Topic: Seed potatoes

[vaca]

Hello again,

I've recently received my seed potatoes from T&M and two of the varieties I selected were replaced for different varieties due to 'crop failure' but more likely due to them running out of stock (at least that's my feeling). Anyways, one of the replacements I'm happy with, I got Juliettes instead of Belle de Fontenay. However, instead of Pink Fir Apples, I was sent Harlequins (apparently a cross between Pink Fir and Charlottes). Question is... how dangerous is it to use non-approved (disease free) potatoes? I'm good friends with a restaruant supplier of fruits and veg and he still has plenty of pink fir apples and is happy to let me have a bag full. What are the drawbacks of using these tubers?

Thanks again,
Vaca

[grawrc]

Not certified virus free I think? Planting from last year's crop leads to proliferation of diseases. No recommended. However, loads of people do it.
Also have a look at http://www.alanromans.com/potato.asp

[Curryandchips]

You have it succinctly grawrc. Just how high the risk of introducing problems is, I have no idea, but once introduced, they will be the devil's own job to eradicate. I may be wrong, but in Holland I believe it is illegal to plant uncertified potatoes? However, I will be planting one row of PFA salvaged from last year (15 tubers), because I had a 3kg bag and it was far too many.

Shame on me  :o

[Robert_Brenchley]

I'd say the chance of having a problem is minimal as long as you eliminate any dodgy-looking tubers ruthlessly. People did it for generations, after all, without many major problems; the Irish potato blight was largely down to very susceptible varieties, though I'd imagine that self-setters and dodgy seed probably contributed. Plus, of course, the landlords and the government.

[cliff_the_gardener]

there are some Anya ( PFA is a parent) for sale on ebay

[Lady Cosmos]

In the Netherlands people don't use potatoes from an earlier year, The risk of diseases is TOO BIG. We are very careful with growing potatoes because in case of a nasty disease, (it is not only blight) we are in danger with the bulb fields.
We have had a potato growing BAN for longer than 20 years!!!! That will make you very carefull >:(.
If you use those potatoes you never will be sure what you put in your soil- You never get the same crop as if you use the right seed potato and why should you take that risk??? For a bit of money ??? ???
Keeping the soil healthy is your own responsibility, I think ;D

[grawrc]

YEs it's not a case of: "Oh well if something grows wrong I'll just get the certified seed pots next year" It is potentially introducing disease that may well have a much wider impact and that has to be just a wee bit irresponsible IMHO.

[growmore]

I am with Robert on this one . I would use the PFA  from your friend ..Jim

[Tora]

I'm not an expert so I try to follow what experts do.
A book written by Bob Flowerdew shows how he sorts harvested potatoes into 1. For immediate consumption (damaged or small potatoes) 2. Next year's seeds potatoes (healthy potatoes but some greening happening) 3. For storage (healthy big potatoes)
I think he knows what he's doing so I would save seed potatoes myself. :)

[grawrc]

Me too, but I do feel guilty when I do it. Sad person that I am. ;)

[johnslottie]

There is one problem with saving your own potato seeds in that not many people are experts in identifying the various diseases, especially at their early stages.  The certified seeds sown will take time to become infected with the disease, while infected potatoes will be a reservoir from the start  :(.   If you know what to look for then why not save your own

Going back to the original question, you don't really say where these friends potatoes come from, home grown or bought, back of a lorry  ;) ...

[Black Forest Dan]

I made the mistake last year, having planted a few rows of bought / certified seed potatoes, I found a few new potatoes which I'd bought as eating spuds, sprouting happily in the store cupboard, so I planted them too in spaces at the end of the rows.  Big mistake...

At first they all came up happy and healthy (apart from frost damage) and we enjoyed our first tasty new potatoes, but after harvesting perhaps 1/3 of the crop, the blight struck - starting at the ends of the rows (;-( I am sure it was thanks to the "eating" potatoes which obviously hadn't been treated in any way as they were the first to show symptoms. It was very frustrating to throw away so much of the crop!

I won't grow spuds on that bed this year, I will have to find somewhere far away and use only "proper" seed potatoes. I've learned my lesson... I hope!

[vaca]

Going back to the original question, you don't really say where these friends potatoes come from, home grown or bought, back of a lorry  ;) ...

The potatoes are not home grown, at least not from my friend. He sells vegetables to some of the best restaurants in the UK like The Ivy and the Fat Duck, so his produce is top quality, usually sourced from small farmers around the UK, France and Spain. My brother worked there until recently and we had a full supply of free veg all year round and it was 100 times better than supermarket bought veg.

But I'm quite undecided what to do now after reading all your replies. In a way I'm tempted by the fact that our ancestors managed without certified seed potatoes, but then reading some of your negative experiences it makes me wonder if it's really worth the risk...

...better make up my mind fast 'cause if I'm not planting them, I'll definitely want to eat them all  ;D ;D

Vaca

[johnslottie]

The reason most seed potatoes are grown in Scotland is because there are fewer potatoes grown up there, so it is easier to keep them disease free.

I'd be tempted too.  Perhaps separate and keeping a close eye on them  ;) I think I'll try and get some for next year  :D

[grawrc]

I think there may be other reasons too. http://www.sac.ac.uk/consultancy/cropclinic/cropadvice/potato/

[johnslottie]

You're right, but they do seem to have simplified it.  For example, 98,000 hectares grown in the UK with only 26,500 grown in Scotland (British Potato Council).  More plentiful supply of rainfall, but most English, and particularly the big producers in the south irrigate. 

Less aphids is the biggest factor, as the weather undoubtedly helps, but also the fact that the potato growing regions are separated by the highlands especially important as the aphids can get blown miles at a time, quickly spreading across the south of England, but not enjoying their trips into the highlands  ;).

Thought I'd better check what had changed from my time at college  :o

Most important, at least they mentioned this at college, but the Scottish farmers tended to put more emphasis on keeping on top of blight, as this would devastate their seed industry, which they deserve credit for.   It didn't help that the English farmers went very big, covering large areas with a single crop, and tending to bring the rotation around faster due to the irrigation equipment used.  Hope this last bit makes sense.

Being an ex-agricultural student, suppose I'm a bit defensive, sorry  :-[

[philcooper]

The reason most seed potatoes are grown in Scotland is because there are fewer potatoes grown up there, so it is easier to keep them disease free.

The reason potatoes are grown for seed in Scotland is that the land on which they are grown is certified free of soilborn diseases such as eelworm and the climatic conditions are such that aphids, the main spreaders of disease (vectors in the trade) can't exist due to temperate and wind conditions.

Try telling the potato growers of Ayrshire that there are fewer potatoes grown up there.

The majority of outbreaks of blight each year are caused by the deliberate are accidental growing of diseased seed - please don't do it. The disease doesn't only affect hobby growers, such as those on this list, but farmers who rely on the crops for a living - a tuber will cost of the order of 10p - is that so much to pay?

Phil

[johnslottie]

Ayrshire has it's advantages, chiltern hills to the south, highlands to the north, south westerly winds from the sea, and because they work hard to stop pests and diseases such as ring rot and naturally low level of aphids, few coming in from other areas, they produce excellent seed potatoes.  Yes a lot are grown in this area, but if they didn't work hard to meet the standards they could just as easily succumb.

So yes Scotland has a few areas producing a lot of potatoes.  But it does have large areas were not many are grown, helping break up the spread of disease.

More importantly as Phil says, blight is spread by infected tubers, home saved, composted, "volunteers" (missed taties), in hedges, rubbish tips, etc etc.  Therefore unless you are 100% positive that your potatoes are blight free, you shouldn't use them as seed, and therefore I shouldn't have said I'd be tempted to use them, sorry  :-[

[vaca]

philcooper, johnslottie, thanks for your posts. I won't be planting the potatoes I got from my friend - I've also miscalculated the space I've got available and I've got more seed potatoes than space, so will definitely not sow the pink firs I've got.

Thanks
Vaca

[gtm41658]

Dear learned one's......as I'm very much a newbie to this lottie I would like to ask your advice please

going away from this thread slightly but on the same topic of seed potatoes i've just found 2 bags of seed potatoes at the back of the cupboard i had forgotten about...upon dragging them out and away to the greenhouse for closer inspection they have grown shoots much unlike the ones that have appeared on my pots on the windowsill which are nicely coloured a purpleish (i'm colour blind so could be pink for all I know) and are not to long in lenght..about 1/2" to 1"....the forgotten pots have shoots which are 2"-3" in length and are a whiteish colour.

 ???Question....can these still be used as seed pots or is it wiser to get rid?

Still rainin.........!!