OUTLAWING THE GERM MANAWATU POTATOES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 168, 17 June 1936, Page 14

OUTLAWING THE GERM

MANAWATU POTATOES

QUALITY AND GRADING. PRAISE FROM MERCHANTS. OBJ EC'TIVE ATT AINE D. (By J. W. Hadfield, Plant Research Bureau.) The potato growers of the Manawatu and surrounding districts were seriously threatened a few years back by the stand taken by merchants in refusing to handle their produce unless substantial improvements were made in the quality and grading. Such drastic actipn was no doubt justified, the main complaint being the prevalence of internal brown fleck, . known also as brown-spot or rust.

The position called for investigation and the Plant Research Station at Palmerston North undertook Trials to

determine the cause of the trouble, also to offer practical suggestions as to its remedy. Samples of seed collected from a large number of representative growers were grown at the Plant Research Station and revealed Miree points of interest. (1) Most varieties, but especially Iron Duke (known locally as Aberbrotliock) were either wrongly named or very impure. The dominant impurities prov-i ed to lie Northern Star and quite a 1 few. lines of supposedly Iron Duke were i pure lines of Northern Star. j

(2) The varieties most prone to internal brown flc'k were Northern Star and New Fra; but, as Northern Star predominated, it was obviously tiie presence of this vaiicty which' was largely responsible for the trouble. The true Iron Duke and Aucklanders

were relatively free of internal brown fleck, therefore, by growing pure seed of these two varieties, the unsatisfactory position regarding quality could be almost entirely avoided.

(3) The health and cropping power of the seed stocks, from tiie point of view of virus disease, proved to be deplorable, and with one or two exceptions the only healthy and productive lines were those originating from certified seed. The actual position was as follows: Tons per acre Yie'd of certified lines averaged 14.3 Yield of linos once removed from certification 11.6 Yield of lines twice removed from certification 10.1 Yield of lines thrice removed from certification 10.1 Yield of uncertified lines 7.6 The trial speaks for itself and points to the necessity for two precautions; namely, the planting of pure seed and healthy seed. THE GRADING QUESTION. These investigations, however, did not overcome the careless grading and packing which characterised Manawatu

! j potatoes, and placed them at such a • j disadvantage on the market. This j could he overcome only by the grow- ■ | ers themselves realising the danger and setting their house in order. It ■ needed some sort of co-ordinated efj fort, and the department, with the j assistance of the merchants, called to--1 getlier meetings of the growers and suggested to them the necessity tor * the formation of Potato Growers’ J Associations, the objective being an ! improvement in grading, packing, and i quality, i

I The associations were subsequently formed in the Rangitikei and Mauawutu districts respectively, r.aeh mlill- - of the associations agreed to grade and pack his produce in accordance with certain defined standards acceptable to the trade, and each member agreed to attach to each sack of poi tatoes so graded a tag bearing bis identification number.

The result has been most satisfactory and tiic standard of tagged Manawatu potatoes is now. equal to the* be’st. Instead of- being blamed, the growers are being complimented. The merchants are right out after tagged potatoes, because they can buy them with a degree of confidence impossible in the past, and repeat orders for specified numbers, that is, the produce from specified growers, are coining to hand.

The merchants commend only when commendation is fully justified, and the attitude they have taken ove- the Manawatu potatoes augurs well for the future and we may with confidence regard the crisis as passed.

The use of certified seed and strict attention to grading must bo the watchwords for Manawatu growers if they are to maintain the confidence they are at present inspiring.