blight

Examples of blight in the following topics:

• Protists as Plant Pathogens

  • Phytophthora infestans is an oomycete responsible for potato late blight.
  • Widespread potato blight caused by P. infestans led to the well-known Irish potato famine in the nineteenth century that claimed the lives of approximately one million people and resulted in the emigration of at least one million more from Ireland.
  • Late blight continues to plague potato crops in certain parts of the United States and Russia, wiping out as much as 70 percent of crops when no pesticides are applied.
  • These unappetizing remnants result from an infection with P. infestans, the causative agent of potato late blight.

• Agricultural Diversity

  • The tragic, Irish potato famine occurred when the single variety grown in Ireland became susceptible to a potato blight, wiping out the crop.

• Chromalveolata: Stramenopiles

  • One plant pathogen is Phytophthora infestans, the causative agent of late blight of potatoes, such as occurred in the nineteenth century Irish potato famine.