Australia: Stop Potato Virus Y by using certified seed only

Australian potato growers are being urged to use only certified seed potatoes to help stop the spread of the disease Potato Virus Y.

Victorian Certified Seed Potato Authority general manager Dr Nigel Crump said seed potato growers had borne the initial economic brunt of the disease - its presence at higher than acceptable levels can rule out certification of their produce - but it had also cost commercial growers tens of thousands of dollars in lost yield and reduced quality.

Dr Crump said the virus had been in Australia for at least 50 years, but new, more aggressive strains had appeared since 2003.

It was unknown whether they had spread from other areas or resulted from mutation of the original virus.

"We do know around the rest of the world they're having a similar problem as well,"he said.

"In Canada, US, the UK, India, the Netherlands, they're all having problems with PVY for the same reason, that it's a more aggressive strain."

Dr Crump said it was not possible to cure an infected plant, so the only way to manage the disease was by "not planting a problem", using certified clean seed, managing populations of vectors such as aphids and reducing the level of inoculum in the environment.