Schumann, G.L. and C. J. D’Arcy. 2000. Late blight of potato and tomato. The Plant Health Instructor. DOI: 10.1094/PHI-I-2000-0724-01
Updated, 2005.

DISEASE:  Late blight of potato and tomato

PATHOGEN:  Phytophthora infestans

HOSTS:  potato, tomato (economically important hosts)

Authors
Gail L. Schumann, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Cleora J. D'Arcy, University of Illinois

Fungicide-treated plants (background) and non-fungicide treated plants (foreground) in an experimental field trial. (Courtesy D. Inglis, copyright-free)

Late blight is the disease that triggered the Irish potato famine of the 1840s. It also was the first plant disease for which a microorganism was proved to be the causal agent, leading to the birth of plant pathology as a science.