Potato Varieties Currently Grown by Farmers' Professional Cooperatives and Their Cultivation Key Points

The push to make the potato a staple grain is steadily advancing, and many farmers' professional cooperatives are adjusting in this direction as well. So which potato varieties are farmers' professional cooperatives growing now? And what are the cultivation key points?

1. Eugene (88-5):

Variety source: this variety was introduced from the Benxi Potato Research Institute and produced through tissue culture propagation.

Variety characteristics: plant height 60 cm, upright plant type with few branches, well-developed root system, strong growth vigor, green stems, green and thick leaves, white corolla, yellow skin and yellow flesh, oblong tubers, shallow eyes, growth period about 75 days, short dormancy period, concentrated tuber setting, high marketable rate; it is an ideal medium-early maturing variety. Good yield performance, about 2000 kg per mu. Relatively resistant to late blight.

2. Medium-early maturing variety “Chaobai”:

Variety source: “Chaobai” was bred by the Dalian Academy of Agricultural Sciences; this variety is early maturing, high yielding and good in marketability.

Variety characteristics: this variety has a short growth period, about 60 days from emergence to maturity; the plant grows luxuriantly with strong growth vigor and moderate plant height. Stems green and sturdy. Leaves thick and flat, dark green in color, flowers white, concentrated tuber setting, round tubers, white skin and white flesh, large and uniform, average large and medium tuber rate 71.0—83.7%, smooth skin, good quality, average starch content 12.54—13.39%.

3. Xingjia No. 1

Variety source: introduced by the Greater Khingan Mountains Regional Agricultural Science Institute in 1992 as true seed from the Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and selected and bred from it.

Characteristics: this variety has a long growth period and belongs to the late-maturing type, over 100 days from emergence to maturity; the plant grows luxuriantly with strong growth vigor, plant height about 70 cm, stems green and sturdy, leaves thick and flat, flowers white, weak natural fruit setting, mild and slow virus degeneration, relatively concentrated tuber setting, oblong tubers, yellow skin and yellow flesh, shallow eyes, large and medium tuber rate 65.5—80.3%, smooth skin, good quality, starch content about 17%, 20% higher yield than the control variety (Wuhua). It has a high level of field resistance to late blight. Keep 3000—3500 plants per mu.

4. Atlantic

Variety source: bred by the United States Department of Agriculture in 1969 by crossing seedling B5141-6 as the female parent with Wauseon as the male parent; licensed in Canada in 1983.

Characteristics: plant type spreading, upright, stems thick and sturdy, leaves thick, irregular purple markings at the stem base, leaves light green, leaf surface smooth

5. Dongnong “303”

Dongnong 303 was bred by Northeast Agricultural University and is China's first excellent extremely early maturing potato variety. This variety has been promoted and applied in more than 20 provinces and regions in China, and is deeply loved by potato growers and consumers everywhere. Due to its wide promotion and application, its social and economic benefits are extremely significant; it won the third prize of the National Science and Technology Progress Award in 1985, and was approved as a national-level variety by the National Crop Variety Approval Committee in 1986.

※ Botanical characteristics: upright plant type, medium number of branches, plant height about 45 cm, green stems, strong growth vigor; leaves light green, few hairs, compound leaves relatively large, leaf margins flat, 4 pairs of lateral leaflets; inflorescence peduncle green, pedicel articulation colorless, corolla white, no double petals, medium size; stamens pale yellow, stigma without splitting, cannot set fruit naturally; tubers flat oval, yellow skin and yellow flesh, smooth skin, tubers medium and relatively uniform, eyes numerous and shallow, concentrated tuber setting; semi-light-grown sprouts with oval pale purple base and blunt green tip, medium number of hairs; tubers have a short dormancy period and store well.

※ Biological characteristics: extremely early maturing, growth days within 60 days; excellent steaming quality, does not become hard when reheated; dry matter 20.5%, starch 13.1%-14%, reducing sugar 0.03%, vitamin C 14.2 mg/100 g, crude protein 2.52%; starch quality good, suitable for food processing; plants moderately susceptible to late blight, tubers resistant to late blight, resistant to ring rot, highly resistant to mosaic, slightly susceptible to leaf roll virus, tolerant to bunch top disease, strong tolerance to waterlogging; usual yield about 2000 kg per mu.

※ Cultivation key points: the suitable density for this variety is 4000—4500 plants per mu; it requires medium to high fertility, and water must not be lacking at the seedling stage and the bud stage; suitable for early harvest and seed retention.

6. Zaodabai

“Zaodabai” was bred by the Benxi Potato Research Institute of Liaoning Province by crossing “Wulibai” as the female parent with “74—128” as the male parent. It was approved by the Liaoning Provincial Crop Variety Approval Committee in 1992, and recognized by the Heilongjiang Provincial Crop Variety Approval Committee in 1996.

※ Botanical characteristics: upright plant type, medium luxuriance, plant height 50—70 cm, stem base pale purple, stem nodes and internodes green, uniform in thickness. Leaves green, leaf margins flat, compound leaves relatively large, 5 pairs of lateral leaflets, terminal leaflet oval, stipules intermediate type. Inflorescence peduncle green, about 9 cm long, corolla white, medium size, anthers large, orange-yellow, medium pollen amount, style green, medium-long, stigma three-lobed, calyx pale green, broadly pointed. Weak natural fruit setting, fruits relatively small, green. Concentrated tuber setting, 3—5 tubers per plant, large and medium tuber rate over 90%, tubers flat round, white skin and white flesh, smooth skin, medium number and depth of eyes, eyebrow curved, hilum relatively shallow, medium dormancy period.

※ Biological characteristics: this variety is extremely early maturing, growth days 65—70 days. Medium steaming quality. Tuber dry matter 21.90%, starch 11.0%—13.0%, reducing sugar 1.23%, crude protein 2.13%, total vitamin C 12.85 mg/100 g. Relatively strong tolerance to viruses; relatively resistant to ring rot and scab, plants relatively resistant to late blight, tubers susceptible to late blight. At the seedling stage it likes warmth and tolerates drought; in the later stage tubers enlarge quickly; usual yield about 1500—2000 kg per mu.

※ Cultivation key points: choose high, dry, well-drained sandy loam soil for planting. The apical bud dominance of “Zaodabai” tubers is obvious, so seed potato sprouting must be done properly. “Zaodabai” tubers are large and need enough soil hilling during growth, so the principle of “deep planting and shallow covering” must be followed when sowing. The usual density for cut-seed planting is about 5000 plants per mu, and for whole small tuber planting 4500 plants per mu, with row spacing 60—70 cm.

7. Huangmazi (Yellow Sesame)

※ Variety source: a farmer in Zhengbaiqian'er Village, Dongjiao Township, Wangkui County, Heilongjiang Province selected and kept an excellent single plant from his own potato garden field in 1968, and it was retained through continuous propagation. Because its skin has a yellow netted pattern, local farmers called it Huangmazi. In 1990 it was approved and officially named and promoted by the Heilongjiang Provincial Crop Variety Approval Committee.

※ Characteristics: upright plant type, 1—2 branches, plant height 45—50 cm, medium luxuriance. Stems green, triangular, stem thickness 0.9—1.3 cm. Leaf color dark green, terminal leaflet long oval with pointed tip, 4—5 pairs of lateral leaflets, moderate tightness. Good flowering habit, many flowers and long flowering period, corolla pale purple-white, anthers orange-yellow, good pollen fertility, with natural fruit setting. Stolons short, concentrated tuber setting, 7—8 tubers per plant, large and medium tuber rate over 80%, tubers long oval, skin yellow with netted pattern, flesh pale yellow, relatively many eyes, eyes at the top relatively deep, good storage quality.

Characteristics: this line has a long growth period and belongs to the late-maturing type, about 95 days from emergence to maturity; the plant grows luxuriantly with strong growth vigor, plant height about 70 cm, stems green, leaves thick and flat, flowers white, weak natural fruit setting, mild and slow virus degeneration, relatively concentrated tuber setting, tubers oval, yellow skin and yellow flesh, shallow eyes, large and medium tuber rate 65-80%, smooth skin, good quality, starch content above 17%, 10% higher yield than the control variety (Kexin No. 2). It has a high level of field resistance to late blight.

Cultivation key points: keep 3000-3500 plants per mu. Apply heavy base fertilizer and seed fertilizer.

9. Zhongshu No. 1

Variety source: introduced in 1992 from the Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and produced through tissue culture.

Characteristics: plant height 60 cm, spreading plant type, medium branching, stems and leaves green, corolla white, tubers flat round, pale yellow skin and pale yellow flesh, smooth skin, relatively shallow eyes, concentrated tuber setting, high marketable tuber rate. 70 days from emergence to maturity; plants and tubers relatively resistant to late blight, low starch content, usual yield over 2000 kg per mu.

Cultivation key points: suitable density 3500-4000 plants/mu, strong stress resistance.