This was the first year the U.S. Potato Board conducted cut-seed potato trials overseas. The USPB’s Sarah Mahler says those trials were done in Sri Lanka, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic.
Those countries have imported seed potatoes from Europe for over 30 years. According to Mahler, European seed exporters sell smaller size seed that is planted as whole seed pieces so growers in these markets are unfamiliar with how to cut seed and plant it.
It will take several years for the effort to convince growers in these markets to change their growing practices.
