Canadian seed potato growers are countering suggestions from south of the border that their product is not up to snuff.
A potato grower group in the United States suggested this fall that the inspection standards for seed potatoes in Canada are inferior to those of the U.S.
Because of the difference in standards, it is more likely that bacteria and viruses could go undetected in seed potatoes produced in Canada, said Duane Maatz, president of the Northern Plains Potato Growers Association.
He warned American growers to take that into account if they plan to import potato seed for planting next spring.
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“Our systems are now very different because of the relaxed level of inspection in Canada,” he said.
A few years ago, Canada dropped one of its three official summer inspections, Maatz said. The purpose of the inspections is to search for seed-borne pathogens of concern to potato growers.
It now appears Canada plans to scale back its winter trials, which could add to the risk of unwanted pathogens slipping through, Maatz said.
“If you don’t look for something you won’t find it.”
But a spokesperson for the Seed Potato Growers Association of Manitoba said Maatz is blowing things out of proportion.
The changes made in Canada were minor, said Dennis Lidgett, and they do not affect the integrity of the country’s potato seed inspections.
“The third inspection he was referring to was only effective in three classes of seed, the high classes, and they were dropped several years ago.
“There is still an unofficial inspection, a final inspection, prior to harvest. That is not included in the regulations but it is a policy of the inspection staff to do that as often as possible.”
Post harvest testing is also done to search for problems such as potato mosaic virus, Lidgett said.
“Our system definitely hasn’t been diluted in any way. Dropping that one inspection has not diminished the program at all.”
