NoBlight. New challenges with old potato diseases: IPM to control early- and late blight
End: dec 2028
Start: jan 2025
Global potato production is plagued by multiple pathogens, and potato late blight (LB) caused by the oomycete Phytophthora infestans and early blight (EB) caused by the fungus Alternaria solani are both important diseases causing significant crop losses worldwide. In Norway LB is the most important challenge for potato growers and the number of pesticide applications per season has doubled during the last 20 years.
| Start - end date | 01.01.2025 - 31.12.2028 |
| Project manager | Arne Hermansen |
The primary object of the proposed project NoBlight is to make Norwegian potato production more sustainable, by minimizing use of pesticides by developing improved integrated pest management (IPM) strategies.
In NoBlight we will study the genetic and phenotypic (pesticide resistance, aggressiveness, virulence) diversity in the current Norwegian pathogen populations, and examine how new genotypes are introduced to Norway, with focus on long distance transport of spores and waste from imported potatoes. A set of the most recent genotypes of the pathogens will be used for testing Norwegian potato cultivars and breeding lines to increase the knowledge about their disease robustness. Pesticide resistance in pathogen populations is an increasing problem and we will develop tests that can be used to efficiently examine local LB populations for resistance to two different pesticides. We will also explore new eco-friendly control measures chitosan and dsRNAi in controlling blight, and improve forecasting models to help timing of pesticide applications against LB and EB. In the end, the new IPM strategies for LB and EB will be tested in field experiments.
NoBlight has project partners from the Norwegian potato sector, including industry and the advisory service, as well as renowned research institutes from Northern Europe. NoBlight will contribute with novel knowledge important both for the scientific community and farmers, to the ultimate benefit of the consumers and society.
Project objectives
The main objective of NoBlight is to demonstrate how to minimise the use of pesticides in Norwegian potato production to make it more sustainable. Our ambition is therefore to obtain new knowledge about the LB and EB pathogens and IPM tools and strategies that can reduce pesticide input by 20 % by2030, and by 50% in 2035.
Secondary objectives:
- Map presence of pathogens that currently are causing diseases in different potato regions in Norway.
- Examine P. infestans and A. solani populations and select contemporary isolates relevant for potato breeding.
- Explore low-risk pesticides against blight.
- Develop methods and tools for use in anti-resistance strategies.
- Develop versions of disease forecasting models that can better time fungicide applications.
- Develop improved IPM strategies, including resistant cultivars, fungicides and disease forecasting models.
- Increase Nordic collaboration and collaboration within EuroBlight.