Topic: White specks on potatoes?

[BarbaraGood]

The two plants at either end of a row of my 2nd earlies have yielded potatoes with white specks on the,m they wipe off with t thumb with the mud but I wanted to make sure it was nothing evil before we eat any  ;D

Any ideas?
Many thanks.

[saddad]

I get them too so I'd like to know what they are as well.
 :-\

[Tee Gee]

A picture would help! I would guess the early stages of scab probably.

Unsightly but doesn't seem to affect the eating qualities of the tuber providing you peel it or wipe it off on lifting.

[saddad]

Thanks TG
 :-\

[SnooziSuzi]

Are they tiny white spots, like a full stop, but all over the pots?

I've had this recently and still ate them and I'm still here!  Probably should have sought advice first tho!  ::)

[Emagggie]

I've got them too. I just ignored them as the spuds looked ok and I'm still alive as well. ;D

[angle shades]

 :)isn't it the first stage of rot?  I wash it off and then eat them, I am also still here!/ shades x

[kenkew]

Possible early blight. I've had it but if you can dry your spuds after lifting, then wipe off the spots, there isn't a problem. Might be safer to eat those first and not store them. It doesn't affect the eating.

[tim]

PHIL??

[Kepouros]

Sorry, tim. As it doesn`t seem that Phil is going to reply I`ll see what I can do.

I do not know of any potato disease that manifests itself in its early stages as tiny white dots on the surface of the potato.  A far more probable explanation is that these originate from the lenticels in the skin of the potato.

The potato tuber is, in fact, simply a modified form of underground stem, and, as with all plant stems contains lenticels, or pores, which allow for the exchange of gases through what would otherwise be an impermeable skin.  In extremely wet conditions these lenticels can become enlarged and tiny bubbles of exhudation form.  When the potato is lifted and exposed to the air the lenticels would shrink again, leaving a tiny white dot on the surface of the potato.