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| Click photos to enlarge. |
| | | | | | | | | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | The Roguing Crew - Jimmy, Gerrit and Michael | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | William Observing Size Profile of New Crop. | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Making Some Management Decisions - William, Gerrit and Randy | | |
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A detailed procedure for seed certification has to be followed. Potatoes can only be reproduced for a certain number of years or generations. All seed on our farm has to be looked over or “rogued” for diseased plants. A very small tolerance is allowed for plants with viruses that are not harmful to humans, but can spread and affect the way the potato plant grows and
thereby reduce yield. On our farm we use a three-wheel machine we call a Roguing machine. It is simply a cart with seats that allow the “roguers” to ride along very slowly and observe the field. After the field is rogued, inspectors from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency walk through the field
and determine whether or not it has met the standards. If it does the seed can be planted again the next year.
In addition to roguing the entire crop is continually monitored for general
health. Some things watched for is nutrient deficiencies; damage to the
plants from wind, rain, drought, insect pests, and weed persistence. |
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