November/December 2021 - 20

aphid flights. As of Oct. 20, all
certified seed potato acreage has been
harvested in Colorado. Overall, crop
yields have hovered around average
to slightly below average, depending
on potato variety grown and severity
of hail damage during the summer
months. Certified seed growers have
submitted their seed samples for the
postharvest test.
Our postharvest test will be taking
place on the North Shore of Oahu,
Hawaii, again this year. A postharvest
test is required on all certified seed
in Colorado, whether it is sold
commercially or for recertification. An
official 2021 certified seed directory is
posted online at potatoes.colostate.
edu/programs/potato-certificationservice/crop-directory/.
Additional
information can be found at www.
coloradocertifiedpotatogrowers.com.
In 2021, Colorado certified seed
potato acreage for sale and grower
plant-back was down from 8,504 acres
in 2020 to 7,784 in 2021. The 2021
accepted certified acreage after summer
field inspections was 7,631 acres. Over
120
different
potato
varieties were
entered into Colorado's certified seed
program this year. Rejections were
primarily the result of blackleg, with a
few rejections caused by PVY/mosaic
and variety mix. Total potato acreage
(both certified and commercial) in the
San Luis Valley was 48,265, down from
50,923 acres in 2020.
The 2021 top five certified potato
varieties were:
1. Russet Norkotah selections,
1,976 acres
2. Canela Russet, 695 acres
3. Reveille Russet, 617 acres
4. Centennial Russet, 531 acres
5. Soraya, 394 acres
Of note, Reveille Russet has been
gaining some popularity in Colorado
seed production. A wide range of
potato varieties are certified in
Colorado, including multiple varieties
of russets, reds, yellows, chippers,
fingerlings and specialties.
All seed lots imported into Colorado
are required to undergo a postharvest
test and a PVY-N tolerance of 1.0% is in
place for all incoming seed. Also, there
is a late blight quarantine in effect
for all seed coming into the San Luis
Valley. If you are planning on shipping
any seed into the valley, this test needs
to be conducted by a qualified lab prior
to shipment. Check our website for
testing specifics at potatoes.colostate.
edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/
Late-Blight-Quar-2014.pdf.
- Report by Andrew Houser,
Manager, Colorado Potato Certification
Service
IDAHO
The 2021 season in Idaho began
with normal weather and planting
was completed without serious
interruption. Abnormally hot and hazy
conditions prevailed June through midAugust,
which exacerbated concerns
about potential water shortages. Most
growers did have sufficient water
to complete their potato crops, in
some cases at the expense of rotation
crops. The latter half of August and
September have been more seasonable.
Harvest has generally proceeded at
a normal pace and neared completion
as of mid-October. Yields are reported
to be lower - significantly so in some
cases - but seed quality going into
storage is reported as excellent. The
2021 crop appears to have a very nice
size profile.
Seed health is also good this year.
During summer inspections, the
number of seed lots with visually
detectable levels of PVY increased
slightly over 2020, but remains below
18
Spudman.com
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November/December 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of November/December 2021
