Potato Wart Disease!

Welcome farmers. You are wise to resort to potato production. With more than 365 million tons produced annually, potatoes are forth most consumed staple food worldwide, and there is good money to be made. But be aware, plant pathogens and invertebrate pests pose a constant threat by destroying crops reducing their economic value and impacting food security. Fortunately you can use resistant crops to protect yourself against the devastating effects of these pathogens and pests.

Pathogens and pests with the highest impact are called quarantine organisms. For cultivated potatoes, POTATO WART DISEASE is one of the most important quarantine diseases. After infection, potato tubers start to grow uncontrollably producing warted tissues. Yield losses up to 100% have been reported, and strict phytosanitary measures are in place to control the disease and prevent its spread. The lack of chemical control agents, and the production of robust resting spores which remain viable and infectious for decades, disable the use of infected plots for potato production for many years.

This game is inspired on the POTATO WART DISEASE pathogen Synchytrium endobioticum.