B standards per 2018 harvest relaxed

The standing committee on seed potatoes has decided to relax the standards for seed class B with effect from the 2018 harvest. A decision on the Erwinia test will be made in March 2018. 

Inspection service NAK reports that it concerns growth cracks (from 0,5 centimeters to 1,5 centimeters), pressure spots/blue (from 6% to 12% 'moderate'), soil (from 1% to 2%), wrinkled tubers (to 1% ) and Rhizoctonia (from 25% 'light' to 25% 'moderate').

2 options at Erwinia test
A decision on the Erwinia test will be made in March 2018. The committee keeps 2 options open: the current approach (PB and S mandatory) or a variant that responds to insights from the trade and the growers. The committee has chosen 'cleaning up the column' as the goal, with an efficient use of the test. This could also include testing in PB2 and/or PB3.

Growers can express themselves in the growers' meetings and the trade has been asked to formulate an NAO position. The test will still be collectively financed in 2018. The growers and the trade should take into account that this form of financing will expire as of 2019.

No mixing in class PB 
A proposal from the NAO (Dutch Potato Organization) for a stricter application of the standard for mixing in the PB class was unsuccessful. At the moment, a grower has the right to clean up a plot of mixing. According to the proposal, a PB plot would receive a maximum class S after cleaning. The proposal does not solve the mixing problem. This requires other measures. The standard for PB is already set to 0, just like for S and SE.

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