DEFRA is investigating the cause of potato brown rot found on a
Nottinghamshire farm.
The disease was confirmed on Monday (21 Nov) in the Lady Rosetta
variety.
The disease was detected by officials from the Plant Health and
Seeds Inspectorate as part of the routine monitoring programme for
ring rot and brown rot.
Later tests at the Central Science Laboratory using three
separate methods confirmed the disease.
A tomato plant test, as required under EC legislation, has now
confirmed the result.
Iain Dykes, seed and export manager at the British Potato
Council, highlighted the seriousness of the issue: "We should be
concerned.
Any outbreak of a quarantine disease is concerning."
He is urging growers to think hard before growing potatoes near
infected watercourses because of the disease risks.
"DEFRA has been working very hard to clean the river banks of
woody nightshade [a host plant of the organism], but it's very
expensive and very hard to keep out," he added.
"In some areas, DEFRA has resorted to irrigation bans."
NFU potato spokesman Graham Nichols said it was vital to find
out where the disease had come from.
"As far as I'm concerned, establishing where the disease came
from is most important at this point.
It's a fairly easy process and I understand DEFRA is carrying
out some tests to identify the source."
According to Mr Nichols, the farmer concerned was using treated
water for his irrigation, but he stressed that other sources should
not be ruled out.
"The farmer was treating water from an infected source - which
is permissible under DEFRA rules - but we need to know if this
process failed," he added.
A DEFRA spokesperson said infected water was believed to be the
probable source because of an infestation of woody nightshade on
the banks of the rivers of the Midlands, but other possible causes
were not being discounted.
The last outbreak of brown rot was on a farm near Corby,
Northants, in December 1999.
andrew.watts@rbi.co.uk