• Potato Cyst Nematode Hub

    The UK is the 5th largest potato producer and exporter in Europe with an industry worth ~£4.5 billion. Almost 80% of seed potatoes used in Great Britain originate from Scotland. The industry is under threat from potato cyst nematodes (PCN) which have spread across potato growing areas for decades. PCN drastically reduce yields and are incredibly difficult to control. Scottish legislation prevents seed potatoes being grown on land where PCN have been detected to reduce further introductions. However, PCN are already present in almost 21,000 ha of Scottish soils. Recent predictions suggest PCN will cause the end of the Scottish seed potato industry by 2050, potentially only 5 rotations away. If this happens, the UK potato industry will consequently collapse.

Significant economic losses from PCN are possible and the costs and benefits of interventions are unclear.
Control options for PCN in Scotland are reducing so it is becoming more important to provide growers with support to manage PCN.
Land infested with PCN is becoming more prevalent and potato breeding could be used to address this problem.
Improvements in potato breeding will help control PCN through the increased availability of resistant varieties.
Tolerance, the ability of a variety to produce a good yield despite the presence of PCN, is not widely understood at a genetic level.
Controlling potato groundkeepers is important because they reduce the effectiveness of rotations for PCN management.
The industry will need to look at different approaches such as integrated pest management (IPM) especially if chemical controls for PCN decrease.
Communicating with stakeholders about the future threat of PCN in Scotland and the management techniques available and under development.
Changes to Scottish Government policy are required to safeguard Scottish land from PCN and create a coordinated control strategy for infested land.

Latest Project Outputs

The Estimated Economic Contribution of Scotland's Seed and Ware Potato Sectors

This report is part of Work Package 1: Economic Contribution of the Scottish Government funded research project: Delivering a sustainable potato industry for Scotland through management of Potato cyst nematode (PCN). As part of this workstream this report aims to provide new insights into the economic contribution that the Scottish potato sector makes beyond the… Economics report frontpage /sites/www.pcnhub.ac.uk/files/2024-03/the_estimated_economic_contribution_of_scotlands_seed_and_ware_potato_sectors_-_wp1_1.pdf

Latest NewsView All News

The Scottish Farmer Feature Article

The scope of the PCN problem has been highlighted in The Scottish Farmer after project lead Dr James Price gave a presentation at the SAC Association of Potato Producers annual conference in January.

https://www.thescottishfarmer.co.uk/arable/24091568.pcn-impact-land-affected-double-every-seven-years/

Latest PublicationView All Publications

Economic report frontpage.

The Estimated Economic Contribution of Scotland's Seed and Ware Potato Sectors

This report is part of Work Package 1: Economic Contribution of the Scottish Government funded research project: Delivering a sustainable potato industry for Scotland through management of Potato cyst nematode (PCN). As part of this workstream this report aims to provide new insights into the economic contribution that the Scottish potato sector makes beyond the often cited farmgate value of potato production. This report provides a statistical overview of this concentrated and highly regulated sector, including data on consumption, exports, imports, production, varieties, seed and ware sector – alongside estimates of economic contribution.

 

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