Topic: Planting stored potatoes?

[newtona2]

Hi all,

I've got quite a few potatoes left in storage from this summer/autumn - and many of them are starting to sprout quite enormous shoots.

I usually buy new every year (and have in fact already ordered all I'll need for next year) but I was wondering whether it's worth me planting out a few?

In particular I have a lot of Pink Fir - amazing crop this year. I'm going to plant a few of these out to see how they grow.

Anyone any idea if I have success - I assume we're only told to buy new each year because of disease build up??

Tony

[Robert_Brenchley]

I did it this year with great success. People must have kept their own seed years ago, and the only real problem I know of was blight. But then, the Irish were growing very susceptible verieties from what I can discover. I think it's a matter of taking care, and not keeping seed after an outbreak of disease.

[Derekthefox]

I think if economy is an important issue, then I think it is relatively risk free to replant for one year, although I presume the risk increases with time. Or am I merely displaying my ignorance, and is the risk constant ? I know people who always replant their old spuds and never have problems.

[growmore]

I always save some pink firs for seed..they seem to do ok and grow well..Jim

[newtona2]

Thanks for the views - I'll certainly give it a go, just to see what happens - maybe just one or two of each variety in a spare bed.

I'll try to remember to post about the results!

Tony

[philcooper]

The reason for not planting your own saved seed is indeed related to the propagation of disease.
The seed will grow without any problem, it is designed to do that BUT it will carry forward any disease that the plant picked up in the previous year.
The most common is blight and each year the majority of outbreaks of blight are traced back to home saved seed, volunteers (the tubers that you missed and have grown into plants) and old tubers thrown away.
Given the price of seed potato it isn't worth the risk to your own crops and those of neighbours and nay farmers in the area whose business maybe damaged.
Please don't save you own seed if you can obtain new certified seed

Phil

[Robert_Brenchley]

How should you deal with heritage varieties then?

[Derekthefox]

Can these not be sustained from the fruits ...

[jennym]

The tubers can be treated with fungicides, kept isolated, then observed for signs of blight over a period. However, there is more than one strain of blight, and some strains show complete resistance to certain fungicides. Tests can be done to establish whether this fungus or any other disease, fungal, viral or bacterial, is present. Tubers that are found to be healthy can then be used for propagation, usually using micropropagation techniques.
The actual seed is less likely to transmit certain diseases, but not necessarily disease free.
There is a lot of ongoing research on plant diseases, and info can be found at British Society for Plant Pathology http://www.bspp.org.uk/ and at Scottish Crop Research Institute http://www.scri.sari.ac.uk/SCRI/Web/Site/home/ResearchAreas/MechanismsProcesses/PPI/PhytophthoraInfestansGenome.asp

[Robert_Brenchley]

I doubt whether potato varieties will come true from seed. There must be a way of keeping obscure varieties going.

[redimp]

I have read that you use the seed fromt he fruits to develop new varieties and that the only way to keep variety consistent is to use seed potatoes.  The seed fromthe fruit will produce different types of potato based on the parent plant for instance if you collect seed from King Ed fruits and plant it, you will end up with early, 2nd early and late varieties that have properties similar to King Eds and others with different properties - eg blight resistance, less foliage etc.  These new tubours have to be planted on before their properties become apparent - i.e. the earlies foliage dies off early thus you have an early variety.  Ones with the disired properties are then further propagated using seed potatoes and becomes a new variety.

Hope that makes sense - written in about 3 sittings whilst having arguement with mardy obstructive 14yo.

[jennym]

When you use a tuber, it's like taking a cutting - you get a clone of the parent plant and so it has the same characteristics.
When you use seed, yes, the characteristics of the seed and the resulting plant can vary if the parent plant has been openly pollinated, but if you are actively breeding, you control the pollination process closely. So, you would only allow the same plants to be in the same controlled environment, thereby preventing cross pollination.

[Derekthefox]

So does this mean, in controlled pollination, you will get true plants ... ?

[Lady Cosmos]

I do NOT understand why every year again people would like to take the enormous RISK of growing potatoes (cheap) and than end up with a disease in the soil.
Here in the Netherlands we have had BIG PROBLEMS with potatoes and diseases, so much that we were NOT ALLOWED to grow them for years..

At THIS moment the HPA ( Hoofd produktschap Akkerbouw) has found AGAIN the schimmel Synchytrium endobioticum, it stays in the soil, is resistant against extreme cold or wet wheater, and stays in the soil for 40 years, yes 40!!!
It is now found in the South east of the country, in Lumburg.
Only potatoes are allowed to be grown that are esistant Fysio 1.

Please do not take the risk of getting diseases in the soil, buy proper seed potatoes and ROTATE every year. ( 1 per-4 years)

[jennym]

So does this mean, in controlled pollination, you will get true plants ... ?

yes

[powerspade]

I have some sprouting spuds but I will not be planting as I did have some blight last year and the spores wil carry on to this year

[carloso]

you cant beat a bit of talent and Jenny on the block your it !

Carlos

[Derekthefox]

you cant beat a bit of talent and Jenny on the block your it !

Methinks you will make the lady blush ...

[philcooper]

How should you deal with heritage varieties then?

Robert,

I did say if you can buy certified seed you should do so.

Heritage varieties are kept going by keeping them separated from other varieties by as much space as possible, keeping a very close eye on them for any sign of disease and lifting them as early as possible.

Treating tubers with fungicide will do nothing to help (cf horses and stable doors)

Saving seed may just work but you will have to wait more than 2 years before you have tubres big enough to eat and each year you grow them you risk picking up disease.

The spores do not live very long, around a couple of weeks which is why you should cut down and removed blighted haulms and leave the spuds in the ground for 3 weeks before lifting them to avoid getting the spores onto the tubers and causing tuber blight.

The only blight that affects spuds in UK is Phytophthora infestans (known as late blight in the USA).

Phil

[jennym]

...Treating tubers with fungicide will do nothing to help (cf horses and stable doors)..The only blight that affects spuds in UK is Phytophthora infestans

Phil, I think they treat selected tubers as a prophylactic.
Phytopthora infestans is changing over time, and becoming more aggressive as different strains of the disease appear. This has been recognised as a world-wide problem, and there is an excellent link here to show what is being done: http://gilb.cip.cgiar.org/index.php