This blog post was originally published to Cultivating Science on science.gc.ca.
Potato wart requires attention from plant health scientists around the world, including those at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). Potato wart is a disease of potatoes caused by the fungus Synchytrium endobioticum – a particularly hardy and persistent pest. While potato wart does not pose a risk to human or animal health, the disease can deform potato tubers, making them unmarketable, and reduce crop yields.
A worldwide pest
Potato wart is an issue for many countries, as the fungus has been detected on every continent except Antarctica – which also happens to be the only continent where potatoes do not grow! Globally, the pest is recognized as a serious potato pathogen that can cause devastating economic impacts. Potato wart is a significant threat to Canadian potato crops, the largest vegetable crop grown in Canada. In 2022-2023, Canada exported $3.4 billion dollars of potatoes and potato products.
The international scientific community, including Canada, can benefit from exchanging knowledge on potato wart to better understand this pest and inform future research and development priorities to help prevent its spread.
Continue reading to learn more.
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