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40 POTATO GROWER | JANUARY 2020 A state-by-state look at the North American seed potato industry At the Source Diggin' In Diggin' In SEED | Industry Report COLORADO Andrew Houser Manager Colorado Potato Certification Service The 2019 growing season in Colorado was cooler than normal, but overall yields have been average or slightly below average for this year's crop. All field-grown certified seed in Colorado is produced in the San Luis Valley, located in south-central Colorado at an elevation of 7,600 feet. The 2019 growing season was preceded by an above-average snowpack in the mountains surrounding the San Luis Valley, which was a welcome change from the record-setting drought the previous year. Seed inspections started June 25, one week later than in 2018. Certified seed growers began killing vines in late July and continued through early August, limiting potential spread of virus by late-season aphid flights. Post-harvest test samples have been shipped to Hawaii to determine certification eligibility for the 2020 season. Growers should have preliminary results by the beginning of the year. A post-harvest test is required on all certified seed in Colorado, whether it is sold commercially or for recertification. An official 2019 certified seed directory is available online at potatoes. colostate.edu/potato-certification-service. An interactive seed directory can be found at www.coloradocertifiedpotatogrowers. com. In 2019, Colorado certified seed potato acreage was down overall from 8,813 acres in 2018 to 6,756 acres. The 2019 accepted certified acreage after summer field inspections was 6,180 acres. Rejections were primarily the result of PVY and mosaic, with a few rejections caused by blackleg and variety mix. Total potato acreage (both certified and commercial) in the San Luis Valley was 48,573 acres, down from 51,785 in 2018. The 2019 top five certified potato varieties in Colorado are: 1. Russet Norkotah selections: 1,893 acres 2. Canela Russet: 548 acres Across North America, seed certification specialists are hard at work year-round to help ensure a clean, safe supply of high-quality seed for the potato industry. From coast to coast— and beyond, in some cases— their work pays major dividends for the entire potato supply chain. Following are reports from several key certification programs. The Colorado Certified crew takes a break during planting of their winter test plots on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii.