Why do brown circles appear inside the Potato? Asked the agronomist if it is possible to save the harvest

Do you want to grow healthy potatoes without any of those black mourning stripes visible on the cut of the tuber? Then a fiery salute, experienced comrades and not very potato growers! Today I will tell you why potato flesh spoils from dark circles.

I noticed that every summer resident planting potatoes on his 6 acres considers himself a pro in this matter and does not tolerate when someone's understanding of the intricacies of the annual process does not match his agronomic knowledge of growing culture. But I, tired of peeling a seemingly healthy tuber, and then sending it to the trash bin because of the brown circles inside, decided to ask Benjamin's authoritative opinion over a glass of tea.

Why are there dark rings inside the potato

Broom thoughtfully raised his finger up and, without hesitation for 2 seconds, categorically declared:
- Fedenka, it's ring rot of potatoes! It's a nasty thing, but... not fatal!.
Indeed, the name of the disease perfectly describes what is happening with the tubers.

Ring rot of potatoes is the work of harmful microorganisms. Namely, the bacteria Coryne-bacterium sepedonicum.

This infection comes to our sites with infected tubers. When the potato grows, the microorganisms move into the trunk and into the new, overgrown tubers. Which the summer resident, for sure, will postpone on the seed. This is the cycle of ring rot in nature. Oh, that is, in the garden.

How ring rot manifests itself. And how does not show

I have only one good news. The causative agents of ring rot in the overwhelming majority of cases do not tolerate wintering in the ground. This means that the site cannot be considered infected.

The first bad news is all potatoes in the cellar are potentially dangerous. If at least one tuber from the garden was seen with a ring of rot, then all relatives can spread the infection. A special catch is that external damage in the form of dark spots on the peel is far from always visible.

The second bad news is that if, comrade, you have already planted infected nodules, you cannot spray a solution of, say, sour milk and forget about the problem. The infection is already deep inside the plant.

The third bad news is the disease inside the tubers is accompanied by damage to the tops. Yellowing of the leaves, weakness of the stems and their premature wilting go hand in hand with ring rot. Which is often confused with either natural aging or late blight. Everyone thinks to the best of his impressionability. And the defeat of the foliage is always an insufficient photosynthesis. Hence, a bad harvest.

How to forget about ring rot in a potato field

When the problem has become radical and tubers with rings come across 1 in several pieces, then this becomes a serious reason to think about complete replacing planting material. Roughly speaking, buy new seed potatoes next spring or barter from a neighbor. This is the safest option.

It is advisable to give preference to zoned varieties that grow well in your, comrade, region. Do not lick your lips at the "southern" varieties that give a crop for a feast for the eyes somewhere in the Krasnodar Territory. The result, say, in a swampy village in the Leningrad Region, alas, will not be repeated; even throw manure.

There is also a second option, but it does not give any guarantees. The point is to inspect each seed potato carefully before planting after sprouting. Potatoes are kept warm for at least 7-10 days. In theory, in a high temperature, the fungus should begin to multiply at a high speed and give itself out.

And then they look to see if dark suspicious spots have appeared on its surface. But this method will not give, alas, any guarantees, because the fungus can always lurk inside the tuber and not manifest itself.

Familiar with the problem of dark rings and was it interesting to know their cause? Press, comrade, "Thumbs up"! By the way, the ring-shaped potato does not cause much harm to the health of the eater. But eating it is completely unpleasant.
Sincerely yours, summer resident Fyodor Tyapkin-Sklyankin and his friend Venik.