Affected plants develop dirty-brown spots, often accompanied by a whitish mold on the underside of the leaf, while elongated dark-brown spots appear on the stems. Tubers show hard, sunken brown spots, and the internal tissue exhibits a characteristic rust-brown discoloration upon cutting.
Epiphytotics develop under conditions of high air humidity around 90% and alternating warm days with cool nights. The presence of free moisture, such as dew or fog, is a critical factor for rapid spore germination, which allows the infection to spread across the field in 10–15 days.
In breeding, a distinction is made between specific vertical resistance, controlled by R-genes, and field horizontal resistance, which is considered more reliable due to its polygenic nature and ability to slow down pathogen development. Varieties are evaluated using a 9-point scale; however, the resistance level of the foliage does not always coincide with that of the tubers, requiring comprehensive analysis during variety testing.