Cambridge, United Kingdom
October 24, 2003

NIAB has been very surprised by the level of error uncovered in tests on identification of potato varieties conducted for the Food Standards Agency*. Almost one in five samples were found not to be the variety claimed.

Jon White, Head of diAgnomics at NIAB, says " I find it very frustrating - choosing the right variety is a key component of profitable farming. Varieties offer not just disease resistance characteristics and yield benefits, but access to high value niche markets. Farmers put a lot of thought into the varieties they grow, but this survey shows that somewhere in the supply chain, errors are creeping in. "

NIAB has been using DNA fingerprinting techniques to identify varieties for the past two years and has found that it is not just in potatoes where variety errors occur. With increases in the proportion of the acreage sown to farm saved cereals, results from the past two seasons show variety admixture in about 8% of samples. However, nearly 5% of samples are completely the wrong variety.

" Some growers are just interested in germination and disease levels, but those aiming for the higher value milling and malting markets know that varietal purity is essential. Many growers ask us to check the identity and purity of their farm saved seed to ensure that they don’t get an expensive shock next harvest, " adds Mr White.

Mr White continues " I worry about growers who have not had a check done. It must be heartbreaking to spend nearly a year nurturing a crop of milling wheat or malting barley, only to have to sell it for feed because of a mix-up the previous harvest. "

NIAB offers a full range of variety identification and purity testing, with most growers getting a variety check done for less than the price of a tonne of wheat.

* see www.food.gov.uk/news/newsarchive/potatoes