ABSTRACT
Potato (Solanum tubersum L.) is one of the most human food production cultured in Iran especially Zanjan province as a temperate region. Some fungal pathogens caused severely infected on potato tubers or foliage in the majority grown areas and resulted yield losses in potato production. Recent years from 2002 to 2004 infected samples were collected from different potato grown regions in Zanjan province then cultured on PDA after surface sterilization with sodium hypochlorite. Isolated fungal pathogens were identified and study showed the main pathogens with high incidence and frequency were Alternaria solani, Fusarium oxysporum and Verticillium sp. in studied areas. The regions which used convention varieties showed more diseases than other locations which used relatively resistant races. The rate of resistance for 10 international potato varieties was studied by inoculation of them by 10(5) spores suspension of three common fungal pathogens in the field. Study showed Sprit cultivar was more resistant than others to all three common pathogens and Lady-Claire was most susceptible. Yield production of Sprit per unit of land area was also exceeded that of other cultivars by factors of 1.10 to 2.25 respectively. The results of the study helped potato growers to culture Sprit cultivar and have good yield production in Zanjan and Hamedan provinces in this year.
