Potato Dry Rot – A fungal disease

Fusarium dry (Fungal rot) rot is the causal Organism

The Fungus is  both :-

1. a) Seed and
2. b) soil-borne

How the infection begins

1. During seed cutting, grading or harvesting and post harvest handling, the Wounds get created
2. So, Infections begin mostly at wound sites
3. This wound allows the Fusarium fungi to enter the tuber and spread
4. Soil attached to tubers at harvest contains the Fusarium spores that can lead to infection during storage
5. Once infection occurs, it slowly enlarges in all directions
6. The fungus drying out the contents of the tuber
7. As a result the Potato skin over the infected area sinks and wrinkles, sometimes in concentric rings.
8. The fungus kills the cells of the tuber.
9. As a result, infected areas are light brown to black.