Regulation 2(1)
1. On receipt of an application for certification of any seed potatoes, an authorised officer shall—
(a)allocate to the person making such application a number to be known as a “producer’s identification number” (where one does not already exist for that person);
(b)following an official examination, determine in accordance with this Schedule and Schedule 4 the categories and classes at which the seed potatoes are capable of being marketed; and
(c)subject to paragraphs 3 to 11, issue a growing crop certificate in accordance with paragraph 2.
2. A growing crop certificate shall state—
(a)the name and address of the applicant;
(b)the categories and classes at which the authorised officer has determined the seed potatoes are capable of being marketed in accordance with paragraph 1(b);
(c)the name of the agricultural unit on which the crop was grown;
(d)the producer’s identification number;
(e)the date on which the growing crop was inspected;
(f)the variety of the seed potatoes;
(g)the area of the seed potatoes;
(h)the location of the field on which the seed potatoes were grown.
3. A growing crop certificate may only be issued where an authorised officer is satisfied that in relation to the seed potatoes examined by him—
(a)the seed potatoes are of a variety of potato species entered in a National List or the Common Catalogue;
(b)the seed potatoes in any one crop are of a single variety;
(c)the seed potatoes are taken from a crop which is free from the following diseases or pests—
(i)Wart Disease (Synchytrium endobioticum (Schilb.) Perc.);
(ii)Potato Cyst Nematode (Globodera species infesting potatoes);
(iii)Ring Rot (Clavibacter michiganensis (Smith) Davis et al. ssp. Sepedonicus (Spieck. & Kotth.) Davis et al.);
(iv)Brown Rot (Ralstonia solanacearum (Smith) Yabuuchi et al);
(v)Potato Spindle Tuber Viroid;
(vi)Colorado Beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say)); and
(vii)Potato Tuber Eelworm (Ditylenchus destructor (Thorne));
(d)the land on which the seed potatoes are growing or were grown is not land which is demarcated under Schedule 14 to the Plant Health (England) Order 2005(1) as contaminated with Wart Disease (Synchytrium endobioticum (Schilb.) Perc.) or is within a safety zone demarcated under that Order;
(e)blanking in any of the growing crop of the seed potatoes is not or was not excessive;
(f)the growing crop has not been over-rogued; and
(g)all reasonable husbandry practices for the prevention of the occurrence, development or spread of pests and diseases have been effectively carried out.
4. No growing crop certificate shall be issued containing a statement that seed potatoes are capable of being marketed as pre-basic seed potatoes of any class unless the authorised officer is satisfied that—
(a)unless grown in a soil-free medium, the land on which the seed potatoes are growing or were grown is land which as a result of an official soil test carried out prior to the planting of the crop has been found not to be contaminated with potato cyst nematode (Globodera species infecting potatoes); and if potato cyst nematode has been found on that land at any time during the period of 12 years immediately preceding the planting of the crop that—
(i)the land is no longer demarcated under Schedule 15 to the Plant Health (England) Order 2005 as infected with potato cyst nematode;
(ii)six years have elapsed since the last positive finding of infection by potato cyst nematode on the land;
(iii)except as authorised under paragraph 5 of Schedule 15 to the Plant Health (England) Order 2005, the land has not been used for growing potatoes at any time during the period of 11 years immediately preceding the planting of the crop; and
(b)the land on which the seed potatoes are growing or were grown is land which has not been used for growing potatoes at any time during the seven years immediately preceding the planting of the crop.
5. No growing crop certificate shall be issued containing a statement that seed potatoes are capable of being marketed as pre-basic seed potatoes of pre-basic TC class unless the authorised officer is satisfied that the immediately succeeding crop produced from the seed potatoes is not likely to contain—
(a)plants of a different variety; or
(b)plants affected by mild or severe virus.
6. No growing crop certificate shall be issued containing a statement that seed potatoes are capable of being marketed as pre-basic seed potatoes of pre-basic 1, pre-basic 2, pre-basic 3 or pre-basic 4 class unless, in the opinion of the authorised officer, the immediately succeeding crop produced from the seed potatoes is not likely to contain—
(a)more than 0.01 per cent by number of growing plants which deviate from variety and type; or
(b)more than 0.01 per cent by number of growing plants which show symptoms of either mild or severe virus diseases where those symptoms are attributable to infection in the mother crop.
7. No growing crop certificate shall be issued containing a statement that seed potatoes are capable of being marketed as basic seed potatoes of any class unless the authorised officer is satisfied that—
(a)the land on which the seed potatoes are growing or were grown is land which as a result of an official soil test carried out prior to the planting of the crop has been found not to be contaminated with potato cyst nematode (Globodera species infecting potatoes); and if potato cyst nematode has been found on that land at any time during the period of 12 years immediately preceding the planting of the crop that—
(i)the land is no longer demarcated under Schedule 15 to the Plant Health (England) Order 2005 as infected with potato cyst nematode;
(ii)six years have elapsed since the last positive finding of infection by potato cyst nematode on the land; and
(iii)except as authorised under paragraph 5 of Schedule 15 to the Plant Health (England) Order 2005, the land has not been used for growing potatoes at any time during the period of 11 years immediately preceding the planting of the crop; and
(b)the land on which the seed potatoes are growing or were grown is land which has not been used for growing potatoes at any time during the five years immediately preceding the planting of the crop.
8. No growing crop certificate shall be issued containing a statement that seed potatoes are capable of being marketed as basic seed potatoes of any class unless, in the opinion of the authorised officer, the immediately succeeding crop produced from the seed potatoes is likely to contain—
(a)not more than 0.25 per cent by number of growing plants which do not breed true to variety and not more than 0.1 per cent by number of plants which are of a different variety; and
(b)not more than 4 per cent by number of growing plants which show symptoms, other than slight symptoms, of either mild or severe virus diseases prevalent in Europe where those symptoms are attributable to infection in the mother crop.
9. No growing crop certificate shall be issued containing a statement that seed potatoes are capable of being marketed as certified seed potatoes in the case of seed potatoes growing or grown in the protected region.
10. No growing crop certificate shall be issued containing a statement that seed potatoes are capable of being marketed as certified seed potatoes unless the authorised officer is satisfied that—
(a)the land on which the seed potatoes are growing or were grown is land which as a result of an official soil test carried out prior to the planting of the crop has been found not to be contaminated with potato cyst nematode; and
(b)the land on which the seed potatoes are growing or were grown is land which has not at any time during the period of four years immediately preceding the planting of that crop been used for growing potatoes.
11. No growing crop certificate shall be issued containing a statement that seed potatoes are capable of being marketed as certified seed potatoes unless, in the opinion of the authorised officer, the immediately succeeding crop produced from the seed potatoes is likely to contain—
(a)not more than 0.5 per cent by number of growing plants which do not breed true to variety and not more than 0.2 per cent by number of plants which are of a different variety; and
(b)not more than 10 per cent by number of growing plants which show symptoms, other than slight symptoms, of severe virus diseases prevalent in Europe where those symptoms are attributable to infection in the mother crop (provided that light mosaics causing discoloration but not leaf deformation shall be ignored).
S.I. 2005/2530.