PI-009: Seed Potato Tuber Inspection
Appendix 9

9a: Tubers not firm

Firm is a term used in the Seeds Regulations Part II to indicate tuber quality for germination. Graded seed potatoes should be mature and firm (turgid). It should be remembered that as tubers age in storage they begin to lose moisture and turgidity. In some instances, when shipments are made late in the shipping season (i.e. late April or May), tubers may have difficulty meeting the firmness requirements.

Scoring:

• Tubers not firm (or flabby tubers) should be scored based on the descriptions given below:
• Firm means that the potato is compact, solid, not shrivelled, flabby or pliable, and is unyielding to moderate pressure.
• Flabby means that the potato is soft, limp, pliable and yields to moderate pressure.

Description for 78

This image shows a small potato with rough skin between a person's forefinger and thumb. The person is not applying pressure to the potato. The potato appears dry and slightly wrinkled i.e. "firm".

Description for 79

This image is of the same potato as in Picture 78. The potato is in between a person's forefinger and thumb which appears to be exerting moderate pressure that the potato is yielding to. The potato in this image appears soft, more wrinkled, limp and pliable i.e. "flabby".

9b Outgrown Spourts

Scoring:

• At Domestic Shipping Point:
  Outgrown sprouts are scored when the length exceeds 3/4 inch (20 mm).
• At Domestic Destination:
  Outgrown sprouts are scored when the length exceeds 1 inch (25 mm).
• In scoring outgrown sprouts, a tolerance of 10% by count, means that 10% of the tubers may have sprouts exceeding the maximum length allowed, but the remaining 90% of the tubers must not have sprouts exceeding the maximum length allowed.