In This Issue: Late blight updates for potato/tomato | Cucurbit downy mildew updates
Month: September 2025
Internal potato tuber defects: Hollow heart and heat necrosis
Hollow heart, depending on its severity, is also called brown center. Hollow heart is characterized by the formation of an irregular cavity in the flesh of the tuber, usually surrounded by dark brown tissues. Heat necrosis is also referred to as internal brown and internal necrosis, which is characterized by small, brown, necrotic lesions or spots inside the vascular ring of the tuber.
Pink eye of potato
Pink eye is a disorder of potato tubers that can cause costly storage losses for potato growers and can reduce tuber quality to the point where tubers will be rejected by potato processors. Pink eye not only directly affects tubers, but also makes tubers more susceptible to diseases such as Pythium leak, bacterial soft rot, pink rot, and Fusarium dry rot. These diseases cause additional storage losses and reduction in quality.
Vegetable Crop Update – Sep 21, 2025
In This Issue: End of season crop production comments | Potato tuber heat necrosis and hollow heart | Late blight updates for potato/tomato | Cucurbit downy mildew updates | Pink eye of potato
Management of water molds and bacterial diseases of potato tubers in the post-harvest space
While every growing season typically offers a few weather hiccups, some years offer a few more extreme disruptions than typical. Extreme temperatures, in concert with moisture stress, exacerbate disease risk at the time of harvest and beyond.
Vegetable Crop Update – Sep 14, 2025
In This Issue: Disease forecasting updates for potato early blight and late blight | Cucurbit downy mildew updates | Post-harvest diseases of potato and their management
Vegetable Crop Update – Sep 7, 2025
In This Issue: Disease forecasting updates for potato early blight and late blight | Cucurbit downy mildew updates | Black dot and silver scurf of potato
Late-Season Management of Black Dot and Silver Scurf in Wisconsin Potatoes
As the potato harvest season advances, late-season tuber diseases are of concern. Two diseases in particular—black dot (Colletotrichum coccodes) and silver scurf (Helminthosporium solani)—can diminish tuber quality, reduce storability, and lead to post-harvest losses. Managing these diseases requires careful attention in the late season, as cultural and harvest practices can influence disease.