M A R C H 2 0 1 8 28 POTATO GROWER Minnesota Certified Seed Potato Report and Winter Test By Jeff Miller, Certified Seed Potato Specialist Twenty eight seed potato growing oper- ations entered 441 lots into certification for the 2017 crop year, representing 6,559 acres. This represents a drop of less than 1% in total acreage from 2016’s total of 6,623 acres. Of the 6,559 acres entered for certification in 2017, 6,236 acres passed summer certification. All of the rejected acres in 2017 (323) were due to severe mosaic. Reds, as a whole, accounted for 49.7 % of all acres entered for certification, fol- lowed by processing varieties at 27.8% and whites, as a whole, at 22.3%. Dark Red Norland and Red Norland varieties accounted for the bulk of the red pro- duction, 1,697 acres. Russet Burbank and Umatilla Russet accounted for 1,647 acres of the processing varieties. Cascade and Dakota Pearl made up most of the white acres, 829 acres. Yukon Gold at 121 acres remained the most popular yellow fleshed variety. Late blight was confirmed in some 2018 PHWT plot; North Shore, Waialua, Oahu, Hawaii. Winter Test Crop Year 2017 By Acreage Class Entered Eligible % Eligible % Eligible % Eligible G1 12.38 11.48 93% 91% 100% G2 104.13 102.63 99% 88% 99% G3 2,171.49 1,872.14 86% 91% 92% G4 806.47 652.47 81% 76% 89% G5 733.00 294.00 40% 62% 86% G6 114.50 12.00 10% 55% 54% C 50.00 14.00 28% 0% 1% Totals 3,991.97 2,958.72 74% 76% 86% 2017 Acres 2016 Acres 2015 Acres