Total crop loss is not unusual, especially if management practices are not used, because the pathogen directly affects fruit and kills plants.
Late blight, which is caused by the pathogen Phytophthora infestans, is one of the most destructive and contagious plant diseases. Check the late blight occurrence maps at. Resistant varieties will continue to be an important management practice, especially where late blight occurred recently, but also because there remains potential for another resurgence of this disease. This article was written during a period when late blight was occurring much more commonly than in recent years, especially in the northeastern USA.
Margaret Tuttle McGrath Ph.D., Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology, Cornell University 2022 Update: Current Disease Situation in the USA
