Bittersweet challenges: Postharvest disease management in sugarbeet and sweetpotato

Authors: MORALES, CARLOS - North Carolina State University; AVILA, KELLY - North Carolina State University; BHATTA, USHA - North Carolina State University; BUITRAGO-ACOSTA, MARIA - Michigan State University; COLLINS, BUGINO - Cornell University; DANGI, SANDESH - North Dakota State University; Hanson, Linda; HENDERSHOT, CARLY - Michigan State University; Kandel, Shyam; MALICK, BILL - North Dakota State University; MASCARENHAS, JACK - North Carolina State University; Naegele, Rachel; PARADA-ROJAS, CAMILO - North Carolina State University; PETHYBRIDGE, SARAH - Cornell University; POLLOK, KIRSTEN - Michigan State University; THIESSEN, LINDSAY - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS); WILLBUR, JAIME - Michigan State University; QUESADA-OCAMPO, LINA - North Carolina State University

Submitted to: Plant Disease
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/22/2025
Publication Date: 12/15/2025
Citation: Morales, C.L., Avila, K.E., Bhatta, U., Buitrago-Acosta, M., Collins, B., Dangi, S., Hanson, L.E., Hendershot, C., Kandel, S.L., Malick, B., Mascarenhas, J., Naegele, R.P., Parada-Rojas, C., Pethybridge, S., Pollok, K., Thiessen, L., Willbur, J.F., Quesada-Ocampo, L.M. 2025. Bittersweet challenges: Postharvest disease management in sugarbeet and sweetpotato. Plant Disease. 109(12):2457-2618. https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-10-24-2214-FE.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-10-24-2214-FE

Interpretive Summary: Sugarbeet and sweetpotato are important crops for human diet and nutrition. The postharvest storage and processing of these crops endure challenges from postharvest diseases and pests. A variety of fungal and bacterial pathogens can damage crops during pre-and post-harvest conditions. However, scientific knowledge and technologies required to address these challenges are limited in postharvest systems. This review is to provide recent updates on diagnostic methods, cultural practices, chemical control, host resistance, and pathogen monitoring among others for postharvest rot management in these two crops. Information on postharvest diseases of sugarbeet and sweetpotato will be helpful for using, modifying, and creation of new approaches to minimize the crop loss or increase the value of these crops subject to postharvest losses. This information also can be useful for other stored commodities with similar disease issues.

Technical Abstract: Root crops like sugarbeet and sweetpotato possess an aggregated value that sets them apart from other crops. This aggregated value includes not only their economic importance but also their high nutritional content, which can enhance global food security. However, the economic and nutritional value of these crops is significantly compromised by postharvest diseases, presenting major socio-economic challenges. Postharvest diseases, caused by various fungal and bacterial pathogens, affect crops during field growth, harvest, handling, and storage. Addressing these challenges requires improving several key aspects of disease management that are often lacking in postharvest pathosystems. These aspects include diagnostic methodologies, cultural practices, chemical control, host resistance, and pathogen monitoring among others. Emerging technologies and strategies from various fields offer promising solutions to these challenges. In this manuscript, we review new approaches to common challenges in postharvest diseases of sugarbeet and sweetpotato. This review highlights important considerations for the implementation, modification, and creation of new approaches to maintain or increase the value of these commodities, which are threatened by postharvest diseases.