Potato pomovirus

Potato pomovirus, scientifically identified as Pomovirus solani, is a viral plant pathogen that primarily impacts solanaceous crops. The virus belongs to the Pomovirus genus and is distinct for its specific transmission method, relying on soil-borne vectors, most notably the protist Spongospora subterranea, which causes powdery scab in potatoes.

While potatoes are the primary economic host, this virus can persist in various environmental reservoirs. The viral particles are extremely stable in the soil, allowing the disease to remain present in a field for many years, even in the absence of a host crop, by persisting within the resting spores of its vector.

Symptoms of the infection are most clearly observed in the tubers. Infected tubers may display ringspot patterns, surface cracking, and significant depressions. Internal symptoms are even more critical, showing as necrotic brown rings or brown spots within the vascular tissue of the tuber, which severely degrades the commercial quality and nutritional value of the harvest.

The spread of the virus is highly dependent on environmental conditions, particularly soil moisture and temperature. Cool, wet conditions facilitate the movement of the vector’s zoospores, allowing them to effectively navigate the soil profile to find and infect new potato roots. Once the infection is established, the virus spreads systemically throughout the plant.

Integrated management is the only effective strategy to mitigate the damage caused by Pomovirus solani. This includes long-term crop rotation to exhaust the population of the soil-borne vector, the use of resistant potato cultivars, and rigorous phytosanitary measures, such as sanitizing farming equipment and choosing fields with well-drained soil to minimize the risk of infection.