SEED POTATO CERTIFICATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 3993, 23 September 1930, Page 15

SEED POTATO CERTIFICATION.

OPERATIONS FOR 1930-31.

The seed potato certification scheme, which has been in operation in Otago and Southland for the past two seasons, ’ has met with such good response and approval from growers and merchants alike that it has been decided to continue in the 1930-31 season. ( To '■ those not acquainted with the organisation, it would perhaps be opportune to state that, briefly, the object of the organisation is to make available in appropriately-labelled receptacles supplies of seed potatoes harvested from crops relatively free from serious disease, and of approved cropping power. Growers whose crops pass the various standards set for disease, etc., are provisionally certified. The tubers from these lines when they have been graded and have massed the tuber’inspection are certified. Suitab’e distinguishing tags for attaching to the sacks are then .supplied free bv the department. - Publicity is given to the certified produce by publishing the

growers name and addresses in the Jour nal of Agricullure, and by a circular letter to. merchants, seedsmen, etc. No information. whatsoever is divulged regarding crops that do not pass the standards.

Certain modifications have been made to the original scheme for the 1930-31 season.

RESTRICTION OF APPLICATIONS. Applications will be received only in respect of those crops which have originated from certified or from provisionallycertified seed during the 1928-29-or the 1929-30 season. . This means that if you purchased provisionally certified or certified seed, last year the seed from the crop which you have recently harvested is eligible for entry for certification, likewise with provisionally certified or certified seed purchased this year. The’ crop of each variety must not be less than one acre. . The main reason for this restriction is that during the 1929-30 season 102 crops originating from certified seed or provisionally certified seed were inspected, and of these 57 were again provisionally certified. Against this, 263 from uncertified seed were inspected with only 53 of these being provisionally certified. It was considered that the ’’expense of inspecting 263 crops and passing only 53 of them was unwarranted. To offset to some extent this restriction, there have been instituted qualifying trials. The object of these trials is to test out a crop by growing on the trial grounds at Gore 50 tubers which should be truly representative of the line of seed. The grower of the crop of the sample under trial will receive a full repoit on completion of the trial, and will be advised whether the line of seed will be eligible for entry for certification the following year or not. There is no restriction as to acreage of the crop.