[seedman]

i know there has been a lot wrote on this just wanted your opions .
Supermarket/shop bought spuds chited and then grown we have all done at some time i did in barrels in the garden before i got my lottie .some say dont do it you wont get i desent  crop only use seed potatos is the information just put about by seed companys so they dont loose any money i would only like the facts on the subject as i did not seem to have any problems .By the way i have ordered my seed potatos  ,Many Thanks 

[Yorkie]

No, it's not just marketing hype from the seed companies.

There are very strict plant hygiene rules in this country.  Only certified virus-free potatoes are allowed to be sold anywhere in the EU - the risk and consequences of introducing pathogens are just too much to be contemplated.

Potatoes bought for eating from the supermarket are not screened for pathogens and therefore you have absolutely no way of knowing what pests or diseases may be present. 

If you grow them in your garden then the risk of pathogens spreading is relatively low, but if you grow them in the allotment just think of the number of other people who you'd be affecting if there was a problem.

And by the time you know there is a problem, it's probably too late to rectify the damage.

[AndyRVTR]

Morning Seedman.... as I understand it, 'seeds' are specially grown tubers that are  usually grown in areas that are not affected by garden pests.
Apparently, this reduces and almost eliminates the possibility that these tubers can become infected with viruses.
However, I also have used 'uncertified' seeds from Morrisons in the past and didnt have a single problem, saying that, I only did it the once, so repeated sowings may result in affected crops.

[Salmo]

Seed potato crops are grown far enough north or at high altitude where there are no aphids to spread viruses. Certified seed from Scotland is the best known but seed potatoes are also grown in parts of Wales, Shropshire and N Yorkshire.

Google images shows some of the viruses such as reaf roll virus and mosaic virus
LINK