The quality of seed potatoes is an important factor in determining the yield and health of the harvested crop. Developed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), the UNECE Standard for Seed Potatoes sets common terminology and minimum commercial quality requirements for the certification of high-quality seed intended for marketing internationally. It is a unique international frame of reference, covering all aspects related to seed-potato certification: (a) varietal identity and purity; (b) genealogy and traceability; (c) diseases and pests; (d) external quality; (e) sizing of tubers; and (f) labelling.
| Product | No. | Published/ Last revised |
English | French | Russian |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seed Potato Standard | S-1 | 1961/2021 |
Publications
| Title | English | French | Russian |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity-building guide for implementation of a seed potato certification scheme (2022) | |||
| Guide on Operating a Seed Potato Certification Service (2018) (ECE/TRADE/434) | - | ||
| Guide to Seed Potato Lot Inspection: Recommended practices (2016) (ECE/TRADE/435) | - | ||
| Guide to Seed Potato Field Inspection: Recommended Practices (2015) (ECE/TRADE/421) | |||
| Guide to Seed Potato Diseases, Pests and Defects (2014) (ECE/TRADE/416) |
Position papers of the Specialized Section on Standardization of Seed Potatoes
| Position on | English | French | Russian |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blackleg of seed potatoes | |||
| Cutting tubers | |||
| Potato virus Y (PVY) | |||
| Silver scurf of seed potatoes | |||
| Sprouted tubers | |||
| True Potato Seed (TPS) | |||
| Vigour of seed potatoes |
Posters and explanatory leaflets
| Title | English | French | Russian |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benefits of certified seed potatoes | |||
| SDGs and UNECE Standard for Seed Potatoes | |||
| Information leaflet on the Seed Potato Standard |
List of National Certification Schemes/Certifying Authorities
- List of Designated Authorities for Seed Potato Certification
- Comparison of tolerances of national seed potato certification schemes
Other resources
- Online guide on Potato Diseases, Pests and Defects
- Food Loss and Waste: The case of Seed Potato certification and the UNECE Seed Potato Certification Standard
- Trilingual list of diseases, pests and defects (including high-resolution pictures). The list is no longer kept updated.
- Collection of links to websites containing information on potato varieties
Useful presentations
Survey results
Survey on bacterial testing methodologies (2021)
- Report on the survey on bacterial testing methodologies English French Russian
- Survey of testing methods for bacterial pathogens of potato that are associated with seed certification survey on bacterial testing methodologies – Summary of the results
- Survey of testing methods for bacterial pathogens of potato that are associated with seed certification – Full survey results
Survey of Seed Potato Virus Testing Methods (2019)
- Survey of Seed Potato Virus Testing Methods – Short summary
- Survey of Seed Potato Virus Testing Methods – Full survey results