Comparisons to the

UNECE STANDARDSTANDARDSTANDARDSTANDARD concerning

the marketing and commercial quality control of

SEED POTATOES, 2008SEED POTATOES, 2008SEED POTATOES, 2008SEED POTATOES, 2008

Willem SchrageNorth Dakota State Seed Department, USA

UNECE Seed Potato Standard

� The goal of the Standard is to act as a world reference intended to facilitate fair international trade by:

� - Creating a harmonized certification system

� - Promoting its use� - Defining harmonized quality

requirements for seed potatoes.

Purposes of Seed Certification

� Indication of minimum quality requirements of seed potatoes.

� Marketing tool.

� Legal instrument to have only certain seed classes planted within disease tolerance.

Three Pillars of a Seed Potato

Program

Industry/growers

Research

Regulations/enforcement

IndustryIndustryIndustryIndustry

�Suppliers & Users

Research

Which Characteristics Are Relevant?

Which Tolerances Are Feasible?

Trapping, Testing .

Regulations

Enforcement:

� Documentation � Trace Back� Inspections� Testing� Tolerances� Certification

UNECE Standard & Other UNECE Standard & Other UNECE Standard & Other UNECE Standard & Other

Regulations indicateRegulations indicateRegulations indicateRegulations indicate

Varietal identity and purity

Genealogy and traceability

Diseases and pests

External quality and physiology

Tuber sizing and container labelling

Certification Procedures

Planting approved seed stock. (Documentation, Trace Back)

Making visual inspections during growing season for disease and off-types, and submitting to post harvest test.

Observing tubers at harvest and/or storage.Grade/tuber quality/lot) inspection made at time

of shipping.Labelling

Disease Testing/SamplingDisease Testing/SamplingDisease Testing/SamplingDisease Testing/Sampling

Effort to avoid zero tolerance diseases

Preventative, because of potential symptomless

carriersPart of maintenance program

Seed Classes

�Based on:

•Previous class/generations

•Tolerances (mostly in the field)

Acres Quantity Shipped

Size

Lot Certification

Lot origination from tissue culture No Yes

by

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Year of Production

Greenhouse (insect excluding) & sterile soil

Field (note special measures below)

Certification No. Number of years produced

Certifying State

Summer Field Readings Post harvest readings

Field inspections Location

1st 2nd 3rd Final FINAL

%PVY %PVX

Other DiseasesNo. of years since last found on Not found this year during

ELISA test results for latent viruses

Less Than %VERT + %FUSARIUM +

%EARLY BLIGHT

%VARIETAL MIXTURE

Less Than %BLACKLEG

%LEAF ROLL Sample No.

%MOSAIC Plant Count

Production environment pedigree: Fill 1 column per production year, use different initials in Greenhouse and Field boxes for different farms

(e.g. JSF for John Smith Farms); indicate a tuber-united lot with a '+" after farm initials; describe other footnotes in notes below.

in field soil

Certifying State/Prov.

Seed Class/Gen. Year micropropagated for planting

Certification #

Variety

City, State/Prov.

Name

Grower Importer

Summer Field Readings Post harvest readings

Field inspections Location

1st 2nd 3rd Final FINAL

%PVY %PVX

Other Diseases

Bacterial Ring Rot

Late Blight

Eligible for recertification in area of production Yes No

The above information is accurate to the best of our knowledge:

Date

Telephone

Program official / title

Agency

Notes:

No. of years since last found on this grower's farm, or NONE ON

RECORD if free > 10 years

Not found this year during normal certification field

inspectionsNot known to occur in growers

area

ELISA test results for latent viruses

Less Than %VERT + %FUSARIUM +

%EARLY BLIGHT

%VARIETAL MIXTURE

Less Than %BLACKLEG

%LEAF ROLL Sample No.

%MOSAIC Plant Count

UNECE Classifications

� Pre-basic TC� Pre-basic� Basic class I� Basic class II� Certified class I� Certified class II

Nuclear Stock (SASA microplants)

�

Pre-basic TC (microplants/mini-tubers)

�

Pre-basic PB 1 - 4

�

Basic Super EliteSE 1 - 3

�

Basic Elite E 1 – 3�

Basic A

Scottish Seed Potato Classification Scheme

Netherlands Mother

Plant

Tissue

Culture

S

C

SE

E

A

S

S

SFirst Year Clone

Second Year Clone

Third Year Clone

Class S

Fourth Year Clone

Class S

CANADA

� PRE-ELITE� ELITE 1� ELITE 2� ELITE 3� ELITE 4� FOUNDATION� CERTIFIED.

US Export

FG 1FG 2FG 3FG 4FG 5FG 6

Claims on plant health

Country programs can claim freedom from certain

diseases e.g:

Brown Rot, Ring Rot, Dickeya, Colorado Potato Beetle,

Tuber Moth, Root Knot Nematodes, PSTV.

Potato Wart, Potato Cyst Nematodes.

Zero Tolerances

� Quarantine requirements should only be implemented when they are based on a scientifically supported claim of freedom in the area.

� The UNECE standard has a zero tolerance for any of these serious diseases.

Crop Rotation

� Scotland and the Netherlands have crop rotation requirements.

� The UNECE has no requirements for crop rotation, neither do Canada and the US.

UNECE STANDARD FOR SEED POTATOES (SUMMARY OF TOLERANCES) PBTC PreB. BASIC BASIC CERT. CERT.

CLASS I

CLASS II

CLASS I CLASS II

1. CROP TOLERANCES

PCN, Wart, BRR, Brown Rot, PSTV, Stolbur

0 0 0 0 0 0

Black leg (%) 0 0 0,5 1 1,5 2

Virus tolerance 0 0,1 0,4 (0,2 sev.)

0,8 (0,4 sev.)

2 (1 sev.) 10 (2 sev.)

Other varieties & off types

0 0,01 0,25 0,25 0,5 0,5

Disease PBTC PB 1- 4 Basic SE Basic E Basic A

Leafroll 0 0 0 0.1 0.4

Severe mosaic 0 0 0.01 0.1 0.4

Mild mosaic 0 0 0.05 0.5 0.8

Total virus 0 0 0.06 0.5 0.8

Blackleg (Pectobacterium spp)

0 0 0.25 0.5 1.0

Blackleg (Dickeya spp)

0 0 0 0 0

Deviation from type 0 0 0.05 0.05 0.01

Minimum standard for growing crop inspection

(% faults allowed)

Class S SE E A C

Severe mosaic/ 0.025 0.05 0.1 0.25 2leafroll

Mild mosaic 0.025 0.05 0.1 2 10

Total max. 0.025 0.05 0.1 2 10

Blackleg 0 0 0 0.03 0.1(Erwinia spp)

Var. mix: 0 0 00.05 0.5

Netherlands: Crop tolerances: field inspection (%)

PRE-EL E1 E2 E3 E4 FD Cert.

PSTV+BRR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Total of all

viruses0 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.5 2

Total of blackleg and wilts

0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.5 1 2

Var.mix. 0 0 0 0.05 0.1 0.2 0.5

CANADA Crop Tolerances

US Export FG1 FG2 FG3 FG4 FG5

Tolerances

PSTV+BRR 0 0 0 0 0

Total of all viruses

0 0.1 0.1 0.25 0.5

Total of blackleg and/or wilts

0 0.1 0.1 0.25 0.5

Varietal mixtures

- 0.1 0.1 0.25 0.5

UNECE: Post Harvest EvaluationDirect progeny tolerances

Pre-basic TC

Pre-basic

Basic class I

Basic class II

Certif.class I

Cert. class II

Other varieties and off types

0 0.01 0.25 0.25 0.5 0.5

Virus (%) 0 0.5 2 (1 severe)

4 (2 severe)

10 (5 severe)

10 severe

Netherlands: Post Harvest Test

� Tolerances (total virus) :� Class S 0 in 200 tubers� Class SE 1 in 200 tubers

� Class E 2 in 200 tubers

� Class A 5 in 100 tubers

� Class C 10 in 100 tubers

Netherlands

� A sample of 200 tubers per seed lot is taken for a test on brown rot and ring rot, using EU-protocols.

Post Harvest Test: US

� Sample size generally, 400 to 600 tubers dependent on field size.

� Virus Tolerance for re-certification: .5%� Or 1%

� Canada follows US protocol for US exports

Canada Post Harvest Test

�A sample is tested for BRR.�US carries out BRR-testing

according to Canadian Protocol for exports to Canada.

• Surveillance sampling is conducted for Brown Rot Ring Rot and blackleg caused by Dickeya spp.

• All consignments receive a tuber inspection each time a lot is presented for marketing

Scottish post harvest controls

• Post harvest testing is conducted only where crops identified as at risk of virus infection

Conclusions

� Comparisons between seed certification systems need to keep in mind the three pillars of any certification program:

� Industry,

� Research

� Regulations

Conclusions

� The UNECE Standard generally has similar numbers as other country programs.

� The UNECE Standard has a zero tolerance for diseases generally considered as quarantine.

Scotland: specialised in potatoes

• Ideal climate for growing potatoes

• Highly specialised in seed potatoes

• Potatoes form 80% of all Scottish plant exports

• equals around 25% of the total value of Scotland’s agriculture, fisheries & forestry exports outside the EU

• around 65,000 tonnes per year

• export to 30 - 40 non-EU countries

Scottish seed potatoes

• Scotland is free from many important potato pests and diseases

• No Brown Rot, Ring Rot or Dickeya, ever found in Scottish seed production

• Low virus and aphid pressure

• Long Rotation interval

• 5 years for Basic seed• 7 years for pre-basic seed

High health status

Field Inspection Pass rates in Scotland

The 12 year average inspection results in Scotland are:

95% Passed at entry class 4% downgraded, <1% rejected

Canadian Potato IndustryCanadian Potato Industry

Canadian Potato Production and trade

� Long history of producing high quality seed and table potatoes

� Seed Potato Certification Service initiated in 1914

� Strong international player in seed & fresh potatoes• 2007-2008 exported: 72,000

tonnes seed potatoes • (value= $25Million)

• 2007-2008 exported: 525,000 tonnes of ware potatoes

• (value= $155 Million)

*Source: Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada, FAOSTAT

24%,24%,

21%21%17%,17%,

15%15%

Harvest Area: 151,393 ha

Quantity; 4,724,460

tonnes

Average yield: 31.2 t/ha

Source: Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada, FAOSTAT

Canadian Varieties

� ~180 registered varieties

� Top varieties produced include:

• Russet Burbank

• Goldrush

• Superior

• Russet Norkotah

• Shepody

• Yukon Gold

• Chieftain

• Atlantic

• Norland

• Kennebec

Canadian Seed Potato Certification Program

� Domestic & Export Certification

� Advanced technology, skilled growers, trained inspectors & qualified professionals

� Nationally delivered and administered by Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)

� CFIA officers responsible for maintaining the Canadian standard for production & certification

� Seed sold on the Canadian market must meet the strict standard enforced by CFIA

Canadian Seed Potato Certification Program

� Main elements include:• Disease free nuclear stock

• seed produced from tissue culture under sterile conditions

• Limited generations

• flush through system/minimize disease

• Disease & varietal purity standards

• multiple field inspections, laboratory testing, post-harvest testing & sound agronomic practices

• The Canadian standards align with or are more stringent than tolerances within the UNECE standard

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