I’ve created this page of potato specific terms because I found them to be pretty confusing as I read through scientific articles and books on potato cultivation.

• In vitro material: Potato plantlets or micro tubers that are grown in laboratory culture to produce pathogen free planting material for the production of seed potatoes.
• Pre nuclear seed: Seed potatoes that were produced in a screenhouse or greenhouse that were grown from in vitro material.
• Nuclear seed: Seed potatoes that were produced in the field for the first time. These would have been grown from pre nuclear tubers.
• Seed; seed potatoes: The term “seed” is often used to refer to potato tubers being used to grow a new plant. This term can cause confusion when the use of “true potato seed” is also being discussed, but you can often tell by context which use is intended.
• True potato seed: This refers to botanical seeds that are the product of sexual reproduction. These seeds come from the berries that potato plants produce that look like small green tomatoes.
• Dehaulm: To remove or destroy the potato vines to halt growth of the plant. This can be by pulling off or cutting off; or through the use of chemicals or herbicides.
• Seed potato degeneration: The reduction in health and quality of seed potatoes when they have been infected by virus or other pathogens.