Originally from South America, potatoes became a common food source in Europe during the late 1700s and early 1800s. During the 1840s, however, the European potato crop collapsed due to the rapid spread of potato blight (a fungal pathogen). The loss of this important food source resulted in mass migration and starvation. Most infamously, the potato blight contributed to the Great Famine in Ireland (though other socio-political factors were also to blame). Before the blight, potatoes were typically propagated clonally, by cutting up the tuber (the part you eat) and growing new plants from the cut up pieces. Given what you know about the evolution of sex, why did the clonal propagation of the potato make the crop especially susceptible to a devastating pathogen outbreak? Example of blight in potatoes While the pathogen evolved new ways to infect the potato, the potato crop was not able to evolve new defenses against the pathogen. The potato.cron was not able to grow fact enough because of coxually transmitted dicasco Given what you know about the evolution of sex, why did the clonal propagation of the potato make the crop especially susceptible to a devastating pathogen outbreak? Example of blight in potatoes While the pathogen evolved new ways to infect the potato, the potato crop was not able to evolve new defenses against the pathogen. The potato crop was not able to grow fast enough because of sexually transmitted disease. By physically cutting into the tubers to propagate them, farmers made it easier for the pathogen to infect the plant. Potatoes start out as males so clonal propagation removed all the females from the population.