A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases <http://www.isid.org>
Date: Thu 23 October 2008
Source: Radio Australia [edited]
<http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/stories/200810/s2399692.htm?tab=pacific>
Destruction of PNG potato industry hits economy
A fresh food supplier in Papua New Guinea (PNG) says more than
300 000 potato farmers have been affected by a potato disease
that swept the country 5 years ago.
The general manager of Alele Fresh Produce in Lae, Graeme Ross,
says PNG's potato industry was once worth USD 40 million to the
local economy. It is now struggling to stay alive after a deadly
potato blight.
Mr Ross says 300 000 farmers have lost their livelihoods and
this has had a flow-on effect to other industries, including
food and the food services industry.
--
communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[Potato late blight (PLB) is caused by the fungus _Phytophthora
infestans_, which can also infect other solanaceous crops such
as tomato or eggplant.
It can cause a total crop loss within a few days, and up to 25
per cent of the worldwide potato crop is lost every year to this
pathogen alone. New more virulent strains are evolving
constantly and simultaneously in all potato growing regions.
There is a high risk of spread with seed potatoes, and PLB is
considered a global threat. For more information on PLB see
ProMED-mail post no. 20080121.0256 (and other recent PLB posts
in the archives), and links listed below.
PLB wiped out most of the crop's seed base in PNG. Although the
national Fresh Produce Development Agency [FPDA] earlier this
year forecast a full recovery of the industry for 2008
(ProMED-mail post no. 20080121.0256), unfortunately this does
not appear to have occurred.
Maps of Papua New Guinea:
<http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/australia/papua_newguinea_pol89.jpg>
and
<http://healthmap.org/promed?v=-6.5,145.2,5>
Pictures
PLB tuber symptoms:
<http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/2007/01/070102132649.jpg>
PLB leaf symptoms:
<http://www-biol.paisley.ac.uk/bioref/Chromista/potato_blight.jpg>
Links
PLB disease information, history, and background:
<http://www.apsnet.org/online/feature/lateblit/>,
and <http://www.olympusmicro.com/micd/galleries/brightfield/potatoblight.html>
Management of potato diseases including PLB:
<http://archives.eppo.org/EPPOStandards/PP2_GPP/pp2-02-e.doc>
Late blight information and resources via:
<http://www.potato.org.uk/department/knowledge_transfer/fight_against_blight/advice_blight.html>
_P. infestans_ taxonomy:
<http://www.indexfungorum.org/Names/NamesRecord.asp?RecordID=232148>
Global Initiative on Late Blight:
<http://gilb.cip.cgiar.org/>.
- Mod.DHA]
[see also
in the
archive:
Late blight, potato - Papua New Guinea: recovery 20080121.0256
2003
---
Late blight, potato - Papua New Guinea 20030306.0554]
