Tips for managing potato early dying

Potato early dying isn’t new, yet the management of early dying continues to  elude growers, plant pathologists, and extension folks alike. Early dying is caused by a disease complex driven by Verticillium wilt, with other factors such as root lesion nematodes, black dot, and abiotic stresses associated with more severe symptoms

What do we know?

Once infected with Verticillium spp., plants are unable to translocate nutrients and water. During tuber fill, plants begin to wilt and die weeks before maturity . It is understood that nematodes further aggravate the infection.

Mario Tenuta, Lead Researcher with the University of Manitoba, has estimated yield losses between five and 20 percent due to early dying. He led a large national project, CanPEDNet focused on understanding the biology, spread and management of early dying in potatoes. Key learnings include new knowledge on the degree to which levels of Verticillium and root lesion nematode populations vary by province, and new, faster, methods to quantify Verticillium populations in soil.

What can we do now?

1. Symptom development is favoured by stressful conditions like heat, drought, and foliar disease. Try to manage the things you can control to promote soil and plant health. Certain varieties are tolerant to Verticillium wilt, meaning plants can be infected without yield loss occurring. However, these varieties don't significantly impact the inoculum in the soil.
2. Chemical control options include fumigation and soil-applied fungicides, such as Elatus^®. Both work by reducing the inoculum in the soil, but fumigants are not permitted everywhere, and tend to reduce the population of good nematodes, fungi, and bacteria.
3. Monitoring Verticillium spp. and nematode populations over time can help determine if management practices are helping to reduce soil inoculum.
4. While crop rotation has a limited effect on managing the pathogen, symptoms are typically worse in fields with a short crop rotation.

Elatus^® as a management tool

Two academic studies looked at Elatus^® as part of a sustainable disease management program.

• In Alberta, an application of Elatus^® reduced the microsclerotia/g of soil compared to untreated (University of Lethbridge, AB, 2020).
• In Idaho, Elatus^® reduced Verticillium in the stems by nearly 80 percent and improved total yield by five percent (Northwest Potato Consortium, ID, 2018).

The goal is to reduce the soil inoculum over time. Consider Elatus^® in-furrow fungicide as part of a sustainable disease management program.

Looking for more information on Elatus^®? Talk to your local crop inputs supplier or Syngenta representative.

​​​​​​​Performance evaluations are based on internal trials, field observations and/or public information. Data from multiple locations and years should be consulted whenever possible. Individual results may vary depending on local growing, soil and weather conditions.

Always read and follow label directions. Elatus^® is a co-pack of Elatus^® A and Elatus^® B fungicides. Elatus^® and the Syngenta logo are trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company.