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General => News => Topic started by: Beer_Belly on November 13, 2003, 10:34:44

Title: Potato blight in the news
Post by: Beer_Belly on November 13, 2003, 10:34:44: http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_837970.html

(from Holland :-( )
Title: Re: Potato blight in the news
Post by: jethro on November 13, 2003, 11:23:24: Yeah heard that on the news driving to work oh dear :(
Title: Re: Potato blight in the news
Post by: Mrs Ava on November 13, 2003, 12:15:42: Oh great! >:( Just to make things even more interesting!
Title: Re: Potato blight in the news
Post by: Hugh_Jones on November 13, 2003, 15:08:35: Simply goes to prove the importance (which I have always stressed) of purchasing certified seed from Scottish growers whose soil is tested for diseases and pests.
Title: Re: Potato blight in the news
Post by: campanula on November 13, 2003, 18:29:26: eeek!
Title: Re: Potato blight in the news
Post by: Colin_Bellamy-Wood on November 13, 2003, 23:32:37: Don't panic...

...................................................................................yet.
Title: Re: Potato blight in the news
Post by: gavin on November 14, 2003, 00:02:42: Don't panic? I disagree, Colin ------- if DEFRA has only 2 references in 20034 documents, then . . .

remember foot-and-mouth, and all the rest!

They do give some information on this page -
http://www.defra.gov.uk/planth/pestnote/rot.htm, with pictures on http://www.defra.gov.uk/planth/pestpics/qic41.htm

Wouldn't let them near a Hornby train set, personally.

All best - Gavin

Just found another http://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/cropprot/brr.htm - an easier read?
Title: Re: Potato blight in the news
Post by: Hugh_Jones on November 14, 2003, 01:27:29: Colin is quite right, of course. Don`t Panic! It isn`t in your lottie yet, and since it`s bacterial it`s not likely to get there unless you import it in some way. Obvious precautions:-

1. Don`t buy imported seed potatoes - you can be quite sure the Scottish seed producers don`t

2. Don`t put potato waste from bought potatoes on your compost heap; burn them if possible

3. Don`t accept free seed offers - even from other lottie holders - unless you know for certain where they came from

4. Stick to Scottish Certified Seed.

5. Don`t lend out your tools (regardless of Ringrot you shouldn`t anyway in case they come back with clubroot on them).

The main thing we have to worry about is if our Department for the Eradication of Farming and Rural Activities (DEFRA to you) decide to deal with it as they dealt with Foot & Mouth, in which case no doubt we shall have hordes of Ministry `Experts, accompanied by Police (fortunately all our soldiers are out of the country) and potato harvesters, carrying out dawn raids on our potato patches, digging up our tatties and burning them in huge ceremonial funeral pyres. The contractors will make a fortune and we shall be compensated at Tesco wholesale prices.

Ah Well! Things like this never happened in the days of the Potato Marketing Board.