b'make sure before you bring something into the seed system, the farm is cleaned up.SS: How do you, as a seed grower, monitor your crops for diseases during the growing season?Jake Hoogland (JH): We often monitor for aphids. Every week, we have sticky cards that we send in that get checked, what kind of aphids are around. I think for us, for seed growers, thats one of our biggest challenges keeping the aphids out of it. Lucky in Alberta, our aphids dont show up usually until late July and August. So, we dont have to spray too often for it. Also, rogueing in the summer falls back to what Chris was saying, we get two field inspections by CFIA. We try to go through our crop before the first inspection and have everything rogued, pull out anything that we think is not right. And before the second inspection, we do focus a lot of on our on our high generation seed, so that its easier to grow later on when its aMini tubers are planted at Hoogland Farms in Millet, Alta. PHOTO: JAKE HOOGLANDlower generation and more acres.SS: How do you test your seed as a seed grower?JH: We use a post-harvest test, mainly Hawaii if we can. Unfortunately, because of COVID we couldnt last year, but hope to be back in Hawaii right away. And we do a lot of lab testing too. I prefer both, it becomes a little bit costly. But I think a grow out gives you a really good indication of diseases where youre not necessarily be testing for in the lab. In the lab, its only going to get tested for what you ask it to be tested for. In a visual, you might see something that is a little unusual. And then you can start testing for things and know whats going on in your seed lots. For more information on potato seed production visit spudsmart.com/category/videos/webinars/ and watch our latest webinar about it.Seed potatoes in crate storage at Hoogland Farms in Millet, Alta.PHOTO: JAKE HOOGLANDSPUDSMART.COM Summer 202139'