For many years, the cause of pink eye was thought to be a bacterium. However, recent scientific reports suggest that pink eye is a physiological disorder.
Disease development. Pink eye occurs sporadically.
Disease incidence has been correlated with warm and wet soils at harvest, lack of crop rotation and Verticillium wilt. Tubers infected with Verticillium seem to be more
susceptible to pink eye. The incidence and severity of pink eye may be high in very susceptible varieties such as Kennebec or Superior.
Symptoms. The typical pink discoloured areas on affected tubers are easy to see on moist, freshly dug tubers, but difficult to notice on dry, unwashed potatoes.
Diseased tubers usually fluoresce under ultra-violet light.
bacterial infection is causing the tuber to rot.
occurs around the eyes and at the tuber
stem end. Pink eye closely resembles early
symptoms of late blight.
temperatures and low humidity. Underlying
tissue appears healthy.
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