Nov 4, 2022Michigan Dept. of Agriculture gets bacterial ring rot testing approval for seed potato export to Canada
In October 2022, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development’s (MDARD) Plant Pathology Laboratory became one of nine laboratories nationwide to receive approval from the USDA’s Animal Plant Health Inspection Service to test seed potatoes for the pathogen Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. Sepedonicus, bacterial ring rot (BRR).
BRR testing is a requirement for exporting potatoes to Canada, a major Michigan trading partner. With this approval, MDARD’s Plant Pathology Lab can now offer an in-state option for completing all required testing for exporting seed potatoes to Canada, improving efficiency for Michigan growers who previously had to send samples out of state for testing.
Michigan seed potato growers interested in exporting potatoes to Canada can contact Plant Pathology Laboratory manager Elizabeth Dorman at 517-449-8491 or email [email protected] for more information and/or to arrange for sample collection by MDARD’s plant health inspection staff.
– Michigan Potato Industry Commission
