November/December 2019 - 20

during the summer months was near
ideal this year.
Yields were good to fair, with sizing
profiles falling on the small side. For the
first time in two years the skies were not
filled with smoke! Oregon seed areas
were also not hit with the at-harvest heavy
rainfall or snow that many other areas of
the country experienced, though the later
harvested seed may have experienced
some chilling/freeze injury.
The No. 1 single variety produced
in Oregon this year was Gala, a yellow
skin-yellow flesh variety sold into the
fresh market, with 269 acres, however
330 acres of various Frito-Lay varieties
were certified. Other than Gala, most
of Oregon's certified varieties are russet
white fleshed varieties for processing
or fresh market. Specialty varieties,
including reds, purple and fingerlings for
the fresh market are produced in Central
Oregon and the Klamath Falls area. A
complete listing of the varieties and
acres produced in Oregon can be found
at seedcert.oregonstate.edu/potatoes.
OSCS was finally able to fill the
local part-time seasonal positions of
harvest Inspectors. These individuals
are located in our four main production
areas of Klamath Falls, Central Oregon,
North Central and Northeastern
Oregon and inspect tubers in the fields
and sorting sheds during harvest. They
principally look for diseases that would
not necessarily show up during the field
inspections in the summer months
such as nematode, bacterial ring rot and
evidence of internal necrosing viruses.
- Jeff McMorran, Oregon Seed
Certification Service Specialist
WASHINGTON
A total of 3,570 acres of seed potatoes
were entered for certification during
the 2019 growing season. This is a 111acre
decrease from last year.
Top four varieties grown were:
* Ciklamen, 576 acres
* Chieftain, 387 acres
* Russet Burbank, 349 acres
* Umatilla, 228 acres
The total acres planted include 179
different potato varieties ranging in size
from partial acre plots to 88-acre fields.
Most seed lots are less than 20 acres in
size and include numbered clones, table
stock, processing and heirloom variety
potatoes. This year saw 472 individual
seed lots from eight farms entered for
certification.
Pacific Northwest weather and
maritime
climate,
in
particular, provided ideal growing
conditions. Washington State Department
of Agriculture (WSDA) staff noted that
late blight and blackleg disease pressure
was slight to non-existent. Complete
field inspection results are available at
agr.wa.gov.
Harvest began the third week of
September, with rains and other factors
slowing harvest for a time. Harvest was
expected to be finished by the end of
October. Growers enjoyed average to
above-average yields with generally
good quality, size and condition of seed
lots going into storage. Seed shipments
to southern climates will begin in late
fall and will continue into the winter
months, with the majority of seed to be
shipped in early spring.
Washington's post-harvest test will
take place in Oahu for the first time.
- Benita Matheson, Plant Services
Program Supervisor, WSDA Plant Protection
Division
Washington's
Sklarczyk Seed
Farms
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Spudman.com
http://agr.wa.gov http://seedcert.oregonstate.edu/potatoes http://www.Spudman.com
November/December 2019

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