The Seed Potatoes Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016

Allowable Surface area cover

This section has no associated Explanatory Memorandum

3.—(1) This paragraph applies, for the purposes of regulation 10(3)(b), to seed potatoes to which Table 1 or 2 applies.

(2) Subject to sub-paragraph (3), an authorised officer may deem any seed potato not to be affected by Skin Spot, Black Scurf, Powdery Scab or Common Scab if, in the officer’s opinion—

(a)the surface area of the potato affected by the disease is less than the percentage surface area in the entry corresponding to the disease; and

(b)the potato has at least two eyes at the rose end wholly unaffected by the disease.

(3) Sub-paragraph (2) does not apply when the disease Powdery Scab takes its cankerous form.

Table 1

Pre-basic seed potatoes

Diseases, pests, damage and blemishesTolerancesAllowable surface cover (% area)
(a)

Group I

(i)

Wart Disease

Nil
(ii)

Potato Cyst Nematode

Nil
(iii)

Ring Rot

Nil
(iv)

Brown Rot

Nil
(v)

Potato Tuber Eelworm

Nil
(vi)

PSTVd

Nil
(vii)

Colorado Beetle

Nil
(viii)

Dickeya

Nil
(b)

Group II

(i)

Rots (other than Ring Rot or Brown Rot)

0.2%
(ii)

Black Scurf

1%10%
(iii)

Common Scab

5%33%
(iv)

Powdery Scab

1%10%
(v)

Skin Spot

0.2%
(vi)

Shrivelled tubers due to excessive dehydration or dehydration caused by Silver Scurf

0.5%
(vii)

External blemishes including misshapen or damaged tubers

3%
(viii)

Earth and extraneous matter

1%
(ix)

Total percentage of seed potatoes covered by tolerances in points (i) to (vii) in Group II

6%

Table 2

Basic seed potatoes

Diseases, pests, damage and blemishesTolerancesAllowable surface cover (% area)
(a)

Group I

(i)

Wart Disease

Nil
(ii)

Potato Cyst Nematode

Nil
(iii)

Ring Rot

Nil
(iv)

Brown Rot

Nil
(v)

Potato Tuber Eelworm

Nil
(vi)

PSTVd

Nil
(vii)

Colorado Beetle

Nil
(viii)

Dickeya

Nil
(b)

Group II

(i)

Rots (other than Ring Rot or Brown Rot)

0.5% (of which wet rot shall not exceed 0.2%)
(ii)

Black Scurf

5%10%
(iii)

Common Scab

5%33.3%
(iv)

Powdery Scab

3%10%
(v)

Skin Spot

2%12.5%
(vi)

Shrivelled tubers due to excessive dehydration or dehydration caused by Silver Scurf

1%
(vii)

External blemishes including misshapen or damaged tubers

3%
(viii)

Earth and extraneous matter

1%
(ix)

Total percentage of seed potatoes covered by tolerances in points (i) to (vii) in Group II

6%