11/07/06 Idaho potato seed greenhouse test

Idaho potato seed growers need to be certain that they are producing a crop that's disease free. Potato seed grown for increased seed production is constantly tested and checked for potato leaf roll virus or the mosaic virus. Each winter Idaho growers sent seed lots to Southern California where they were grown outdoors, then checked for potential problems. Last year, 30 seed lots were grown in geothermal heated greenhouses near Hagerman. The University of Idaho's Phil Nolte says this experiment gave growers two advantages. NOLTE "The very high percentage of germination that we got. Out of 400 tubers planted 95 to 98 percent emergence where in our California grow outs during the winter we were often lucky of we got 65 or 70 percent emergence." Rapid growth was the second benefit and that's because of the controlled environment within the greenhouse. Nolte says potato seed to be used in commercial production will continue to be grown out in California but material going back to future seed production is already greenhouse bound. NOLTE "The tubers are all gathered in a central location and then treated at the end of October and then they are immediately taken to facility or the location where they're going to be grown out for the winter and planted." More about that tomorrow. Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott