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Disease - Skin Spot
Skin Spot (Polyscytalum pustulans) is a fungus that causes slightly depressed grey to black-brown pimples on the skin surface of the tuber. It can be common on potato crops grown on heavy clay soils as these soils are cold, and some varieties such as King Edwards, which are more prone to the defect. These spots or groups of spots develop about 2 months after harvest during cold storage as the fungus favours these cooler conditions. The spots very often develop around the eyes of the tuber with the spores infecting the potato via the lenticels, eyes and any damage wounds that the potato may have received during harvest. The first infections of Skin Spot will be from the original seed. If Skin Spot is present on the seed potatoes it can affect the sprout tips formed on the seed, hence affecting the initial growth of the crop. It is therefore important that potato growers use healthy Skin Spot 'free' seed. Avoiding harvesting potatoes under wet, cold conditions and storing in a dry and relatively warm store should help to limit the spread of the fungus.
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