• Welcome to the
    CSU Potato Program Website!
    • Contact Us:
    • San Luis Valley Research Center: 719-754-3594
    • Potato Certification Service: 719-754-3496

Lab Testng Fee Chart & FAQ’s

Lab Testng Fee Chart & FAQ’s Home

Lab Testing Fee Charts

New Grower Fees Tissue Culture Lab

Nuclear and Greenhouse Lab Costs Table

Field and Tuber Lab Costs Table

Can PCS help me get new cultivars from different countries?

Protocol for Acquiring New Cultivars from Other Countries:

Contact Carolyn Keller, Tissue Culture Specialist, for help coordinating/facilitating this process. Phone number: (719)754-3496 Ext. 29.

Email: carolyn.keller@colostate.edu

If a cultivar is protected or is under plant breeder’s rights, permission will have to be obtained from the owner for release to our facility.
From Canada:

Receiving new potato cultivars from Canada is fairly easy. They can be sent to our Tissue Culture Lab with a Phytosanitary Certificate issued by the Canadians. This can be accomplished as fast as the donor can get the plantlets and paperwork ready. After receiving them here, they will be tested per our protocol for various pathogens. This takes 3-4 months. Plantlets can be provided to the grower when all testing is completed with negative results.

From Other Countries:
We work with the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) when receiving varieties from countries other than Canada. The grower (requester) will be asked to send an email to APHIS which includes the name of the cultivar being requested and the email address of the donor. APHIS will handle it from there. Assuming the cultivar is in tissue culture, the donor will send plantlets to APHIS where they will be put into their quarantine program for pathogen testing. This process takes 3-4 months and is not done year around. New potato varieties are tested in 4 cycles throughout the fall. Their cutoff date for receiving new accessions is the end of May for the testing season starting the following September. Testing is done on a first-come, first-serve basis so cultivars received after the cutoff date may or may not make it into the upcoming test season.

After they are released from APHIS, new lines will come to our Tissue Culture Lab where they will be tested again as this is our protocol for any new varieties received. This will take another 3-4 months. Plantlets can be provided to the grower when all testing is completed with negative results.

The process is the same if the cultivar is not available in tissue culture except that it will take a few additional months to receive it. APHIS can receive tubers, but they will put them into tissue culture which takes more time. They prefer to receive tissue culture plantlets if they are available.

The service APHIS provides is free to growers.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the application deadline?

The application deadline to certify seed potatoes in Colorado is June 1st. If June 1st falls on a weekend then the application is due on the following Monday. This year June 1st falls on a Monday, so applications are due by Monday June 1st. Even though applications are due by June 1st, PCS welcomes and appreciates earlier submittals. We encourage application as soon as planting is completed.

Why is it so early if inspections don’t start until late June?

All applications undergo a rigorous and thorough review by PCS which takes a good deal of time. The first three weeks of June are needed to process the applications and return a copy to the growers. Even though applications are due by June 1st, PCS welcomes and appreciates earlier submittals.

If I am Growing Colorado PVP varieties do I need to provide written authorization to grow these varieties?

No. If you are a Colorado certified seed grower, your CCPGA manager, Lyla Davis, will provide PCS with that information. However, if you are growing PVP or privately owned varieties from other states or companies, you must send in written authorization with your application.

The San Luis Valley requires extra Late Blight testing for incoming seed. Where can I get a copy of the Late Blight quarantine protocol?

You can find the late blight quarantine on the PCS web site under the resource center. You can also call PCS and we can fax or mail you a copy.

Grower Entry Tier I and Grower Entry Tier II program questions and answers-
Grower Entry Program Q & A

Please call the Colorado Potato Certification Service office (719) 754-3496 with any other questions you may have.

  • Contact Us

    San Luis Valley Research Center
    0249 E RD. 9 N
    Center, Colorado 81125

    SLVRC : (719) 754-3594
    Potato Cert. Svc. : (719) 754-3496
    FAX : (719) 754-2619

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