Black Dot

Description

Black dot can normally be indentified by a dark brown to grey blemish on the potato’s surface. The visable black dots (black microsclerotia) often give the potatoes a ‘sooty’ looking appearance, which can develop into a silvery looking sheen during storage.

Black dot can affect all parts of the plant not just the tubers – stems, roots and stolons can also be infected  Black dot causes wilt symptoms above ground and severe rotting of roots, shoots and stolons below ground, leading to discoloured tubers, plant decline and a reduction in yield.