The recent Seed Industry Event held in Crieff on 25 November 2014 did not shy away from discussing some of the top concerns that our industry has. PCN, blackleg and aphid-borne viruses were all ‘must-attend’ sessions planned into the high-level industry programme months in advance.
Dr Rob Clayton, Director of Potato Council welcomed over 150 growers, agronomists and plant health experts to the biennial conference, highlighting the broader ‘seed to ware’ focus this year covering issues that affect the wider supply chain, such as processing, retail, food service and storage.
“This fast-paced event takes place in what we know to be a depressed market at the moment. Today provides our industry with the opportunity to discuss commercial, technical and strategic issues with our peers at the highest level,” Dr Clayton said.
“It’s also traditional at this event to welcome one or two international speakers to make sure we are exposing global best practice as well as domestic. We have experts here to tell us about seed production issues in the growing market of Kenya, and we hear details on the Seed Potato Classification System and plant health concerns from the perspective of the Dutch seed potato inspectorate.”
The morning opened with an emphasis on processing and how consumer demand for processed potato products is on the rise.
Dr Sharon Hall, Director General of the Potato Processors Association, echoed this point, advising that “Fifty seven per cent of UK consumption of potatoes is in processed form and in 2013 around twenty eight per cent of the planted area in GB was destined for processing. And this trend is increasing. This provides us with both opportunities and challenges but ultimately what processors are looking for is a secure and consistent supply of quality potatoes.
“Breeding varieties for processing needs to take account of many factors, such as uniformity of shape, fry colour, texture and flavour but also threats from pests and pathogens, environmental factors such as adaptability to climate change, and of course good storability. We do have the resources of genetic material to search for characteristics to help us address the challenges.
"For example, we can cross the preserved wild varieties of potatoes into existing varieties. This could help us breed varieties that can achieve higher marketable yields with better processing qualities and more resilience to pests, diseases and climate change.”
Gloucestershire grower Graham Nichols, in the seed supply workshop he co-led with Cornish grower Shaun White, talked about how Blackleg is their number one issue. Shaun’s family's business grows salads and maincrop for the fresh pre-pack market.
Shaun stressed that “Rots and internal defects are unacceptable to the final consumer. Even small percentages of Blackleg in seed can create a higher risk of this further down the supply chain. In turn, causing problem's for the grower, packer and final retail outlet.”
The issue of blackleg was tackled in depth by SASA’s Prof. Gerry Saddler, highlighting current outputs from a jointly funded Potato Council/Scottish Government project led by Prof. Ian Toth at the James Hutton Institute, Dundee. Gerry gave details of a recently launched survey of Pre-Basic (PB) seed production, the commercial pressures that PB growers are under, and the changes in industry practice. These linked activities aim to establish the reasons for increased blackleg occurrence in PB crops and the steps that need to be taken to counteract this threat.
In GB, the primary cause of blackleg is P. atrosepticum and levels of disease remain stubbornly high. Seed is a significant infection route but environmental factors and industry practice may also contribute. Gerry concluded that the most likely solution could be the aggregation of marginal gains; in effect, small improvements in a number of activities such as hygiene and crop management, which may ultimately bring about a reduction in blackleg incidence. The findings from the joint Potato Council/Scottish Government R&D project are expected in Autumn 2016 and the survey of PB production in Spring 2015.
Fera’s senior entomologist Larissa Collins and plant virologist Adrian Fox led the lively interactive workshop where delegates utilised microscopes to identify key aphid species and the viruses they carry into the potato crop, and highlighting Potato Council-sponsored aphid monitoring tools growers can use.
John Sarup of Spud Agronomy addressed ‘PCN creep’ highlighting the threat to seed potato production. He discussed, amongst many things, how extending rotations will be necessary and asked how can our industry influence buyers and end-markets to embrace variety choices which can in turn act as a potent weapon in PCN control.
Hassan Were gave a fascinating insight into the challenges potato growers have in Kenya, where years of farm-saved, poor quality seed is seriously affecting yield and quality.
Henk van de Haar, from The Netherlands Seed Inspection Authority (NAK) highlighted the SPCS, the need for regular reviews to ensure it remains fit for purpose and how the revised EU grades are a step in the right direction. SASA’s Denise A’Hara provided a related update on the UK implementation of the new EU legislation.
The final talk was given by Adrian Cunnington, Head of Sutton Bridge Crop Storage Research, demonstrating how far storage has advanced in fifty years and the investment and work still needed to make storage more viable, effective and efficient in the decades to come.
The day provided a great many discussion points and delegates may have gone away with a few questions as well as answers! However, this key strategic event has always addressed the top-level issues that affect our whole industry – not just seed - and there was certainly no shortage of food-for-thought at Crieff this year.
