Bittersweet Challenges: Postharvest Disease Management in Sugarbeet and Sweetpotato

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 socioeconomic 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 but are not limited to 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 address 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.