Late blight is the most destructive of all potato disease and responsible for the Irish Famine in the middle of the
19th century. It affects both potato foliage in the field and tuber in the storage which can absolutely destroy a
crop, producing a 100% crop loss. The pathogen (Phyhtophthora infestans) have different mechanisms of
survival and two infection phases in its life cycle. It requires two mating types, A1 and A2 to produce a sexual
spore known as oospore. The spores are carried by wind and rain splash to healthy plants. A number of
management techniques of late blight have been developed and used though out the world. Effective control of
this disease requires implementing an integrated disease management approach. The most important measures
are cultural control, use of resistant varieties, chemical control and integrated disease management. Integration of
late blight management has often been thought as one of the better disease management options in tropical
regions where fungal inocula are abundant in most months of the year.
Keywords: Irish Famine; Pathogen; Integrated Disease Management (IDM); Life cycle