A GROUP of 42 growers, farmers, and industry representatives from across Scotland met up to take action against a pest that could wipe out Scotland’s potato industry by 2025.
Held in Angus, the area of the UK worst affected, this was the first meeting of a new Soil Association Scotland-led Rural Innovation Support Service (RISS) group formed to unite the industry against the threat of potato cyst nematode (PCN).
Facilitated by Calum Johnston of SAC Consulting, part of Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), the meeting saw speakers outline the available data on the spread of PCN and potential control methods, followed by group discussions on viable options to halt the spread of infested land.
The pallida species of PCN is a particular concern, with the amount of infected land doubling every six or seven years and it may take up to 30 years before infestations decline to allow seed potatoes to be grown on that land again.
READ MORE: Innis and Gunn crowdfunding to launch new Edinburgh brewery
Speaker Jon Pickup of SASA said: “We’re seeing an exponential increase in our findings of pallida in Angus alone. At the moment we’re finding PCN in about 500 hectares per annum, but the exponential spread means that by 2025 this could be at 1400-1500 hectares. With 6-year rotations, the management decisions we make now will only change things from 2026 onwards.”
The financial implication of this is concerning. Pickup added: “Estimates are that we’re at a loss of £2-3 million per year in seed potatoes and a built-in £5-6m loss by 2025.”
A long-term solution discussed was the need to grow varieties of potato resistant to PCN. But of the top 15 major Scottish varieties of seed potatoes currently grown, only innovator and royal varieties are resistant to pallida, and issues with demand exacerbate this problem.
Kim Davie, also of SASA, said: “Most pallida- resistant varieties are processing varieties, but in Scotland our ware market is for table varieties. There are only a few pallida-resistant varieties currently suitable for use as table varieties and the question is how do we get supermarkets to take these resistant varieties.”
A second RISS group, facilitated by SAOS, has also recently formed to research whether a compost high in chitin, made using the waste shells from Scottish shellfish, can act as a non-chemical method of decreasing the level of PCN in potato and daffodil bulb fields.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel