Potato disease is an interaction between a host and a pathogen – bacterium , fungus, virus, mycoplasma, nematode, or adverse environment, that impairs productivity or usefulness of the crop.
Not all the disease are likely to occur in the same field or district at the same time, since the weather conditions favoring some are unfavorable to others.
The viruses infecting potato included:
PVY - Potato virus Y
PLRV - Potato leafroll virus
PVM - Potato virus M
PVS - Potato virus S
PAMV - Potato aucuba mosaic virus
PMTV – Potato mop-top virus
PVT – Potato T virus
PYDV – Potato rough dwarf virus
PYVV – Potato yellow vein virus
They are primarily specific pathogens of potato, although they may occur also in other Solanaceous crops and weeds.
The spread of virus disease is influenced by the abundance of certain species of insects especially aphids. They are the chief vectors or carriers of potato viruses. The virus attaches to the stylets to the aphids, directly transmitted or in some cases able to remain viable for about 24 hours.
The symptoms on potato appears when the virus accumulate in the host tissue and use or impair normal potato metabolic ways.
A tuber yield is the most characteristic in potato, most economically important viruses are those that cause greater yield reduction. In general terms, more severe symptoms are correlated with lower yields in potato.
Various symptoms combinations of vein clearing, stunting, feathery, mottle, cholortic spots, mosaic, leaf curl leaf strapping have been reported.
Virus potato disease
