How To Control and Prevent Late Blight

Phytophthora infestans is a pathogen that causes late blight in potatoes, tomatoes, and more. Sustainability expert Huan Song provides strategies for managing this disease in your garden.

Clusters of green tomatoes with round, dark brown and black lesions on their surfaces, some starting to rot, surrounded by green, glossy leaves with some wilted edges.

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Phytophthora infestans is one of the most destructive plant pathogens in the world. Also known as late blight, this pathogen is the notorious culprit behind the Potato Famine of the 1840s in Ireland, and many other severe epidemics since. 

Scientists have conducted intensive studies of the plant pathology and late blight management over the past 150 years due to the economic significance of disease outbreaks. Solanaceae crops such as potatoes and tomatoes and ornamental plants such as petunias are particularly vulnerable

Late blight causes severe symptoms visible on different parts of the host plant including stems, leaves, fruits, and tubers. In cold and wet conditions, late blight can wipe out entire fields in a matter of days. Infected plants take on a brown and wilted appearance as if damaged by frost. 

Systemic fungicides are the most common treatment to combat this plant pathogen, but they come with many drawbacks. Fungicides can be expensive, most are prohibited in organic production, they pose risks to the environment, and may lead to the development of resistant strains.  Pathogen resistance is one reason why late blight continues to cause billions of dollars in damage every year to tomato and potato crops. 

Control and prevention are vital to stop this damaging disease from spreading in your garden.

What Is Late Blight?

Two shriveled, darkened potatoes with dried black skin hang from exposed roots and withered stems, showing clear signs of rot and drying.
Similar to many other plant diseases, this pathogen changes its host’s physiology and immune system.

Phytophthora infestans is also commonly known as late blight, potato late blight, or tomato late blight. Similar to many other plant diseases, this pathogen changes its host’s physiology and immune system.

However, P. infestans is not a virus, fungus, or bacterium. It is classified as an oomycete or water mold

There are several other known oomycete pathogens that cause damping off, seedling blights, and downy mildew, to name a few. Of all the phytophthora species, this one is the most well-studied and is one of the most devastating phytophthora diseases worldwide.

P. infestans originates from the Americas, although there is ongoing academic debate on whether it is from South America (Andes) or North America (Mexico).  

Life Cycle

A close-up of a tomato plant stem with slight browning, surrounded by fresh green leaves, with small, dark spots developing near the branching points, indicating infection.
The majority of the reproduction happens asexually during the disease cycle.

Late blight is a host-specific pathogen that requires plant tissue to grow. This oomycete can produce both sexually and asexually. Asexual reproduction happens rapidly and can widely disperse the pathogen throughout the growing season. Sexual reproduction helps with the genetic diversity in order to develop resistance genes to combat fungicides. 

The majority of the reproduction happens asexually during the disease cycle. P. infestans develops sporangiospores or specialized branched hyphae that leaves a host plant through the stomata of stems and leaves. These sporangiospores produce sporangia or zoosporangia which are often released in the mornings when there is a drop in relative humidity and the environment is warmer.  

Zoosporangia are airborne and can spread by wind to neighboring plants where they might germinate and directly infect plant cells. When the weather is cool and there is a lack of nutrients, zoosporangia will develop biflagellates which enable them to be mobile. In this process of indirect infection, the zoosporangia will encyst, develop germ tubes, and use them to penetrate plant tissues. 

In the sexual disease cycle, P. infestans uses the A1 and A2 mating types. Male and female reproductive organs meet and produce oospores. This type of reproduction is more common in stems than in leaves. Oospores are very robust with thick walls and can survive for years in the soil. They are tolerant of cold temperatures but more sensitive to heat. Oospores also form germ tube structures and produce sporangia. 

The sporangia can then release zoosporangia and infect hosts through indirect or direct germination. Oospores are less common because they require both mating types to be found together. In the Northeastern U.S., for example, only one mating type is present. 

Symptoms Of Late Blight

A large green leaf with brown and yellow patches, curled edges, and small blackened spots spreading across its surface, indicating disease progression.
Under cold and wet conditions, these lesions spread rapidly from the leaf tips or the edges to the whole leaf.

Plants with late blight disease will first exhibit small, brown, water-soaked spots on their lower leaves. Under cold and wet conditions, these lesions spread rapidly from the leaf tips or the edges to the whole leaf. Over time, the lesions may turn a greasy black and ringed by a yellow chlorotic halo

Leaves, petioles, and stems become blighted in just a few days. When this oomycete actively sporulates, it creates a ring of white mildew around each lesion.

An infected potato plant will exhibit symptoms both above and below ground. Instead of showing healthy dark green leaves, a diseased potato leaf will have lesions and chlorosis. Infected potato tubers will show light red or brown granular rot. Diseased tissue is streaked with brown rot, extending into healthy tissue. 

In tomatoes, stems are particularly identifiable from other diseases as they will develop patches of brown, almost woody-looking blight amidst the healthier green tissues.

Late blight is often accompanied by secondary tuber infection caused by pink rot or soft rot bacteria. A plant with open tuber infections will become more vulnerable to all sorts of pests and diseases. As the disease severity progresses, the outbreak will cause the cultivated area to take on a distinct odor

What Plants Does Phytophthora Infestans Effect?

Several red and orange tomatoes with large, sunken black lesions hang from dry, brown stems, surrounded by withered, browning leaves and dead foliage.
This family includes crops like potatoes and tomatoes and ornamental plants such as Petunia spp. and Calibrachoa spp.

Phytophthora infestans populations primarily impact plants in the Solanaceae or nightshade family. This family includes crops like potatoes and tomatoes and ornamental plants such as Petunia spp. and Calibrachoa spp. The pathogen also affects closely related wild species such as bittersweet nightshade (Solanum dulcamara) and hairy nightshade (Solanum sarrachoides). 

There are many different strains more adapted to infect different species of hosts. Some researchers also hypothesize that the pathogen spreads by overwintering in wild Solanaceae and then infecting crops in the following season. 

Control

A pair of gloved hands carefully spread straw mulch around the base of a healthy tomato plant, with green, developing tomatoes hanging from vibrant green vines.
Rain, dew, or overhead irrigation foster the moisture level and relative humidity needed for the disease to proliferate.

P. infestans favors a cool and wet climate with day time temperatures between 60 and 70°F (16-21°C) and night time between 50 and 60°F (10-16°C). Rain, dew, or overhead irrigation foster the moisture level and relative humidity needed for the disease to proliferate.

One of the main ways to control late blight is to create an unfavorable environment for the pathogen. In general, good IPM (integrated pest management) methodologies around cleanliness and removing plant debris is also important.   

If late blight is present in your garden, there is a chance that it might spread to nearby gardens and neighboring agricultural fields. It’s important to monitor your garden to decrease this community risk. If you find late blight, reach out to your local extension office to verify and mitigate any infection risks. 

Once a plant is infected with Phytophthora infestans, it cannot be cured of it. The best course of action is to remove the infected plant to prevent the further spread of the disease.

Start your growing season by inspecting tomato plants to make sure that the seedlings are disease free. For potatoes, purchase certified seed tubers before planting. If you have cultivated potato crops in the previous season, remove neighboring wild varieties of Solanaceae and in-ground potato tubers so they can’t become the initial inoculum.

Avoid planting in areas that tend to remain wet for a prolonged period of time. Use drip irrigation and do not water during the night.

Tomato plants are susceptible to other fungal and foliar diseases. Employ good cultural practices like:

  • Mulching to prevent splash backs
  • Removing the lower leaves and suckers to encourage ventilation
  • Staking the plants

If you practice crop rotation techniques, don’t plant tomatoes in areas that previously grew potatoes.  

Prevention

A gardener sprays a fine mist of fungicide onto the tomato leaves and stems, the bright sun filtering through the branches, highlighting the moisture droplets and green foliage.
Even though this pathogen is not a fungal disease, fungicides can be used to prevent infection.

There are drawbacks to using fungicides, including environmental risks. Furthermore, P. infestans adapts quickly and could develop fungicide resistance. There is an ongoing arms race between plant researchers who are trying to develop new disease-resistant cultivars and the pathogen itself. 

Because P. infestans is a rapidly evolving pathogen with wide genetic diversity, there are many clonal lineages of the diseases. Crop scientists have developed several hybrid tomato varieties that have late blight resistance such as Mountain Merit. Geneticists have also been working with a potato variety (AWN86514-2) that is resistant to late blight.

Even though this pathogen is not a fungal disease, fungicides can be used to prevent infection. Carefully read the fungicide packaging and follow application instructions. Non-organic gardeners can consider preventative fungicides that include chlorothalonil and Mancozeb. Fixed copper fungicide products may be used for organic crops.

Spray fungicides at the beginning of the flower stage. In case of high risks of late blight, spray fungicides right after transplanting and continue throughout the growing season. 

Considering the high levels of resistance and impact on the environment, it’s best to choose resistant varieties and follow preventative strategies like correct watering and removing plant debris first before reaching for fungicides.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Phytophthora infestans famous?

Phytophthora infestans is the plant disease responsible for the potato famine which led to mass starvation in Ireland during the 1840s. It has been widely studied by botanists and is considered one of the first diseases to be studied under the modern scientific field of plant pathology.

Potato late blight epidemics wipe out entire potato crops in just a few days. Likewise, tomato fruits are also susceptible depending on disease severity values.

How do you get rid of Phytophthora in soil?

P. infestans may produce oospores that can persist for several years in soil. However, in most parts of the world that only experience asexually produced P. infestans, the zoospores need living host plant tissue to survive. The most common way for this disease to persist in soil is from unharvested potato tubers infected with the disease.

After harvest, dig up all remaining potatoes. If there are any signs of late blight, dispose of the tubers. Remove all plant debris and potato or tomato foliage from the area and remove wild nightshade plants that help the pathogen overwinter.

Is Phytophthora harmful to humans?

Phytophthora infestans is not harmful to humans. However, it is not recommended to eat tomato fruit or potato that shows signs of late blight lesions. It is safe to eat unblemished tomatoes that are harvested from vines that show symptoms of late blight, but do not can or freeze these tomatoes.

Fruits harvested from blighted vines have a tendency to develop lesions post-harvest which lowers their acidity. Other harmful microorganisms might develop in a low-acid environment.

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