Evaluation of a support tool for late blight management in Boyacá – Colombia

Abstract

Late blight (Phytophthora infestans) poses a major challenge for potato cultivation in Colombia. In this context, the objective of this study was to evaluate the decision support tool (DST) in disease management in three potato varieties: Diacol Capiro, Ica Única, and Pastusa Suprema. The experiments were conducted in the municipalities of Toca and Turmequé, Boyacá (Colombia), using two treatments, Farmer Management and DST Management, along with a negative control, over a complete cropping cycle. Disease severity, the relative area under the disease progress curve (AUDPCr), and yield were analyzed. The use of DST did not affect productivity in the evaluated crops (p > 0.05) and reduced the number of fungicide applications, which contributed to lower production costs. This effect varied between locations due to the interaction among environmental conditions, disease pressure, and the differential response of each variety to the pathogen. In Diacol Capiro, DST proved to be more effective in Toca, where low rainfall conditions allowed for management with fewer applications than in Turmequé, without affecting yield. For Ica Única, a significant reduction in the use of systemic fungicides was observed with DST in both locations without compromising production under variable rainfall conditions. In the Pastusa Suprema variety, although disease pressure was higher under the DST treatment, particularly in Toca, yield was not significantly affected, highlighting the tool’s potential as a viable alternative for the integrated management of late blight.