Spudman November/December 2022 - 20

completed without serious interruption
in significantly cooler-than-normal
temperatures. These cool temperatures
continued well into June. While
the cool weather helped to mitigate
concerns regarding potential water
shortages, it also significantly
delayed emergence and retarded
plant growth. Temperatures became
more seasonable in late June/early
July, but the increase in temperature
was not sufficient to make up for the
early shortfall in heat units. As a result,
Idaho effectively lost two weeks of the
growing season.
Harvest proceeded at a normal
pace. Seed quality going into storage
is reported as excellent. Generally, the
2022 seed potato crop can be described
as having a high set and smallerthan-normal
size profile. As might be
expected, yields are generally lower
due to the smaller tuber size.
Seed health is also good this year.
During summer inspections, the
number of seed lots with visually
detectable levels of PVY decreased
compared to 2021, and remains well
below the 10-year average of 7.8%.
Blackleg levels were normal, and there
were no detections of potato leaf roll or
bacterial ring rot again this year.
Seed potato acreage eligible for
final certification totaled 30,164 acres
this year, a 2.5% decrease from 2021.
Excluding proprietary genetics, this
acreage represents a total of 103
varieties, selections, and advanced
clones. Ten varieties account for more
than 80% of the total acres, with
Russet Burbank, Russet Norkotah (all
strains), Ranger Russet, Clearwater
Russet, and Alturas continuing as
the dominant varieties.
- Alan Westra, southeast area manager,
Idaho Crop Improvement Association
1. Caribou Russet (PVP), 1,329 acres
2. Atlantic, 711 acres
3. Russet Burbank (MT), 708 acres
4. Waneta (PVP), 607 acres
5. Lamoka (PVP), 559 acres
Inspectors are now performing PCN
soil sampling and are in preparation
for laboratory PVY/PLRV postharvest
testing. All samples will be ELISA
postharvest tested at the certification
laboratory in Presque Isle.
- Eric Hitchcock, seed certification
program manager, Maine Department of
Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry
MAINE
The 2022 growing season started
off somewhat challenging for many
growers, as large rain events during
planting made getting the crop in on
time a little harder. Seed acreage was
down slightly, roughly 5% from last
year. After planting, growers experienced
an almost ideal growing season, and
this will hopefully lead to higher yields
for growers.
Overall, the 2022 crop appears
to be healthy with low to moderate
disease levels. As of Sept. 20, 2022, the
certification program has 9,711 acres
field certified from 80 farms.
The top 5 varieties by acreage field
certified for 2022 are:
MICHIGAN
Michigan shipped 526,000 cwt of
seed from the 2021 crop this winter,
and has 2,535 acres that have been
submitted for certification in 2022,
up 46 acres from 2021. Chipping
varieties, both public and proprietary,
make up 74% of the '22 Michigan
crop, russets 19%, with the remainder
being various varieties of tablestock,
including the newly named and licensed
Bonafide developed at Michigan State
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Spudman November/December 2022

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