AsiaBlight is an inclusive network of scientists, companies, farmers and other stakeholders that work on potato late blight disease (LB) in Asia using an integrated approach.
The countries of Asia range from very wealthy to very poor. The poorest suffer some of the highest levels of malnutrition in the world. The potatoes is nutritious, it can adapt to marginal conditions, and produces more food per unit of water than any other crop, making it an important food security crop.
China and India, the two most populated countries in the world, are also the top potato producers, responsible for one third of global production. Potato is increasingly popular in Asia, where many countries are among the top-50 potato producers. These include Bangladesh (number 7), Iran (13), Pakistan (19), Kazakhstan (21), Uzbekistan (23), Nepal (24), Japan (27), North Korea (34), Kyrgyzstan (36), Indonesia (40), Azerbaijan (46), and Tajikistan (47). As in the rest of the world, Phytophtora infestans. which causes late blight, is the most destructive pathogen affecting potato production.
AsiaBlight was launched in 2014 with an initial objective of establishing a coarse-scale map of LB in the region. Since 2018, the CIP–China Center for Asia-Pacific (CCCAP) has been working to make AsiaBlight a self-sustaining network that responds to the needs and expectations of stakeholders in different Asian countries. This includes capacity building and improving LB management through information, communication, collaboration and research.