For in-house potatoes, an examination regarding the suitability for cultivation is offered. This includes testing for the potato's most important viral diseases, especially the potato leafroll virus as well as the Y virus. In addition, a visual examination of externally visible diseases and potato damage, which can also lead to an impairment of the suitability for cultivation, is offered.

Sample handling

For a cultivation suitability test, an amount of at least 110 potato tubers is required. The samples are to be sent to:

Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety
SPB Institute – Dep. for Potato Examination, Microbiology and Molecular Biology
Wieningerstrasse 8
4020 Linz
 
or submitted in person at the sample submission office of AGES Linz.

How to get there can be found here.

Monday to Thursday from 9am–noon and 1pm–3pm
Friday from 9am–noon

Outside office hours by appointment only (phone: +43 5 0555 41211).

The screening test determines the usability of seeds and includes tests that assess seeds with regards to cultivation suitability and quality.

Advantages

A long-term pollution of soils caused by weed seeds and pathogens can be avoided, thus, saving high secondary costs over a number of years.

It prevents economic damage caused by:

• Poor field emergence 
• High weed infestation and 
• Increased presence of seed diseases

Recommended for

The screening test is designed for raw material samples in the seed industry and for samples taken from farmers. It determines the usability of seeds (suitability for cultivation or processing). The methods used are simplified compared to the accredited examinations used in the regulatory seed approval process.

This product was designed to help preselect raw materials taking into account economic and ecologic aspects, but also to motivate the user of the seed materials -- the farmer -- to use seeds in a cost-optimising manner.

Sample management

One kilogram of seed material has to be submitted as a sample for the screening test. A filled in application form (see downloads: Screening Test Application for Seeds) must be enclosed when the sample is sent or handed in. Details on submitting samples can be found here.

NOTE: The Institute for Seed and Propagating Material, Phytosanitary Service and Apiculture would like to ask you to use unused containers -- e.g. plastic bags -- for submitting various samples.

Pricing

The current screening test price can be found in the current tariff list for seed and propagating materials.

We offer a 10 % discount for group consignments of at least 25 samples per consignment.

Range of examination and assessment

The screening test does not report results for each characteristic, but provides an overall assessment of the seeds as follows:

• the seeds are suitable – providing the recommended sowing quantity per hectare
• the seeds are suitable – following professional processing (details on any flaw(s))
• the seeds are suitable – following appropriate dressing (details on the disease) 
• the seeds are NOT suitable, stating the reason why.

If you would like to have individual results, please state this explicitly.