?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Adc&rft.title=Blight-MOP%3A+Development+of+a+systems+approach+for+the+management+of+late+blight+(caused+by+Phytophthora+infestans)+in+EU+organic+potato+production&rft.creator=Leifert%2C+C.&rft.creator=Wilcockson%2C+S.J.&rft.subject=Crop+health%2C+quality%2C+protection&rft.subject=+Root+crops&rft.description=Blight-MOP%0D%0ALate+blight+(caused+by+Phytophthora+infestans)+is+the+most+devastating+fungal+disease+affecting+organic+(and+conventional)+potato+production+in+the+EU.+It+kills+the+foliage+and+usually+results+in+losses+of+yield+which+can+be+very+large+when+infection+is+severe+and+occurs+early+in+the+season.+The+disease+may+be+transmitted+to+the+tubers+which+become+unmarketable+and+these+can+lead+to+complete+deterioration+of+the+stored+crop+if+put+into+storage+with+healthy+tubers.+To+a+great+extent%2C+conventional+production+systems+rely+upon+frequent+applications+of+synthetic+fungicides+with+different+modes+of+action+for+late+blight+control%2C+but+this+is+seldom+completely+successful.+However%2C+in+organic+systems%2C+the+availability+of+chemical+fungicides+is+currently+restricted+to+those+which+are+%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%98considered+to+be+traditional+organic+farming+practices%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%99%3A+these+include+copper+hydroxide%2C+copper+oxychloride+(tribasic)%2C+copper+sulphate+and+cuprous+oxide+that+have+a+protectant+action+and+are+reasonably+effective.+Their+use+is+restricted+by+national+legislation+and+organic+certifying+authorities+and+pressure+has+been+mounting+to+withdraw+them+not+only+because+of+possible+adverse+effects+on+wildlife%2C+the+environment+and+human+health+but+also+their+incompatibility+with+organic+production+principles.+This+led+to+a+proposed+ban+on+the+use+of+copper+fungicides+for+control+of+late+blight+in+organic+farming+in+the+EU+from+March+2002+which+had+potentially+serious+implications+for+the+potato+crop.+The+resultant+losses+of+yield+and+hence+income+in+the+absence+of+copper-based+fungicide+sprays+were+expected+to+threaten+the+economic+viability+of+both+organic+potato+enterprises+and%2For+whole+organic+farming+businesses+in+many+areas+of+the+EU+in+the+medium+to+long+term+until+effective%2C+alternative+methods+are+developed.%0D%0AIn+the+meantime%2C+two+major+approaches+were+adopted.+One+was+to+set+a+limit+to+the+amount+of+copperbased+fungicides+permitted+for+application%3A+until+31+December+2005%2C+the+maximum+application+was+restricted+to+8kg+of+elemental+copper%2Fha%2Fyear+for+annual+crops%2C+declining+to+6kg%2Fha%2Fyear+from+1+January+2006+(but+this+could+be+changed+at+any+time+in+the+light+of+developments+in+viable+alternatives+or+should+there+be+proposals+for+withdrawal+under+the+EC+Review+programme+for+existing+active+substances).+%0D%0AAnother+was+to+promote+further+research+to+identify+and+develop+effective+alternative+late+blight+control+methods+and+strategies+without+the+undesirable+effects+associated+with+copper-based+fungicides.%0D%0AThe+Blight-MOP+project+%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%93+%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%98Development+of+a+systems+approach+for+late+Blight+(caused+by+Phytophthora+infestans)+Management+in+EU+Organic+Production+systems%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%99+was+initiated+in+March+2001+to+achieve+this+aim+and+maintain+yield+and+quality+and+hence+commercial+viability+of+organic+potato+crops+without+the+use+of+copper+fungicides.+Such+an+approach+involves+integrated+use+of+(i)+resistant+varieties+(ii)+existing+agronomic+strategies+(iii)+alternative+treatments+that+can+replace+synthetic+and+copper-based+fungicides+(iv)%0D%0Ause+of+existing+blight+forecasting+systems+to+optimise+control+treatments+and+to+maximise+synergistic+interactions+between+(i)%2C+(ii)%2C+(iii)+and+(iv).%0D%0AThe+specific+objectives+were+to%3A%0D%0A1.+Assess+the+socio-economic+impact+of+late+blight+and+%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%98state-of-the-art%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%99+blight+management+practices+in+EU+organic+potato+production+systems%0D%0A2.+Assess+varietal+performance+in+organic+production+systems+in+different+EU+regions+and+interactions+with+local+blight+populations%0D%0A3.+Develop+within+field+diversification+strategies+to+prevent%2Fdelay+blight+epidemics%0D%0A4.+Optimise+agronomic+strategies+for+the+management+of+late+blight%0D%0A5.+Develop+alternative+control+treatments+to+copper-based+fungicides+that+comply+with+organic+farming+standards%0D%0A6.+Evaluate+novel+application+and+formulation+strategies+for+copper-+free%2Falternative+and+copper-based+late+blight+treatments%0D%0A7.+Integrate+optimised+resistance+management%2C+diversification%2C+agronomic+and+alternative+control+treatment+strategies+into+existing+organic+potato+management+systems.%0D%0A%0D%0ATo+pursue+these+objectives%2C+experiments+were+conducted+over+4+seasons+from+2001+to+2004+under+organic+cropping+system+conditions+in+seven+countries+(Denmark%2C+France%2C+Germany%2C+Netherlands%2C+Norway%2C+Switzerland+and+United+Kingdom)+spanning+a+wide+range+of+aerial%2C+soil%2C+production+and+marketing+environments.+The+rate+and+severity+of+the+late+blight+epidemics+in+2001%2C+2002+and+2004+gave+a+rigorous+test+of+the+different+components+of+the+integrated+management+system+which+gave+broadly+similar+effects+in+the+three+years.+In+2003%2C+the+very+hot%2C+dry+summer+(and+August+in+particular)+severely+restricted+the+disease+making+it+difficult+to+evaluate+the+efficacy+of+treatments+in+some+regions%2C+but+in+others+where+infection+did+occur+the+general+trends+were+similar+to+those+observed+in+other+years.&rft.date=2005&rft.type=Report&rft.type=NonPeerReviewed&rft.format=application%2Fpdf&rft.identifier=http%3A%2F%2Forgprints.org%2F10650%2F1%2Fleifert-wilcockson-2005-blight_mop-report_Front_Cover.pdf&rft.format=application%2Fpdf&rft.identifier=http%3A%2F%2Forgprints.org%2F10650%2F2%2Fleifert-wilcockson-2005-blight_mop-report_Chapter1.pdf&rft.format=application%2Fpdf&rft.identifier=http%3A%2F%2Forgprints.org%2F10650%2F3%2Fleifert-wilcockson-2005-blight_mop-chapter2.pdf&rft.format=application%2Fpdf&rft.identifier=http%3A%2F%2Forgprints.org%2F10650%2F4%2Fleifert-wilcockson-2005-blight_mop-report-chapter3.pdf&rft.format=application%2Fpdf&rft.identifier=http%3A%2F%2Forgprints.org%2F10650%2F5%2Fleifert-wilcockson-2005-blight_mop-report-chapter4.pdf&rft.format=application%2Fpdf&rft.identifier=http%3A%2F%2Forgprints.org%2F10650%2F6%2Fleifert-wilcockson-2005-blight_mop-report-chapter5.pdf&rft.format=application%2Fpdf&rft.identifier=http%3A%2F%2Forgprints.org%2F10650%2F7%2Fleifert-wilcockson-2005-blight_mop-report-chapter6.pdf&rft.format=application%2Fpdf&rft.identifier=http%3A%2F%2Forgprints.org%2F10650%2F8%2Fleifert-wilcockson-2005-blight_mop-report-chapter7.pdf&rft.format=application%2Fpdf&rft.identifier=http%3A%2F%2Forgprints.org%2F10650%2F9%2Fleifert-wilcockson-2005-blight_mop-report-chapter8.pdf&rft.format=application%2Fpdf&rft.identifier=http%3A%2F%2Forgprints.org%2F10650%2F10%2Fleifert-wilcockson-2005-blight_mop-report-chapter9.pdf&rft.format=application%2Fpdf&rft.identifier=http%3A%2F%2Forgprints.org%2F10650%2F11%2Fleifert-wilcockson-2005-blight_mop-report-chapter10.pdf&rft.format=application%2Fpdf&rft.identifier=http%3A%2F%2Forgprints.org%2F10650%2F12%2Fleifert-wilcockson-2005-blight_mop-report-Annexes.pdf&rft.identifier=Leifert%2C+C.+and+Wilcockson%2C+S.J.+(2005)+Blight-MOP%3A+Development+of+a+systems+approach+for+the+management+of+late+blight+(caused+by+Phytophthora+infestans)+in+EU+organic+potato+production.&rft.relation=http%3A%2F%2Forgprints.org%2F10650%2F