Abstract:
The SPGS’s private, nursery Certification scheme that
kicked off late 2010 is clearly having an impact. Not
only has seedling quality dramatically improved but
many more private nurseries have been heading
down to SPGS’s office requesting to join the process. Five new
nurseries have been recently Certified (see text box right).
Over the last planting season, we have also had some problems
with seedling quality from some of the SPGS Certified
nurseries and we are currently investigating complaints
received from some growers. The main problems have been an
apparent lack of mycorrhiza on some batches of seedlings and
nurseries not sorting (i.e. grading) seedlings going to the field.
We are currently talking to all nurseries involved and will be
carrying out a re-assessment for Certification of all nurseries
starting in August, 2011.