ANP extension
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RTV North
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In Groningen and Drenthe, the contagious wart disease was found in eight potato fields this year. This was reported by the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA). Due to the plant disease, the fields cannot be used to grow potatoes for twenty years.
Seven of the eight affected fields are located in the Groningen municipalities of Westerwolde, Stadskanaal, Midden-Groningen and Pekela, reports RTV North. The eighth pitch is located in Drenthe in the municipality of Emmen.
According to the NVWA, the number of infected camps is high this year. Four cases were found in 2021 and three in 2020, all also in Groningen and Drenthe.
A long cultivation ban is needed
Wart disease is caused by the fungus synchytrium endobioticum. It is a soil borne disease that can survive in soil for thirty to forty years. When a potato becomes infected with the fungus, cauliflower-like growths that look like warts appear on the potato.
The NVWA conducts yearly checks to find out if wart disease is occurring in potato crops. Once a field is infected, it can take a long time for the disease to go away. A lengthy cultivation ban is therefore necessary to prevent further spread.
