TRADE AND MARKETING Secret of the cultivation of Scottish seed potatoes revealed T he question of the secret of Scottish potato cultivation is put to John Kerr, who works for Scientific Advice to Scottish Agriculture (SASA), and who is our host a little later. SASA is an Institute that can be compared to the Dutch General Inspection Service for Agricultural Seed and Seed Potatoes (NAK). It has introduced some elements into the Scottish potato sector that have been co-determining factors in the success of Erwinia-free seed potato cultivation. For example, the seed potato area, which runs from the Edinburgh region along the coast to Inverness, has been assigned as the ‘protected plant health region’, also called the ‘safe haven’. This means that only British seed may be grown there. The growers are required to grow the user seed in a rotation schedule of 1:6 and the high-quality seed even in 1:7. For this reason, the Scottish growers have no problem with the stricter European requirements around the EU Potato Cyst Nematode policy. To implement the attendant testing in a proper and reliable way, SASA has already invested in a new cyst flushing installation. The big difference with the machinery used by the NAK in Emmeloord, is that the soil is flushed under high pressure, Kerr explains. SASA expects that this probably releases any cysts there may be in the soil particles more quickly and efficiently. Short cut-off system SASA is also responsible for the registration and quarantining of new varieties introduced to Scotland. Only after having been tested for for type-trueness and quarantine diseases is the seed supplied as minitubers to the Scottish companies. Incidentally, through a loophole, it is still possible to speed up this route. If European trading companies export to England those varieties that are admitted to the registered seed list in Scotland and then grow seed from them, this second growth is ‘Thanks to this short cut-off system, Scottish seed potatoes are now officially free from major pests and diseases’, Kerr explains. British and can still be transported to Scotland for the cultivation of consumption potatoes. Scottish growers themselves, however, only grow seed potatoes of the high-quality Pre-Basic and Basic categories. Growing certified seed such as the wellknown blue labels is not permitted. In practice, this means that, after growing minitubers, growers can propagate another four to six times. ‘Thanks to this short cut-off system, Scottish seed potatoes are now officially free from important pests and diseases’, Kerr explains. What also plays a positive role is the favourable Scottish climate. Thanks to the relatively low temperatures, there are few problems with the different types of Y viruses at the moment. All the points mentioned so far have led to a considerable increase in the export of Scottish potatoes in recent years. In 2008, this was still over 88,000 tons, which in 2010 has develDutch breeders examine the Scottish market. Potato World 2012 • number 2 41 Pagina 40
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