Scabbed potatoes are fine for humans, but N.L. research hopes to find ways to control the disease

Newfoundland and Labrador might not produce potatoes on the same scale as other Atlantic provinces, but a research study underway in the province wants to shed light on a disease that can hamper economic growth for farmers.

Common scab is a disease that causes scaly, scab-like lesions on potatoes. While the presence of scabs doesn't impact safe consumption for humans, they pose an economic threat to growers.

Dawn Bignell, a microbiologist at Memorial University, is part of a team studying the common scab.

"If you have a scabby potato, in theory, you can just peel those scabs off and consume the potato and it's perfectly fine. The issue though is that it affects the quality and the market value of a potato crop. And so it's a problem," Bignellsaid.

Scabbed potatoes lose value for crops, Bignell said, and can even cause entire crops to be outright rejected by buyers if the disease is extra prevalent.

Bignell, along with graduate and undergraduate students at the university, are researching the pathogens that cause the common scab. She says it's especially important research be done in the province as farmers desire to increase potato production in Newfoundland.

"Even backyard growers find the disease when they're growing their potatoes. So it's very prevalent here. And if we are going to be looking at increasing potato production, it's a disease that we're going to have to be concerned about," she said.

"By understanding these pathogens, how they cause the disease and the subtle differences between the different pathogens, that could ultimately help in developing better control measures."

Bignell said she's been exploring research on the pathogens for over a decade, and hopes to have findings from the federally funded study in the near future.

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