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Introduction
| | The British Seed Potato Classification, or Certification, Schemes aim to assure that seed potatoes delivered to buyers and growers meet specified minimum health and quality standards. All seed potatoes marketed within the European Union have to be officially classified and all EU Member States operate certification schemes designed to meet the requirements of EC Directive 2002/56/EC and other relevant EC Directives.
Seed potato classification in Britain is the responsibility of:
Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department (Scotland) (Certifying Authority – Scottish Agricultural Science Agency (SASA))
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (England) (Defra)
National Assembly for Wales Agriculture Department (Wales) (NAWAD)
Experienced officials conduct all the inspections, tests and controls required by the Seed Potato Classification Scheme, including sampling of soil, plants and tubers, crop and tuber inspections, laboratory tests and administrative controls. |
Initial Stock
| | All seed potatoes originating in Britain are produced from nuclear stock (officially tested in vitro micro-plants) to ensure freedom from a wide range of quarantine and non-quarantine diseases. SASA is responsible for the initiation and maintenance of nuclear stock. |
Seed Multiplication and Certification
| | Commercial multiplication of nuclear stocks is done, under strict official control, by officially approved laboratories. Micro-plants are then planted either in a pest-free medium, normally in a protective environment, to produce mini-tubers (Pre-basicTC), or in the field to produce first generation seed tubers (Pre-basic1). These initial tubers are multiplied by specialist, officially approved Pre-basic producers for a limited number of years before being used to produce the Basic or Certified seed that is marketed to domestic and export markets. Classification of Pre-basic and Basic seed potatoes in Britain is based on limited generations within each class and seed potatoes intended for export will, typically, have been multiplied in the field for only 3 – 6 generations. |
Categories and Classes
| | Seed potatoes marketed within the European Union and within the scope of United Nations Seed Potato Standard are classified in 3 categories:
Pre-basic
Basic
Certified (not produced in Scotland and EU Community Grade region of England in order to minimise the risk of disease development in Pre-Basic and Basic crops).
Labels of different colours are specified for each category as shown below: |
Each category is separated into national classes and, within the Community Grade regions, Basic seed potatoes are always classified as a Community Grade as shown above.
Pathway for the multiplication of seed potatoes originating in Britain is illustrated below: |
Class A seed potatoes must be grown from seed potatoes inspected and classified as at least class Elite. Class A seed cannot be used to produce any further seed crops in the Community Grade regions but can be entered for classification as class A seed potatoes elsewhere in England and Wales without restriction on the number of generations of entry. Class CC seed can only be produced in England and Wales, outside the Community Grade areas and without restriction on the number of generations of entry.
The table below shows the maximum number of years allowed in British legislation for seed multiplication at each class within the Community Grade regions (ie. a total of 10 yrs) |
| However, in practice, most British seed is only multiplied for 3–6 field generations to reduce the risk of disease development. |
Controls and Standards Applied to Seed Potatoes Classified in Britain
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a) Land used for seed potato production
| Land used for seed potato production must be free from:
Potato wart disease (Synchytrium endobioticum).
Potato cyst nematodes (Globodera rostochiensis and G. pallida)
and there must not have been any potatoes grown on the land in the preceding
7 years for Pre-basic
5 years for Super Elite, Elite and A
4 years for CC seed |
b)Growing crop inspections
| | Regular checks are made by official inspectors to check on compliance with the tolerances and conditions set for certification. Crops must meet the following tolerances (% plants affected) for off-types and disease during official inspections: |
| When aphids, which are the vectors of most viruses, have not been controlled to the satisfaction of an inspector, classification may be withheld until the results of post harvest tests for virus are known. |
c)Tuber inspections
| Harvested tubers are stored in clean, temperature controlled seed stores and, prior to delivery, are graded to meet customers’ requirements. Seed potatoes from each crop are stored separately, usually in 1t boxes, and clearly identified. When seed potatoes have been prepared for marketing, the containers must be sealed and labelled according to strictly controlled procedures and subject to official inspection. Labels are attached in such a way that tampering can be easily identified. If containers purporting to contain seed potatoes are not sealed with official labels, then these are NOT classified seed potatoes. All official labels include the following information:
member state (UK)
certification authority (e.g. SASA, Defra or NAWAD)
country of production (e.g. Scotland, England or Wales)
botanical name (Solanum tuberosum L.)
category (Pre-basic, Basic or Certified)
class (e.g. SE1, E3 or A)
EC grade (if appropriate)
field generation (if requested by the applicant)
variety
crop identification number including producer’s identification number
EC plant passport
declared net weight
size
date of closing
serial number of the label
At the official inspection, seed potatoes presented for marketing in the EU must meet the following tolerances for diseases, pests, damage and defects: |
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| If basic seed potatoes are presented for marketing to non-EU countries, the minimum tolerances for diseases and faults set out below are applied, unless the Plant Health Authority of the importing country has specified stricter or additional requirements. |
Non-EU Tuber Tolerances
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| Seed potatoes are inspected to ensure that they meet the tolerances of the appropriate national class and any additional requirements of importing countries. SEERAD, Defra and the Potato Council are happy to meet with officials of importing countries to ensure that their requirements are clearly understood and to explain how they will be met by seed potato classification arrangements and inspections. |
|  For more information on:
SASA
Scottish Executive
PHSI
DEFRA (England/Wales)
Please see the Organisations page on the Home menu |
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