The Board of the National Council of Polish Agrarian Chambers KRIR asked the Minister of Agriculture of the country to submit for discussion at a meeting of the European Commission a proposal to exclude ring bacterial rot of potatoes from the list of quarantine diseases operating in the EU. This was reported by the Polish information portal Farmer.
According to Polish researchers, the bacterium Clavibacter michiganensis spp, which provokes a quarantine disease - ring bacterial rot of potatoes, is losing its significance and impact on the EU economy.
“This disease in Poland and most EU countries is in a latent state, with no visual manifestations. It does not make sense to require an analysis of potato tubers for this disease - annular bacterial rot does not affect the taste and marketability of potatoes. According to the National Council of Agrarian Chambers, bacterial rot leads to minimal losses compared to other diseases that are of greater importance in potato growing, such as late blight, alternariosis, Y and PLRV viruses, Ervinia corotovora bacteria, which provoke the formation of the "black leg". Data on actual economic losses due to annular bacterial rot are also absent. The best example is our country, where this disease has been observed for many years, but there is no evidence that it is the cause of the partial loss of harvest and damage to tubers, ”said a representative of KRIR.
Batches of potatoes with bacteriosis found in them, according to quarantine requirements, must be disposed of, despite the fact that the tubers are fully suitable for consumption and have a presentation. As a result, farmers are faced with large financial losses due to the need to dispose of infected batches of potatoes. The costs of agricultural producers for the disposal of infected potatoes are compensated from the budget of the country.
KRIR suggested following the example of the United States, where the fight against ring rot has moved to the level of selection and seed production. In the USA, the presence of bacteria is considered an undesirable indicator of quality, so American farmers are trying to use the most healthy planting material for planting.