November/December 2019 - 14

State Seed Report
It was a 'challenging' growing
season for many
W
et early and wet late was a
common theme for potato
growers in the U.S. this year,
certified seed growers included.
In Idaho, spring rain hampered
planting efforts and then late frosts
hindered early growth. A hot, dry
summer helped the crop catch up some,
but then an early hard freeze on Oct. 10
had farmers scrambling to get as much of
their crop out of the ground as possible.
Washington farmers had similar
delays in planting due to rain, but then
enjoyed " ideal " conditions throughout
the summer, said Benita Matheson
of the agriculture department's plant
protection division.
Perhaps nowhere was it more
challenging than the Red River Valley,
where farmers experienced flooding in
the spring and again during harvest.
In addition, the weather pattern that
brought the early freeze to Idaho moved
through the Red River Valley a few days
later and brought snow and freezing
temperatures with it.
Here are certified seed reports from
around the U.S.
IDAHO
Idaho experienced a somewhat
challenging growing season. Planting
began at the normal time, but was
interrupted by a two-week period
of rain. Additionally, late frosts and
cooler temperatures delayed the
development of those crops planted
before the rain. However, heat later in
the season helped the crop to catch up.
During harvest, some growers reported
average to good yields, while others
reported lower than average yields.
Quality going into storage is reported
as good to excellent. Overall, the 2019
crop appears to have a very nice size
profile. Seed health is steady from 2018.
The number of seed lots with visually
detectable levels of PVY in the field
increased only slightly compared to last
year, and there were no BRR detections
during field inspections.
At the conclusion of the second
round of field inspections, a total
of 29,974 acres are eligible for final
certification this year. This is essentially
unchanged from 2018. Excluding
proprietary genetics, the 2019 acreage
accepted for certification represents
a total of 119 varieties, selections and
advanced clones.
For 2019, the top varieties were
Russet Burbank (39% of total acreage
accepted), Russet Norkotah (all strains,
18% of total), Ranger Russet (12%),
Clearwater Russet (5%), Alturas (4%)
and Umatilla Russet (2%). Significant
movement
occurred
in
Clearwater,
Alturas, and Umatilla acreage (+38%,
+26% and -12%, respectively) compared
to the 2018 crop. A complete listing
of this year's seed potato crop is
available in the 2019 Idaho Certified
EXCEPTIONAL QUALITY SEED
POTATOES SINCE 1960.
Our isolated northern location along with our group of 10 experienced
growers have been producing exceptional seed potatoes with increased
energy and the lowest possible disease levels for over 50 years.
Our longevity and historical performance have made us a valued
resource and seed potato supplier to growers across North America
and the world.
With over 100 varieties including main crop and specialty selections,
we invite you to give us a call to discuss how we can help you make
this growing season the best one yet.
Contact Darcy Olson for the latest info on availability of varieties & generations
Email: darcyo@epg.ab.ca * Toll Free: 1 (800) 362-9791 * Ph: (780) 447-1860
Edmonton Potato Growers, 12220 - 170 Street, Edmonton, AB T5V 1L7
12
Spudman.com
http://www.Spudman.com
November/December 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of November/December 2019
