ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the three pathoecosystems of potato, tomato, and pointed gourd affected by Phytophthora spp. in India, which is the second largest producer of vegetables and fruit in the world, and argues for a paradigm shift from traditional management practices to those that are linked to population genetics of the pathogen populations in real time. These management systems will incorporate the genetic diversity, field characteristics, and geospatial data to create region-specific phylogeographic big databases which can be used to prevent crop losses. Examples of practical applications of such big datasets in reducing late blight disease loses are already there in some countries and the first step toward that goal in India would be through assessment of the local genetic diversity in these pathoecosystems by annual surveillance programs some of which have been initiated by the author, results of which have been shared here.
