The effect of the moisture level of potting compost on the susceptibility of glasshouse-grown tubers to late blight

Summary The effect of the moisture level of potting compost at harvest on the susceptibility of tubers of three cultivars to late blight was investigated in the glasshouse in three successive years. Three moisture regimes (dry, moist, wet) were imposed at flowering time, the tubers harvested 3 weeks later and immediately dipped in a zoospore suspension ofPhytophthora infestans. Tubers from dry compost were significantly more susceptible than those from wet or moist compost, which showed similar levels of susceptibility.