b'ROUNDTABLE Producing Top Notch SeedGrowing potato seed in Canada isnt an easy job. A lot of work goes into it by the CFIA and seed growers across the country to produce high quality seed. BY: ASHLEY ROBINSONCHRISTOPHER DUNBAR Editors note: This interview has beenSS: What does the CFIA do for potato programedited for length and clarity. potato seed certification on the specialist with thefarm level?Canadian FoodSpud Smart (SS): Why does CanadaCD: The first step is the grower applies Inspection Agency (CFIA) need a potato seed certificationfor crop inspection. They would provide system? some documentationtheres actually Christopher Dunbar (CD): The biggestan application form that they would need JAKE HOOGLAND part is in food security in order toto provideand there needs to be some seed potato growermaintain and have a productive crop, youlaboratory testing. So thats kind of the with Hoogland Farms inneed to control diseases. So, in particular,first step in the season. Millet, Alta. there was one (disease) that was quiteDuring the summer, at least two times, bad in the 60s, bacterial ring rot. Theusually July and August, therell be two certification system is in place to tryinspections. This is in the field The and control those diseases and ring rotseeds regs indicate a minimum of two, so fortunately, as an example, is quite rarethere could be more. In addition to those now. So, it works.two field inspections, theres harvest or Its also an important driver of domesticstorage inspections. The primary purpose trade and export verification. There needsof those is verification of lot integrity, to be some oversight in maintaining awhere the different lots stored. certain level of disease, a certain level ofWe also do some tuber inspections at quality in the seed stocks, minimizingthe shipping point, related to issuance disease. of tags or movement certificates, and to verify the grade. We control the SS: How does the CFIA try tomovement. If things arent up to grade, minimize disease risk in the potatothen we dont issue the document, the tag seed propagation system?or the movement certificate.CD: The way it works is that theres essentially zero disease material comes inSS: What makes potato seed at the startits grown in the greenhouseeligible to be certified?and tissue culture. And theres a certainCD: In order for CFIA to accept your number of generations that that material isapplication, you need to provide some propagated and increased in volume. Anddocuments for each lot that was grown at the end, it exits the system. on the farm. It needs to have (bacterial Potatoes are vegetatively propagated.ring rot) testing. Even if theres no seed If plants get diseased, theyre going tobrought into the farm or sold from the stay diseased. So, youll have a constantfarm, there still needs to be a minimum (disease), each year in the field you getof two lots tested for bacterial ring rot ROUNDTABLE SUPPORTED BY: more disease. So thats why we want to(BRR). And all purchased seed must also minimize or limit the number of years itsbe tested. in the system. I would also add that eachIf theres a new grower, before they year, each class, theres standards and if aeven get seed on their farm, a new grower seed lot fails in the E1, and does not meetwould be required to do a full cleanup the elite one standards, its down classedunder CFIA supervision. Because with to the standard that it does meet. BRR, it is endemic to Canada. We will 38SPUDSMART.COM Summer 2021'