This report summarises the progress to date on development of a rapid and reliable soil and tuber test to detect pathogenic strains of Streptomyces sp. It provides a comprehensive review of the world literature on common scab disease management, evaluates immunoassay techniques for rapid and reliable detection of common scab disease in soil and on tubers, surveys soil chemical and microbiological factors to determine what influence each factor may be having on common scab disease incidence under local cropping conditions, and evaluates the effect of irrigation practices on common scab incidence. Further, it also evaluates the potential of biological control of common scab and examines resistance to common scab among important cultivars and evaluates the use of genetic engineering for enhancing disease resistance.