OSU Researchers Combating Potato Y with Vitamin B1

Ask any potato grower in the Northwest, they’ll tell you that Potato Virus Y is an economically important disease, with significant yield losses.  And as Oregon State University researcher Aymeric Goyer pointed out, it’s become a larger problem in recent years.

“In the last couple of decades there has been the emergence new strains that has made the control of this disease more challenging than ever before.”

In response he says researchers need to come up with new tools, and use integrated approaches to control Potato Virus Y, and one of those treatments that has proven successful is B1 vitamin supplementation.  He said by adding B1 Vitamin, the spuds appear to fight off Potato Y virus much better.  And he adds since it’s a natural vitamin, there is a reduced concern about local water or soil contamination.

And Goyer noted while the research focused on one variety in a greenhouse, he’s confident the vitamin supplementation will work across the board.

“I would expect that it should work on other varieties, enough to deal with this in only one variety, which was Ranger Russets, but I would expect it to work on other varieties.”

Researchers added that vitamin B-1 application did not completely stop the virus spread, nor did it prevent foliar symptoms such as mosaic, therefore B-1 application should be considered as an additional tool, rather than a single sustainable management of Potato Y Virus.

Click Here to read the results of the recent study.

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