective at the field level. These are clean seed to avoid contamination of land and clean potato stocks thereafter; timely application of sulphur to significantly inactivate the pathogen and enhance the final yield; high soil moisture at the proper time to effectively suppress the scab. It is intended for use by students, teachers, researchers and everyone involved in cultivating potatoes such as: agricultural advisors, quarantine officers and farmers alike.