1 Pier Giacomo Bianchi Chairman of the Specialised Section Geneva 4 november 2008 UNECE SPECIALISED SECTION ON THE STANDARDISATION OF SEED POTATOES REPORT TO THE WORKING PARTY ACTIVITY 2008

2 UNECE SPECIALISED SECTION ON SEED POTATOES MEETINGS 2008 CHANGINS (14 FEBRUARY): BUREAU GENEVA ( MARCH): ANNUAL MEETING (38 th session) GENEVA (1 JUNE): ORGANISING COMMITTEE OF THE KISLOVODSK SEMINAR KYSLOVODSK (8 – 12 SEPTEMBER): SEMINAR EMMELORD (20 – 21 OCTOBER): EXTENDED BUREAU

3 UNECE SPECIALISED SECTION ON SEED POTATOES ACTIVITY 2008 FOCUS ON: DEVELOPMENT PROMOTION OF THE STANDARD

4 UNECE SPECIALISED SECTION ON SEED POTATOES DEVELOPMENT OF THE STANDARD PROPOSAL OF AMENDMENTS ITEMS BEING DISCUSSED

5 UNECE SPECIALISED SECTION ON SEED POTATOES PROPOSAL OF AMENDMENT OF THE STANDARD ASSESSMENT KEY FOR NETTED SCAB -ANNEX VIII- (estimated 33.3%)

6 UNECE SPECIALISED SECTION ON SEED POTATOES UPDATED LIST OF PESTS AND DISEASES

7 UNECE SPECIALISED SECTION ON SEED POTATOES COMMON POSITION ADOPTED BY THE SPECIALISED SECTION ON SEED POTATOES VIGOR PLANT VIGOUR IS A VERY IMPORTANT QUALITY ASPECT OF SEED POTATOES, ESPECIALLY IN THE SOUTHERN REGIONS WITH HIGHER TEMPERATURES. GENOTYPE DETERMINES LOSS OF VIGOUR; SOME VARIETIES ARE VERY SUSCEPTIBLE, WHILE OTHERS ARE MORE TOLERANT. GROWING AND STORAGE CONDITIONS, ESPECIALLY TEMPERATURE, INFLUENCE PLANT VIGOUR.

8 UNECE SPECIALISED SECTION ON SEED POTATOES COMMON POSITION ADOPTED BY THE SPECIALISED SECTION ON SEED POTATOES VIGOUR (cont.) DETERMINING PLANT VIGOUR IS STILL VERY DIFFICULT IN SEED LOTS. THE ONLY INDIRECT REFERENCE TO VIGOUR IN THE UNECE STANDARD IS A TOLERANCE FOR SHRIVELLED TUBERS. STRICTER REQUIREMENTS FOR PLANT VIGOUR CANNOT YET BE PRESCRIBED BY THE STANDARD

9 UNECE SPECIALISED SECTION ON SEED POTATOES DEVELOPMENT OF THE STANDARD ITEMS BEING DISCUSSED : QUESTIONNAIRES TO COLLECT INFORMATION ON CROP INSPECTION PRACTICES AND POST-HARVEST TESTS; PROCEDURES FOR ASSESSMENT OF NON- COMPLIANCE AT DESTINATION; LIST OF DISEASES AND PESTS

10 UNECE SPECIALISED SECTION ON SEED POTATOES PROMOTION OF THE STANDARD SEMINAR IN KISLOVODSK UNECE WEEKLY PROMOTIONAL LEAFLET BOOK ON POTATO RECIPES FOR THE FAO YEAR OF POTATO CO-OPERATION WITH OECD, EU AND IPPC

11 UNECE SPECIALISED SECTION ON SEED POTATOES FUTURE WORK PROCEDURES FOR ASSESSMENT OF NON- COMPLIANCE AT DESTINATION PTNRD (TUBER NECROTIC RINGSPOT DISEASE) IMAGES FOR THE LIST OF DISEASES AND PESTS

12 UNECE SPECIALISED SECTION ON SEED POTATOES FUTURE WORK (cont.) ERWINIA (PECTOBACTERIUM – DICKEYA) PCN (POTATO CYSTS NEMATODE) TUBER MOTH (PHTHORIMAEA OPERCULELLA)

13 UNECE SPECIALISED SECTION ON SEED POTATOES FUTURE WORK (cont.) INTERNAL QUALITY CROP INSPECTION PRACTICES ELECTRONIC CERTIFICATION POST-HARVEST TESTS QUESTIONNAIRE ON VARIETAL IDENTITY COMMENTS ON THE DRAFT ISPMS OF IPPC ON “PEST FREE POTATO MICROPROPAGATIVE MATERIAL AND MINITUBERS FOR INTERNATIONAL TRADE”

14 UNECE SPECIALISED SECTION ON SEED POTATOES NEXT MEETINGS EXTENDED BUREAU - CHANGINS January 2009 SEMINAR FOR THE PROMOTION OF THE STANDARD & EXTENDED BUREAU - CAIRO March 2009 EXTENDED BUREAU – Belgium & Luxembourg October 2009 SPECIALISED SECTION – Geneva March 2010 EXTENDED BUREAU – Canada October 2010

15 UNECE SPECIALISED SECTION ON SEED POTATOES Thank you, for your kind attention