A correct detection and appropriate identification of causal pathogens associated with crop plants or seeds are considered to be the most important issue in designing the proper management plans for plant diseases. This study was designed to detect Phytophthora infestans inoculum from potato grown soil. A high detection rate of P.infestans was obtained from the naturally infested soil of potato fields. Naturally soils were firstly moistened in a plastic pots and then pre-incubated at ±18°C for 3 days, baiting with potato tuber slice for 24, 48, and 72 h. The baits were then thoroughly washed, flooded with 10–15 ml of distilled water in Petri-dishes and incubated under continuous darkness in chamber ±18ºC. Sporangia started to emerge from the margins of potato tuber slice. They were easily observed under the stereomicroscope. Pure culture of the fungus was obtained by isolating from baited tubers on a Rye Agar medium. This is the first report of recovery of P. infestans from naturally infested potato growing soils using susceptible potato tuber (K. Bahar) as bait in India. All isolates were determined to be A2 mating type.

A correct detection and appropriate identification of causal pathogens associated with crop plants or seeds are considered to be the most important issue in designing the proper management plans for plant diseases. This study was designed to detect Phytophthora infestans inoculum from potato grown soil. A high detection rate of P.infestans was obtained from the naturally infested soil of potato fields. Naturally soils were firstly moistened in a plastic pots and then pre-incubated at ±18°C for 3 days, baiting with potato tuber slice for 24, 48, and 72 h. The baits were then thoroughly washed, flooded with 10–15 ml of distilled water in Petri-dishes and incubated under continuous darkness in chamber ±18ºC. Sporangia started to emerge from the margins of potato tuber slice. They were easily observed under the stereomicroscope. Pure culture of the fungus was obtained by isolating from baited tubers on a Rye Agar medium. This is the first report of recovery of P. infestans from naturally infested potato growing soils using susceptible potato tuber (K. Bahar) as bait in India. All isolates were determined to be A2 mating type.