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Potato scab is a disease of potatoes which has two principal forms. Common scab and powdery scab. This article is about the one you are most likely to encounter, Common Scab.
Scab is a result of the potato tubers being infected by the bacteria Streptomyces scabies which is present in the soil.
Potatoes suffering with this disease can be identified because they have mainly raised areas on the skin which are rough to touch and often appear to be cork like.
Common Potato Scab
The picture above shows potatoes affected to a medium degree by potato scab. But the damage can be either almost unnoticeable or far worse. The potato plant itself is unaffected and you will only see signs of this disease when you dig up the potatoes.
Unless the potatoes are very badly affected by scab, simply peeling them will result in unmarked potatoes which as good as scab-free potatoes. The picture below shows one of the potatoes above after it has been peeled.
Scab affected potato after being peeled
There are no chemical treatments available to UK gardeners for potato scab therefore avoidance of the infection and minimising its effects are your key defense.
Firstly, only use certified seed potatoes. Most seed potatoes sold in the UK for use by gardeners are certified but potatoes sold in shops for eating are not certified.
When you receive your seed potatoes give them a quick check for any signs of scab, reject any suspect ones.
The next action you can take to avoid potato scab is to practice crop rotation. Although scab does affect several types of vegetable, it is most common in potatoes. Growing potatoes in the same patch of ground for two or more years is an invitation to scab.
Some varieties of potatoes show resistance to scab and if you know you have a problem with potato scab, choose a resistant variety. These varieties include King Edward, Golden Wonder, Orla, Accent, Pink Fir Apple, Nicola, Wilja and International Kidney (aka Jersey Royals).
The final defense against scab is get your soil conditions correct. Scab prefers a dry soil so try to avoid this by watering in dry conditions, especially where you have a light, free draining soil.
Scab has a definite preference for alkaline soils and dislike acidic soils. So ensuring your soil for growing potatoes is neutral to slightly acidic will reduce the risk of scab.
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