Potato Grower

WWW.POTATOGROWER.COM 39 5 5 - Y E A R W A R R A N T Y L O N G E S T I N T H E I R R I G A T I O N I N D U S T R Y seametrics.com THE LEADER IN IRRIGATION FLOW TECHNOLOGY AG Series Magmeters E a s y t o U s e , A c c u r a t e & R e l i a b l e AG3000 Inline Magmeter • Accurate in Tight Installations • No Moving Parts to Wear Out AG90 Saddle Magmeter • Easily Replaces Propeller Meters • No Moving Parts to Rebuild For Information Contact Seametrics 800•975•8153 The Best Value in Irrigation Flow Measurement AG90 Saddle Magmeter NEW PRODUCT 4073-8Seametrics13h.indd 1 12/17/19 4:30 PM do not meet requirements for that Field Year, it may be downgraded to the next field year, FY4 or higher. In this way, it is possible to buy seed potatoes designated as FY7 that have been increased fewer than seven times in the field. Ultimately, no matter how few years a seed potato lot has been increased in the soil, if it is given the FY7 designation, it cannot be used to grow another generation of certified seed. TIPS FOR BUYING IDAHO CERTIFIED SEED When deciding what seed to buy, developing a good relationship with a reputable seed potato grower is probably the most important step. The buyer can request a field visit during the growing season. After harvest, visiting the seed potato grower's facility and inspecting the seed while it's in storage is also wise. This allows the buyer to ensure seed is being stored under adequate aeration, humidity and temperature conditions, and to examine the equipment to see that it's kept clean and in good repair. Ideally, cull piles and other potato debris are properly managed and not kept near storage facilities. Spend some time visually examining seed potatoes that are under consideration for purchase; some diseases, such as Fusarium dry rot, bacterial soft rot, black scurf, silver scurf, black dot and others can be visually observed. Seed lots with high levels of these diseases should be avoided whenever possible. In addition, it's wise to review documentation associated with the seed lot. Buyers can request a copy of the seed certification records, which can be obtained from the ICIA with grower permission. Another useful document to request is called the North American Certified Seed Potato Health Certificate, which includes documentation of field inspections, bin/harvest inspections, post-harvest testing results and tag information. This certificate also documents historical detections of the zero-tolerance bacterial ring rot pathogen. In Idaho, if bacterial ring rot is found on a seed farm, seed potatoes cannot be grown on the farm for one year. Finally, once seed is purchased, the buyer should make sure the seed is tagged with the official certification tag, which is placed after the shipping point inspection for grade. Seed isn't considered certified without this tag. The tag contains the variety name, class, weight, seal number, grower, certification number, inspector's name and date of inspection, with buyer's name and truck/ trailer license numbers as optional. The tag is the best way to ensure the buyer is receiving the seed that was agreed upon for purchase. More information on the Idaho seed potato certification standards can be found online at www.idahocrop.com/ standards. Kasia Duellman is a University of Idaho Extension seed potato specialist based in Idaho Falls, Idaho. She can be contacted at kduellman@uidaho.edu.

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