A virus that can be deadly for potatoes

Potato virus Y can infect a healthy plant within a very short period of time, and is easily transmitted by aphids, says Bill Kerr.

- Bill Kerr

The problem with viruses is that they are hard to eliminate once the plant is infected. In potatoes, prevention is best, and the only way to avoid the virus is to know how it may infect the crop.

Various viruses can damage your potatoes, and seed potatoes can be the source of the infection. However, inspections of registered seed potatoes are very thorough and, in my career, I have only found one instance of contaminated certified seed potatoes sold to farmers. This was many years ago, and I was present with government inspectors as they visited the farmers who had bought seed potatoes from this supplier. I am sure the supplier was barred from producing registered seed potatoes, and I haven't come across such a problem since.