Defra has published a contingency plan for potato brown rot in England, setting out how plant health authorities would respond to outbreaks in potato crops at new locations.

Listed on the UK Plant Health Information Portal on September 24, the plan addresses Ralstonia solanacearum, the bacterium responsible for the disease. Its objectives are eradication and informing stakeholders about the response measures.

For processors, the document highlights contaminated wash water and processing waste as potential routes of spread. Discharging contaminated water from infected potatoes into watercourses can introduce the bacterium into agricultural systems when that water is subsequently used to irrigate susceptible crops.

The plan also highlights cross-contamination risks associated with shared equipment and machinery used for seed and ware potatoes during growing, packing or processing, particularly where potatoes come from different growers.

It covers outbreak investigation, sampling, hygiene and measures affecting contaminated material and water.