Potato Trials at Ormskirk

Abstract

SIR DANIEL HALL, Chief Scientific Adviser of the Ministry of Agriculture, presided at the public inspection at Ormskirk on August 24 of the eighth series of annual trials of new potato varieties for immunity from Wart Disease (Synchitrium endo-bioticum). In addressing the important gathering of growers and scientific workers, Sir Daniel expressed the view that the disease must inevitably spread over the whole of Great Britain. The only known protection against the disease is to plant varieties which are immune from its attacks; unfortunately the most popular of the varieties at present grown are not immune. The production of new immune varieties with good cropping, cooking, and keeping qualities is therefore essential, and it was with the view of enabling raisers to ascertain whether their new productions would resist the disease that these trials were begun in 1915. In that year 94 stocks were sent for test; the trials have been largely developed by the Ministry of Agriculture, and since 1920 have been carried out at the Potato Testing Station of the National Institute of Agricultural Botany. This season 2500 stocks were planted. In an attempt to keep the spread of the disease within bounds the Ministry issues annually a list of new varieties which have proved immune in the trials. Only listed varieties may be planted in infected soil, or sent away from infected areas for seed purposes. Before a variety is regarded as immune it must have been grown at Ormskirk for two consecutive seasons without succumbing.. Supplementary one-year trials of small stocks (not exceeding ten tubers) of seedlings are conducted for the information of raisers, but these trials are not taken into account by the Ministry in drawing up the list of immunes.