When the Spud Smart editorial board first mentioned I should write a story on diagnostic labs my first thought was, there’s different kinds of plant testing labs? But I just nodded and said, ‘Yeah sure, that would make for a great feature story.’
I started by asking the editorial board for some direction for the story and possible contacts. From there I learned there’s a network of Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) labs across Canada and that’s when it got interesting, and I found out not all labs are equal.
In Canada we have different levels of plant/potato disease testing labs. At the top is the national laboratory run by CFIA in Charlottetown, P.E.I., this lab isn’t just for anyone to use or for any test, it handles the quarantine pests/diseases and keeps provides certification services. Next are the privately operated CFIA accredited labs that are licensed by the national lab. And then from there you have a mishmash of provincial and university labs that cover not only potatoes but all regional crops. This makes for a network of labs that cover different aspects of the industry and try to work in tandem/support each other.
Typing this out I found it confusing, so I can see how anyone working in the potato industry might be too. It’s a lot to follow, so I hope I can be of help with the summer 2023 issue’s feature story “Putting Canada’s Potato Diagnostic Labs Under the Microscope”. For this story I talked to numerous labs across the country to learn how they were established, what services they provide and answer the question: Is there enough potato testing capacity in Canada?
This story took a wealth of interviews, and while not every person was quoted, each and every one helped me better understand potato diagnostic testing in Canada and North America as a whole. I learned that those working in diagnostic testing care deeply for those in the potato industry and are working hard to provide the necessary services that they do. It’s a real team effort.
However, I do feel there are some grey areas in the testing world for Canadians. With only one CFIA accredited diagnostic lab in Western Canada it means those in the Prairie provinces are shipping their samples further away, which adds precious time on to receiving results and in some cases can damage samples. Those providing the tests work hard to get results back in a timely manner, but it’s not always up to them when variables, such as shipping, are out of their control.
It was an eye-opening story to report on and I’m looking forward to doing more stories in the future on the Canadian potato diagnostic testing world. As with all these feature stories, I use them as jumping off points to give an in-depth overview of the topic and then from there I try to provide updates as needed or delve deeper into various issues. So, stay tuned for more testing stories.
Header photo — Loading electrophoresis gel at Agricultural Certification Services Inc. in Fredericton, N.B. Photo: ACS Lab
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Putting Canada’s Potato Diagnostic Labs Under the Microscope
