Fungal Diseases of Potato Crops and Biological Alternatives for Sustainable Disease Management

Résumé

Fungal Diseases of Potato Crops and Biological Alternatives for Sustainable Disease Management is a technical academic monograph devoted to fungal threats affecting potato production and to sustainable alternatives for disease control. The book first situates potato as a major global food and economic crop, then explains the biology, classification, survival strategies, colonization mechanisms, and epidemiology of phytopathogenic fungi. Its central analysis focuses on Rhizoctonia solani and Alternaria alternata, detailing their infection cycles, symptoms, disease development, yield and quality losses, diagnostic procedures, and the role of fungal toxins in plant tissue damage. The second part examines synthetic fungicides through modes of action, FRAC resistance groups, field effectiveness, residue constraints, environmental impacts, human-health concerns, and economic limitations. It then develops botanical alternatives, including plant extracts, essential oils, secondary metabolites, aromatic and medicinal plants, and their mechanisms of antifungal activity. Particular attention is given to assay design, MIC/EC₅₀ endpoints, greenhouse and field validation, formulation challenges, nanoemulsions, standardization, and integration into IPM programs. Written in a dense, evidence-based scientific style, the book is suited to students, researchers, agronomists, and plant pathology professionals interested in sustainable potato disease management.