The 2019 growing season was very similar to what growers experienced in 2017 and 2018 with a cool spring and prolonged dry spells for the rest of the growing season up in Aroostook County. Southern and Central Maine experienced dry periods similarly. Luckily certain growing areas received rain events later in the season to help sustain the crop.
Overall, the 2019 crop appears to be very healthy despite average to low rainfall in some areas during the growing season. As of February 20, 2020, the certification program post-harvest tested 9,650.21 acres and certified 8,949.50 acres from 110 farms.
The top 5 varieties Field Certified for 2019 were:
1) Atlantic – 914 acres
2) Russet Burbank (MT strain) – 785 acres
3) Caribou Russet (PVP) – 710 acres
4) Lamoka (PVP) – 679 acres
5) Snowden – 629 acres
SUMMARY OF POST-HARVEST TEST RESULTS (2010-2020)
CROP YEAR 2019
Percentage of Acreage
No. of Acreage in each category
Year Samples Tested 0-0.55 .56-5.0 Over 5
2019-20 869 9,650.21 44.49 48.20 7.31
2018-19 853 9,429.07 71.93 23.96 4.11
2017-18 989 9,608.61 64.36 29.99 5.65
2016-17 1045 9,637.79 74.68 23.03 2.29
2015-16…………….0………………… 0………….. 0………..0……….0 ( Florida Test cancelled due to rain and flooding)
2014-15 1001 10,694.78 57.0 37.8 5.20
2013-14 1094 10,793.973 60.9 36.0 3.20
2012-13 1132 11,299.60 40.4 49.0 10.70
2011-12 1,066 10,741.666 53.6 41.3 5.10
2010-11 1,048 10,755.371 47.7 43.5 8.70
This year marks 2 years of full post-harvest laboratory testing for the Department. All samples were ELISA post-harvest tested at the certification laboratory in Presque Isle.
This year’s failing acreage percentage results are almost twice as high as the 2018 crop, but this result is only the third highest in the last 10 years. The 10 year high in occurred in 2012 in the Florida Test with a 10.7 % failing rate. It is believed that most of the failing lots for 2019 may have been infected late season, since inspection staff read many of these lots clean in the first and second field readings. Environmental factors such as early snow pack in the last several years may be contributing to the rise of volunteer tubers that have remained in the soil without frost kill. In a related event several seed lots failed due to varietal mix issues with varieties from several crop cycles back growing in the fields simultaneously. Due to the volunteer issue it appears that inoculum is much more present in the environment and contributing to an above average failing rate for the 2019 crop.