Powdery scab situation
The situation in Israel regarding powdery scab today: the disease is not established here, due to difficult
conditions of high temperatures. In the past few records of PS in daughter tubers were recorded in sandy or loess soil
(e.g. Nachmias and Krikun, 1988). Soil fumigation solved the problem.
However, recently infected daughter tubers where observed again in a few cases. It is suggested that the major if not the
only source are the seed tubers imported from Northern Europe. There was a great concern in Israel that the disease could be
introduced, because mercury for seed treatment was recently banned and there is no alternative so far.
Today Israel has places were the soil temperature can go up to 40 degrees Celcius (desert-like fields with sandy soils) and powdery scab is very common. The story behind that is the irrigation with cold water pumped from deep wells.
Research
Monitoring of Spongospora diseases on imported seed and crop. Screening of many fungicides to control Spongospora on seed and in soil. Evaluating the importance of weed for alternative hosts. Epidemiology (air transport of cystosori).
Contact address:
Dr. Leah Tsror
Retired
Dep. of Plant Pathology and Weed Research
Inst. of Plant Protection
Agricultural Research Organization
Gilat Experiment Station
M.P.
Negev, 85280
Israel
| e-mail: | |
Back to map / References
Last update: January, 2025