Latest from AuSPICA - Protecting variety purity: preventing mixes in seed potato lots

Maintaining varietal integrity is fundamental to the success of certified seed potato production. Even minor occurrences of variety mixes in seed lots can have serious downstream consequences — from agronomic performance to marketability, traceability, and grower confidence.

Despite robust certification systems, variety mixes continue to emerge as a key challenge in seed production. These mixes often arise from lapses in on-farm hygiene, mislabelling during storage or handling, shared or unclean equipment, and lack of staff training.

For commercial growers, variety purity is not just a preference — it’s a requirement. Incorrect or mixed varieties can result in uneven crop development, inconsistent tuber characteristics, and compromised processing specifications. For example, early- and late-maturing varieties planted together may be harvested at suboptimal times, affecting yield and quality.