[aliveggrower]

I have a problem with some of the  Arran Victory I have growing in 2 rows. First the very edges of the leaves start to curl upwards, then they start to go brown. As whatever it is progresses, the leaf becomes completely brown and rolled up. It's affecting about 1/4 of my plants and only this particular variety. Any ideas?
Sorry about the lack of photos I don't seem to be able to upload any.

[DD.]

Welcome to the forums, sorry you first pot is about a problem.

This could be our old friend(?) blackleg, which is cropping up a lot this year.

http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/Profile.aspx?pid=223

[bravemurphy]

had to get rid of another three plants tonight because of blackleg and it is only in the kestrels.

[solway cropper]

Lost half my Lady Christl crop to blackleg this year and a couple of Kestrels. The only way it could have come in is on infected tubers which rather makes a mockery of the idea of only buying certified seed. Both the above varieties came from a major supplier whereas the Arran Pilot from Wilkos and three other varieties from the local potato day are completely unaffected.

[JayG]

Lost half my Lady Christl crop to blackleg this year and a couple of Kestrels. The only way it could have come in is on infected tubers which rather makes a mockery of the idea of only buying certified seed. Both the above varieties came from a major supplier whereas the Arran Pilot from Wilkos and three other varieties from the local potato day are completely unaffected.

Have to sympathise/agree - eelworm (PCN) is the main problem I usually have on my patch, but I've lost nearly half my LC's this year either as no-shows (despite having virtually no soil slug problem) or blackleg almost as soon as they appeared above ground.

Certified seed potatoes are only certified in the sense that they have been grown and marketed according to the specified standards - it is NOT a guarantee that they are free from all the diseases that potatoes are unfortunately prone to.

[mumofstig]

Some diseases are not visible on the tubers so they can't certify freedom from those, the wet weather last year may have made the problem worse for the seed suppliers - or the cold spring this year made it worse for us 
It all the more important to rotate your potato bed, though!
copy and paste this url
http://www.potato.org.uk/sites/default/files/%5Bcurrent-page%3Aarg%3A%3F%5D/british_seed_classification_schemes_%2B_graphic.pdf

to see a pdf doc,  p3 shows the acceptable tolerances for certification of seed potatoes. (2% while growing to produce the seed) It seems that the incidence of Blackleg this year is indeed higher than it should be 



edit as link wouldn't work you have to copy/paste it for some reason 

[Yorkie]

Seed tubers are certified virus free.

The certification is nothing whatsoever to do with bacterial disease, which is what blackleg is.

It is impossible to detect the disease on tubers.

The RHS says that although infected seed tubers (either commercially grown or volunteers from previous years) are the most common cause in gardens, other causes include overwintering material, root zone of weeds, insects and contamination from other soil.

http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/profile.aspx?pid=223

[Eblana]

One of our Plot holders had an old guy up visiting him the other day.  He went on a tour of the plots and stopped and told a plot holders across the path from me that she had Potato blackleg on her early's.  I have now got one potato plant that looks a little sickly, mind you it is flowering so it may just be ready!  I have never heard of Potato blackleg, does anyone know what it is and is there anything that we need to do to stop it spreading (if she actually has it!) to our potatoes (we are all spraying for blight).

[mumofstig]

I've brought your post here, Eblana 

[DD.]

All explained in the link in the second post.

If it is blackleg, all you can do is remove the affected plants.

[aliveggrower]

I have a problem with some of the  Arran Victory I have growing in 2 rows. First the very edges of the leaves start to curl upwards, then they start to go brown. As whatever it is progresses, the leaf becomes completely brown and rolled up. It's affecting about 1/4 of my plants and only this particular variety. Any ideas?
Sorry about the lack of photos I don't seem to be able to upload any.

Thanks for all your answers. After looking up the symptoms of blackleg, I'm pretty sure that's what it is.
I've dug up all the infected plants - the potatoes themselves look ok and hubby said the ones he ate tasted ok. Is it ok if I compost the haulms, since it is the tubers that carry the infection?

[JayG]

Best not to compost anything you know to be diseased (in theory a hot compost heap should kill any pathogens but not everyone achieves that on a regular basis.)

[mumofstig]

I think this may explain why there was so much Blackleg this year.

and plant into warm soils to give the crop a chance, rather than the bacteria.

http://www.fwi.co.uk/articles/23/01/2012/131096/return-for-potato-blackleg-focus.htm

I think most of us planted when we thought the soil was warm enough - rather than when it actually was. That's why they took so long to grow through, cos it was a cold start for them

[Jackypam]

No more blackleg problems for me.  All potatoes now dead!!!