The Seed Potatoes Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010

regulations 2(1), 11(3) and (4) and 20(2) and Schedule 1 paragraphs 1 and 4(e)

SCHEDULE 2 Classification: source material for planting, requirements and tolerances for the growing crop

1.  In the course of certification of any seed potatoes produced in Northern Ireland, an authorised officer may classify the potatoes as being pre-basic seed potatoes or basic seed potatoes of a class specified in Column 1 of Table 1 (pre-basic seed potatoes) or Table 2 (basic seed potatoes) to this Schedule if the officer is satisfied—

(a) that the seed potatoes are derived from source material of the kind specified in the entry in Column 2 corresponding to that class;

(b) that the requirements specified in the entry in Column 3 corresponding to that class have been met; and

(c) on a sample that any of the tolerances specified in the entry in Column 4 corresponding to that class have not been exceeded.

2.  Any tolerance in Column 4 of Table 1 or Table 2 expressed as a percentage is a reference to the proportion expressed as a percentage which the number of growing plants affected by the disease or varietal impurity bears to the total number of plants in the sample.

Table 1

PRE-BASIC SEED POTATOES

Column 1 Class	Column 2 Source Material	Column 3 Other Requirements	Column 4 Tolerances
Pre-basic TC	Nuclear stock or a crop which meets the requirements set out in Schedule 1 paragraph 4(b)(ii).	The seed potatoes shall: (a) be grown in a unit officially approved for production of Pre-basic TC; (b) be kept free, as far as practicable, from diseases and aphids by appropriate husbandry measures.	(i) Deviations from variety— nil; (ii) Severe mosaic— nil; (iii) Leafroll— nil (iv) Mild Mosaic— nil; (v) Blackleg— nil. (vi)
Pre-basic 1	Stock which was classified in the year preceding the planting of the crop as Pre-basic TC or a crop which meets the requirements set out in Schedule 1 paragraph 4(b)(ii).	The seed potatoes shall: (a) be grown and entered for classification by a person whose facilities, planting arrangements and manner of keeping appropriate records in relation to production of seed potatoes are acceptable to the Department; (b) be grown in the year in which they are entered for classification on an agricultural unit on which all potato crops planted were seed potatoes of Pre-basic classes; (c) be sufficiently isolated from potato crops below the standard of Pre-basic 3 and Pre-basic 4 in order to prevent the transmission of disease from such crops; and (d) have had the foliage of the plants destroyed by the date notified to the owner of the crop or the owner’s agent by an authorised officer, otherwise the crop may be downgraded to the next lower grade.	(i) Deviations from variety and type and groundkeepers— nil; (ii) Severe mosaic— nil; (iii) Leafroll— nil; (iv) Mild mosaic— nil; (v) Blackleg— nil. (vi)
Pre-basic 2	Stock which was classified in the year preceding the planting of the crop as Pre-basic 1.	As for Pre-basic 1.	As for Pre-basic 1.
Pre-basic 3	Stock which was classified in the year preceding the planting of the crop as Pre-basic 2.	As for Pre-basic 1.	As for Pre-basic 1.
Pre-basic 4	Stock which was classified in the year preceding the planting of the crop as Pre-basic 3.	As for Pre-basic 1.	As for Pre-basic 1.

Table 2

BASIC SEED POTATOES

Column 1 Class	Column 2 Source Material	Column 3 Other Requirements	Column 4 Tolerances
SUPER ELITE SEED (SE) SE 1	The seed potatoes shall:	The seed potatoes shall:
	(a) be seed potatoes derived from a stock which was classified as Pre-basic TC, Pre-basic 1, Pre-basic 2, Pre-basic 3, or Pre-basic 4 in the year preceding the planting of the crop; or (b) be seed potatoes which meet the requirements set out in Schedule 1 paragraph 4 (b)(ii) and (iii).	(a) be sufficiently isolated from potato crops below the standard of Super Elite in order to prevent the transmission of disease from such crops; and (b) have had the foliage of the plants destroyed by the date notified to the owner of the crop or the owner’s agent by an authorised officer, otherwise the crop may be downgraded to the next lower grade.	(i) Deviations from variety and type and groundkeepers-0.05%; (ii) Leafroll and Severe mosaic-0.01%; (iii) Mild mosaic-0.05%; (iv) Blackleg-0.25%. (v)
SE 2	(a) The requirements shall be the same as for SE 1 except that the seed potatoes shall be derived from a stock which was classified as SE 1 in the year preceding the planting of the crop; or (b) seed potatoes which meet the requirements set out in Schedule 1 paragraph 4(b)(ii) and (iii).	As for SE 1.	As for SE 1.
SE 3	The requirements shall be the same as for SE 1 except that the seed potatoes shall be derived from a stock which was classified as SE 2 in the year preceding the planting of the crop.	As for SE 1.	As for SE 1.
ELITE SEED (E) E	The seed potatoes shall:	The seed potatoes shall:
	(a) be derived from a stock which was classified as Pre-basic TC, Pre-basic 1, Pre-basic 2, Pre-basic 3, Pre-basic 4, SE 1, SE 2, SE 3 or E in the year preceding the planting of the crop; or (b) be derived from seed potatoes produced in accordance with Schedule 1 paragraph 4(b)(ii) and (iii); or (c) be derived from seed potatoes which have been found to meet the requirements of Commission Directive 93/17 and which have been designated by the authority concerned as Community grade EC1 or EC2.	(a) be sufficiently isolated from potato crops below the standard of Elite in order to prevent the transmission of disease from such crops; and (b) have had the foliage of the plants destroyed by the date notified to the owner of the crop or the owner’s agent by an authorised officer, otherwise the crop may be downgraded to the next lower grade.	(i) Deviations from variety and type and ground keepers — 0.07%; (ii) total virus disease (Leafroll, Severe mosaic and Mild mosaic) — 0.5% of which not more than 0.1% (in total) shall be Leafroll and Severe mosaic; (iii) Blackleg — 0.5%;
CLASS A SEED A	The seed potatoes shall:	The seed potatoes shall:
	(a) be derived either from a stock which was classified as Pre-basic TC, Pre-basic 1, Pre-basic 2, Pre-basic 3, Pre-basic 4, SE 1, SE 2, SE 3 or E in the year preceding the planting of the crop or from seed potatoes produced in accordance with Schedule 1 paragraph 4(b)(ii) and (iii); or (b) be derived from seed potatoes which have been found to meet the requirements of Commission Directive 93/17 and which have been designated by the authority concerned as Community grade EC1 or EC2.	(a) be sufficiently isolated from potato crops below the standard of Class A in order to prevent the transmission of disease from such crops; and (b) have had the foliage of the plants destroyed by the date notified to the grower of the crop or the owner’s agent by an authorised officer, otherwise the crop may be downgraded to the next lower grade.	(i) Deviations from variety and type and groundkeepers — 0.1%; (ii) total virus disease — 0.8% of which not more than 0.25% shall be Leafroll and Severe mosaic; (iii) Blackleg — 1.0%;