tuber rot on Potato
Quick answer
If your Potato has tuber rot, the most likely cause is: Potato tuber soft rot (Pectobacterium carotovorum, formerly Erwinia carotovora) invades through wounds during cutting. Bacteria secrete exopolysaccharide capsules that form microcolonies in intercellular spaces, secreting polygalacturonase and cellulase enzymes that liquefy middle lamella and parenchyma cell walls, producing characteristic watery, soft rot tissue with foul odor.
Start here:
- 1. 1. Mother tuber selection: Use 30-40 gram seed tubers with no visible lesions, wounds, or soft areas when squeezed; reject any tuber showing exudate at eyes
- 2. 2. Cutting technique: Slice longitudinally through crown eye (apical meristem) to preserve polarity; each piece must have at least one healthy eye; sterilize knife in potassium permanganate between each cut
Why Potato gets tuber rot
Potato tuber soft rot (Pectobacterium carotovorum, formerly Erwinia carotovora) invades through wounds during cutting. Bacteria secrete exopolysaccharide capsules that form microcolonies in intercellular spaces, secreting polygalacturonase and cellulase enzymes that liquefy middle lamella and parenchyma cell walls, producing characteristic watery, soft rot tissue with foul odor.
How to reverse tuber rot on Potato
- 1
1. Mother tuber selection: Use 30-40 gram seed tubers with no visible lesions, wounds, or soft areas when squeezed; reject any tuber showing exudate at eyes
- 2
2. Cutting technique: Slice longitudinally through crown eye (apical meristem) to preserve polarity; each piece must have at least one healthy eye; sterilize knife in potassium permanganate between each cut
- 3
3. Fungicidal treatment: Dip freshly cut surfaces in 0.3% mancozeb or 0.5% copper oxychloride suspension for 5 minutes, air-dry before planting
- 4
4. Post-cut curing: Spread cut tubers in single layer at 10-15°C with 85-90% RH for 5-7 days to allow wound periderm formation (suberization) before planting
- 5
5. Field management: Plant in well-drained soil with 10-12cm depth; avoid compacted waterlogged areas; wait 2-3 weeks after full emergence before heavy irrigation
Keep tuber rot off this Potato
Cut tubers with sterile knives sterilized in 1% potassium permanganate solution between cuts; harvest in dry conditions; cure cut tubers at 10-15°C with 85-90% RH for 5-7 days before planting to suberize wound periderm; plant in well-drained soil; avoid overhead irrigation during wound healing.