Idaho State Potato Seed Report 2023

The 2023 Idaho seed potato crop got off to somewhat of a slow start this season with slightly delayed planting in cooler than normal temperatures. Late spring frosts were also an issue in some areas of the state. Growing conditions improved going into July and remained good for the remainder of the growing season. Harvest was delayed due to some significant rain events.

Seed potato acreage eligible for final certification totaled 34,154 acres this year, a 13% increase over the previous season. Not including proprietary genetics, this acreage includes a total of 103 varieties, selections, and advanced clones. Ten varieties account for more than 80% of the total acres, with Russet Burbank, Russet Norkotah (all strains), Ranger Russet, Clearwater Russet and Alturas continuing as the dominant varieties.

Idaho seed potato acres

The top five seed potato acres accepted for certification are:

1. Russet Burbank (all strains), 9,601 acres
2. Russet Norkotah (all strains), 8,139 acres
3. Ranger Russet (all strains), 3,099 acres
4. Clearwater Russet, 2,258 acres
5. Alturas, 1,242 acres

Seed health is good this year. During summer inspections, the number of seed lots with visually detectable levels of PVY was similar to that observed in 2022 and remains well below the 10-year average of 7.4%. Blackleg levels were normal and there were no detections of potato leaf roll or bacterial ring rot again this year. Seed quality going into storage is reported as excellent. Generally, the 2023 seed potato crop can be described as having a more variable set and size profile compared to 2022. Yields are reported as average to good this year.

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— Alan Westra, ICIA SE area manager