Increasing Production

Radio Record, Volume III, Issue 8, 6 September 1929, Page 4

Increasing Production

Raising the Potato Yield > N interesting lecture arranged by 8YA Primary Productions Committee was delivered at 3YA by -Mr. 0. P. Leitch, Fields Division, Department of Agriculture, on Thursday evening, August 29,.on Seed Potato Certification. . + . "My little talk this evening is on seed potato certification," said Mr. Leitch: "The certification of seed potatoes, which was inaugurated by Mr. J. W. Hadfield, Agronomist- to the Department of Agriculture, has now been in ‘operation for two seasons, and from results obtained the scheme has been very successful. . "Ty recent years potatoes have "beeome very badly ipixed, so much 60, that in some cases two varieties merged into one. In some instances it has been found that some varieties have been incorrectly named. Potatoes are also subject to a number of diseases, the more common diseases being Virus, Late Blight, Powdery Scab and Eelworm * ; "By far the most serious of these diseases is Virus. It is tuber-borne and is not detected in the seed, and for that reason it becomes most serious. A healthy looking line may, on planting, be a complete failure, due to the -_-

- presence of Virus. The only method, at present, of detecting it, is by an inspection of the growing crop, when the disease manifests itself in the foliage. : ces "The Government felt that the time had arrived to bring forward some scheme which would help check the gradual falling off in the yields of potatoes, caused mainly by Virus disease; therefore certification was brought in with the object of checking the distribution of Virus diseased potatoes, also badly mixed lines. "The method adopted for carrying out the scheme is to collect 150 tubers from the farmers. These are grown at Ashburton Hxperimental Farm. under trial, proper experimental methods being adopted. That is, the lines are grown in such a way, that they can all be compared, a uniform piece of ground being selected for the trial. All lines have the same quantity of manure applied. In fact, great care is taken that all lines receive the same treatment. The evidence obtained from these trials showed that some lines were very good indeed, while’ others were absolutely worthless, "Tt is on this eviderice that certification is based, lines which come below the average in yield being rejected as unsuitable for seed purposes. On last year’s results, in cases where a high percentage of ‘disease was recorded in the field inspections, a correspondingly decreased yield was recorded at digging. . 2

"Growers wishing to enter their crops for certification will on application receive application * forms, and on receipt of these, an officer calls and collects a representative sample of 150 tubers. These sample lines will pe grown and inspected. The first inspection will take place when plants are 4in. to Gin. above the ground, and the cond inspection is made at flowering. In both inspections, counts are taken for impurities and the amount of disease present, or in other words the percentage of disease present. All those lines passing the standards set at the experimental farm will be subjected to three further inspections, on the farm, under field conditions. "Three inspections are made on the farm: (1) at flowering time; (2) at maturity; (3) when tubers are graded and ready for sale. . on "After the second inspection, the growers: of all those crops which have passed the necessary standard will be issued with a provisional certigcate, which, while not being final, will enable growers to make sales in the interim, if required. "Th final inspection is undertaken on receipt of notice from the grower that his potatoes are graded and ready for sale. If the line passes the standard set for the final inspection,-the grower will be. supplied with sufficient certification tags to attach one ‘to each bag sold. "Qn receiving these tags the grower will be asked ‘to fill in a "Return of Sales" sheet, which is kept, in order that each line sold can be traced, and the resultant crop inspected if necessary: ~ "The benefits derived from the scheme are that the grower will know

just how good or how bad His line 1s. Tf it passes the standard set, and he can maintain and improve that standard, the line becomes more valuable. On the other hand, if from the results obtained at the Ashburton trials, his line proves poor in cropping power, it is an indication to the ‘grower that a Change of seed is needed in order to get full returns’ for time and labour expended. The purchaser cin buy seed with more: confidence, knowing that the lines which pass all inspections will produce a profitable crop. — The scheme has the effect of facilitating the distribution of seed of a good standard, while it does not interfere with the sale of less valuable lines, under the ‘ordinary marketing conditions. © Considerable improvement has already been noted in the lines submitted in the markets, and while the scheme: is not wholly responsible for this, still it is claimed that it should gradually place the growing and marketing of seed potatoes on a more solid basis, giving greater satisfaction to all concerned."