Question

In mid $1840s$, many people died of starvation when potato crop was destroyed due to a particular disease. Name the country associated with the above incident.

• A. England
• B. America
• C. Ireland
• D. France

Answer 1

The correct option is A England

Landowners from England generally only rented out poor bogland to the native Irish. In these areas, potatoes were often the only food that could be grown. The crop failures were caused by late blight, a disease that destroys both the leaves and the edible roots, or tubers, of the potato plant. The causative agent of late blight is the water mould Phytophthora infestans. The Irish famine was the worst to occur in Europe in the 19th century. In fact, the most glaring cause of the famine was not a plant disease, but England's long-running political hegemony over Ireland. The English conquered Ireland, several times, and took ownership of the vast agricultural territory. The Irish suffered from many famines under English rule option ‘a’ is the correct answer.