Development of strategies to mitigate the vulnerability of potato to pathogens under changing climate conditions in Northern Europe

Global climate change increases the spread of fungal diseases and pests, which significantly reduce the potato yield and quality. At the same time it is vitally important to increase the soil microbial diversity and reduce the need for pesticides in the future crop production. This project aims to: 1) study the populations of Phytophtora infestans and Alternaria solani in the Baltic region and the identify the invasive genotypes; 2) study the natural community compositions and species’ richness of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and their colonization in potato genotypes 3) test the suitability of cover crops for blocking the spread of soil-borne and foliar pathogens as well as for favouring the symbiotic microorganisms. The results are important in the development of sustainable agricultural methods for mitigating the vulnerability of potato, including the use of innovative biocontrol tools, and thereby significantly reduce the demand for pesticides.