Australia: Potato mop-top virus detected in Victoria for first time, industry says

The Australian Seed Potato Industry Certification Authority (AusSPICA) said the seeds came from Tasmania, where authorities and growers have been dealing with an outbreak of the plant disease.

Potato mop-top virus can cause a reduction in potato yield and quality.

The defect also causes discolouring but it is not harmful to humans.

Seeds not planted

AusSPICA general manager and potato pathologist Nigel Crump said the infected potato seeds were the first detection of the virus in the state.

"This seed had moved across prior to [when] the official restrictions were in place," Dr Crump said.

"There has been an early positive reported there and we’re trying to work through what that exactly means."

Dr Crump said the infected seeds had not been planted in Victoria and he was not aware of the virus in the ground outside of Tasmania.

"We have not had a detection of mop-top in any of the seed growing on the mainland in South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales that I’m involved with," he said.

Nigel Crump says the infected seeds came from Tasmania. (Supplied: Dr Nigel Crump)

New restrictions on the importation of seeds from Tasmania to South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales were put in place in early September.

That included a ban on all seed potatoes coming from Tasmania into Victoria.

Authorities in the southern state have declared the virus impossible to eradicate, with nine properties now affected.

Dr Crump expects the seeds that have tested positive in Victoria will be destroyed.

"We’ve also got to work out owner reimbursement costs with this situation to make sure the growers can dispose of the seed and not have any costs incurred with that."

Given the latest detection in Victoria, Dr Crump has urged growers not to plant seeds from Tasmania.

"We’re lucky that we got on to this testing and got that detected before growers planted the seed," he said.

"We’re making the decision to advise all members not to plant any seed from Tasmania at this stage until we get a clear understanding of what the actual risks are."

Victorian farmers frustrated

Seed potato grower from Tourello near Ballarat, Katherine Myers said the positive detection in Victoria was not surprising, but it was "incredibly frustrating".

"Given the level of trade barriers that Tasmania has against Victorian potato and horticulture produce generally, they haven’t taken the same level of circumspection with their own product," she said.

Ms Myers, who is also the vice president of the Victorian Farmers Federation’s horticulture group, said the state government should step up its assistance for potato growers.

"Put the next level of emergency security restrictions in place whereby farmers who have seeds in the state already are able to be reimbursed for the cost of bringing that seed over," she said.