**Abstract**

Dry rot of potato (*Solanum tuberosum L.*) is an important postharvest disease during storage. The decay can be caused by several different species of *Fusarium* spp., such as, *F. sambucinum*, *F. coeruleum*, *F. oxysporum*, *F. avenaceum*, *F. culmorum*. The pathogen of *Fusarum* spp. causing dry rot of potato is considerable different in different countries and regions. The typical symptom of potato dry rot is sunken and wrinkled brown to black tissue patch on tuber with less dry matter and shriveled flesh. *Fusarium* spp. only invades host through wound or natural orifice during pre-harvest, storage and transportation period. Some *Fusarium* species infection associated with mycotoxins accumulation, which has phytotoxicity and mycotoxicoses in humans and animals. Synthetic fungicide is the main strategy to control the dry rot of potato, however, there are series of problem, such as environmental pollution, pathogen resistance. An integrated approach to manage the disease includes the introduction of resistant cultivar, appropriate cultural practices, and storage conditions combined with the application of synthetic fungicides pre-harvest or post-harvest. Moreover, some chemical fungicides and microbial antagonists have been integrated into potato dry rot management.

**Keywords:** *Fusarium* spp., potato dry rot, pathogenic mechanism, mycotoxins, control

## **1. Introduction**

*Fusarium* is a large fungal genus within the Ascomycota phylum comprising a few hundred species that are mainly distributed in soil and in association with plants [1]. As we know, *Fusarium* spp. can cause dry rot of potato, it is a devastating pathogenic disease that significantly influences potato tubers (*Solanum tuberosum L.*) worldwide [2]. The disease not only causes a significant reduction in potato quality, but also leads to enormous economics losses. It is reported that 90% of potato tubers need to be stored for vegetable and industrial materials, however, the enormous yield losses attributed to dry rot disease during storage ranges from 6 to 25%, with up to 60% of tubers affected in some cases [3]. There are 13 species of *Fusarium* designated globally as causal agents of potato dry rot [4, 5]. Different species *Fusarium* were isolated from dry rot of potato tube and identified in different countries and regions. *F. sambucinum* is the most predominant pathogenic fungus causing potato dry rot in North America, China and some regions


#### **Table 1.**

Fusarium *species causing potato dry rot in different countries and regions.*

of Europe [3, 5–13]. *F. coeruleum* is the most prevalent agent associated with the dry rot of potato in cold storage in the United Kingdom and Great Britain [14–18]. Sometimes, *F. sambucinum* occasionally causes severe yield and economic losses in United Kingdom [6, 19]. In North Dakota, *F. graminearum* and *F. sambucinum* were reported to be the most frequent species *Fusarium* causing dry rot. In China, *F. sambucinum* is considered as the most notorious fungus in most potato growing regions [20], in addition, *F. oxysporum, F. avenaceum, F. acuminatum and F. equiseti, F. sulphureum*, *F. sambucinem* and *F. solani* also play the most predominant role in causing potato dry rot [21–23]. Similarly, *F. oxysporum* is the most common pathogen causing dry rot in Michigan. Recently in Egypt, the *F. sambucinum* was reported as the predominant fungus followed by *F. oxysporum*, *F. verticillioides* and *F. incarnatum* (**Table 1**) [29].

The frequency of the *Fusarium* species associated with dry rot is not only affected by crop location, but also by other factors such as potato cultivar, fungicide and seed tuber source [16]. In addition, *F. avenaceum*, *F. equiseti*, and *F. graminearum* are usually being considered lesser importance when compared with *F. sambucinum* and *F. coeruleum*; however, sometimes, they can be the predominant pathogen to cause serious disease in Finland and USA [24–26]. For example, A 2004–2005 survey of potatoes from stores in the north-central potato-producing region of the USA showed that *F. graminearum* along with *F. sambucinum* were the predominant causes of the disease [24].
