Spud breeders undermined…
Spud breeders undermined…
POTATO variety developments are being compromised by supermarkets, claims a top breeder from the Scottish Crop Research Institute at Dundee.
"The major retailers control 80% of the table potato market and are interested only in smooth, blemish-free skins and pay only lip service to things like disease control," claims Dr Finlay Dale.
"The end result is that our work to improve disease resistance and yields is being diluted by their demands," he told visitors to a potato trials site near Dundee which is run jointly by SCRI and the Scottish Agricultural College.
By contrast processors are set to reap major benefits. Three varieties on show are being developed for McCains and Golden Wonder. They will have the ability to be stored at 4C (39F) without sprout suppressant.
"That is very important to the crispers and chippers who want to move away from any chemical treatment which might leave a residue in the end product.
They are currently using sprout suppressant on thousands of tonnes of potatoes being stored at 10C to avoid deterioration," said Dr Dale.
DISEASE CHECK
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Microscopic testing of seed samples for disease should be used far more widely, said Dr Eric Anderson of SAC. "We have been looking at the critical level of black scurf in stocks which should trigger seed treatment. What we have found is that samples with little or no infection to the naked eye have up to 50% infection with rhizoctonia when examined under the microscope."
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Disease check
Microscopic testing of seed samples for disease should be used far more widely, said Dr Eric Anderson of SAC. "We have been looking at the critical level of black scurf in stocks which should trigger seed treatment. What we have found is that samples with little or no infection to the naked eye have up to 50% infection with rhizoctonia when examined under the microscope.