Seed potato growers who are staunch advocates of presprouting claim that the method also helps against diseases such as Erwinia, Fusarium and Phoma. Cor Joppe, manufacturer of the widely-known Joppe Presprouting bags, put this claim to the test and commissioned the Northern Arable Trial Farms [Stichting Proefboerderijen Noordelijke Akkerbouw (SPNA)] to examine how the above-mentioned diseases develop in the tuber if they are kept either in presprouting bags for several months or in a cooling plant for the same period.

Pre-sprouting can partly reduce infection, according to the test with Fusarium, says Cor Joppe.