Potato Review

42 POTATO REVIEW MARCH/APRIL 2020 AHDB ON THE SPOT I was among the 20-plus attendees and it was pleasing to see all sectors of the industry represented, including ware growers, seed growers, agronomists and scienti c organisations. e meeting was triggered by a di cult season for many. An NFU survey suggests that average losses for those a ected run well into the tens of thousands. For several years our colleagues who export have bene tted from a richly-deserved reputation for ‘high health’ and low virus British seed potatoes, while ware growers have enjoyed con dence in a less expensive testing regime than used in some competitor nations. Whatever caused the spike in symptoms in 2019, it is important that we nd a way forward that works for all parts of the industry and does not have any unintended side e ects. e meeting was conducted in a positive and constructive manner. It was apparent that there is interest in exploring all options, and a desire that actions are based on good practice and ROB CLAYTON SECTOR STRATEGY DIRECTOR AHDB POTATOES increasing knowledge on the Safe Haven certi cation scheme. We will need to maintain trust in the quality of our seed, both home and abroad. I am not the rst person to comment that trust is much easier to break than it is to build but we do have many years of success and experience to call on collectively. Our colleagues from APHA and SASA presented to the meeting on various options for both pre and post-harvest testing. I will not attempt to summarise them here, other than to say that as you might expect, there are pros and cons to each method that need to be carefully considered. Focus on aphid and virus control Aphid and virus control is a key focus of our strategy for 2020-25. is will run alongside a move to IPM as conventional crop protection becomes harder to achieve. Some work has already been initiated on screening cereal aphids for pyrethroid resistance. A research project on aphid control options for potatoes will also commence this year. A joint workshop with AHDB horticulture had been arranged prior to Potato Review going to press for those keen to zero-in on aphid control ahead of the growing season. Our forum was also preparing to meet again in March, this time in Edinburgh, and following that meeting we will expect to have a more concrete set of actions and some guidance to share with growers. In the meantime, if you have any comments and suggestions on our work, please get in touch with your local Knowledge Exchange Manager. Contact details can be found at ahdb.org.uk/potatoes. Maintaining trust in quality British seed potatoes In January AHDB and NFU hosted a National Potato Virus Forum, aimed at establishing actions to reduce the impact of virus within the Britain. Black Bean aphids