ABSTRACT
Potato is an important crop in the group of vegetable crops. It is being affected by various microorganisms apart from abiotic factors. Fungi, bacteria, viruses, nematodes, and phytoplasma are the main biotic factors, which causes tremendous loss to the potato crop. The pathogen, Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bary, is a major fungus-like organism causing late blight which leads to 80% loss under improper management. The disease is severely challenged by various climatic factors, viz., temperature, relative humidity, rainfall, and CO2 which are behaving in erratic manner in the past few years. The pathogen has adapted itself to higher temperature (up to 28°C) resulting in greater chances of spreading to larger area or persistence extended. Moreover, the level of resistance and susceptibility of the potato cultivars will also be changed in climate change scenario. Therefore, in the current perspective, control strategies should be modified or improved to sustainable management. Application of suitable fungicides coupled with suitable planting date and resistant cultivars taken into consideration. Moreover, advisories of forecasting models could also assist in the management of the late blight. Effects of temperature, CO2, and rainfall on the pathogen are focused. Impact of these factors which are influencing the management strategies is discussed in this chapter.
