Seed potatoes and diseases: SASA defends control systems

The authorities in charge of ensuring the continued high health status of the Scottish seed potato crop yesterday mounted a robust defence of the control systems that are now in place.
In recent months, with reports on the discovery of the infectious bacterial disease, dickeya solani, in a number of potato crops in this country, questions have been asked about the effectiveness of the Science and Advice for Scottish Agricultural (SASA) unit, he body charged by government to ensure disease does not wreak havoc with this economically important sector.

Within Europe, Scotland is the second-largest exporter of seed potatoes to non-European countries, with almost one quarter of the seed crop heading to countries such as Egypt, Morocco and Israel.

Holland is still the dominant exporter but has lost ground in recent years following the discovery of dickeya in their seed crops, which cost their industry some €25 million in 2007.

Speaking from the SASA headquarters on the outskirts of Edinburgh, Gerry Saddler stated that there were stringent controls in place on those farms where the disease had been found and that the legislation brought in should prevent future entry of the disease.

In a number of cases where the crop has been infected, he indicated that there was a written agreement with the processor involved that the whole crop, as dug, would be taken out of Scotland in non-returnable crates.

Inspections would continue in the fields where the disease had been found and local watercourses would also be monitored to ensure there was no spread of the disease. Three watercourses are being monitored in Scotland but so far there has been no trace of dickeya solani. In addition, the extra inspections carried out in the "high-risk"crops this year would be continued in 2011.