Drought stress intensifies early blight and compromises potato yield.
Ghadirzadeh E, Nasr Esfahani M, Nourollahi K, Jalali AH, Dadkhah AH
Climate Adaptation
PubMedThe potatoes in your grocery store are increasingly grown under water-stressed conditions, and this research shows that drought doesn't just shrink the crop — it also invites fungal disease that ruins even more of the harvest, meaning higher prices and lower quality on your plate.
Scientists grew 44 types of potatoes with either normal watering or 30% less water, then tracked how badly a common fungal disease (early blight) attacked each plant. They found that water-stressed plants got noticeably sicker, and the disease plus the drought together slashed how many potatoes — especially the nice, sellable ones — each plant produced. The good news is that some potato varieties held up much better than others, giving breeders a clear target for developing tougher crops.
Key Findings
Reducing irrigation by 30% increased early blight disease severity from 28% to 36%, a statistically significant jump.
Water stress reduced total and marketable potato yield, with nonmarketable yield increasing — meaning more damaged or undersized tubers.
Among 44 tested genotypes, specific varieties showed resilience to both drought and disease, identifying candidates for breeding programs.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Cutting back on irrigation by 30% made potato plants significantly more vulnerable to early blight fungal disease, reducing both total and marketable yields. Testing 44 potato varieties revealed that some genotypes handle both drought and disease far better than others, offering a practical path forward for farmers facing hotter, drier growing seasons.
Abstract Preview
This study investigated the effects of water stress on early blight disease, Alternaria alternata (EB)-severity and yield performance in 44 potato genotypes, including two control cultivars 'Agria'...
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The potato is a starchy tuberous vegetable native to the Americas that is consumed as a staple food in many parts of the world. Potatoes are underground stem tubers of the plant Solanum tuberosum, a perennial in the nightshade family Solanaceae.