Vigilence urged over disease

Despite a comprehensive survey of more than 300 stocks of potatoes failing to find any evidence of the highly infectious bacterial disease dickeya, which has wreaked havoc in Holland, growers have been urged to continue to be vigilant.

Dr Gerry Saddler from the Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture unit outside Edinburgh said: “Any crops grown from non-Scottish origin seed will be inspected twice during the growing season, and … approximately 500 indigenous crops will be selected at random. Where blackleg is found, stem samples will be sent to SASA for testing.”

NFU Scotland’s policy manager Peter Loggie said: “Given the ongoing presence of Dickeya in crops overseas, there is no room for complacency and we fully support the work of SASA.”