Which potato varieties are good? Latest variety recommendations

The potato is a perennial herbaceous plant of the genus Solanum in the family Solanaceae. It is the fourth most important food crop in the world, after wheat, rice and maize, and together with wheat, rice, maize and sorghum it ranks among the world's five major crops. It originated in the Andean region of South America, and its history of artificial cultivation can be traced back at least to roughly 8000 to 5000 BC in southern Peru. Now let us take a look at which potato varieties are good!

Zaodabai

[Characteristics]The “Zaodabai” potato is an extremely early-maturing variety with a growing period of 60-65 days. The tubers are oval, with white skin and white flesh, smooth skin and attractive tubers. Tuber set is concentrated, and the rate of large and medium tubers (marketable rate) is as high as over 90%. Good quality and good palatability.

[Yield]The “Zaodabai” potato has relatively wide adaptability and can be cultivated in both northern and southern China. It is suitable for high water and fertilizer cultivation. The average yield is 1500 kg per mu, and high yields can reach over 4000 kg.

[Cultivation]The “Zaodabai” potato uses virus-free seed potatoes; before sowing, the seed potatoes should be sunned to promote sprouting, and a planting density of about 4500 plants/mu is appropriate. Because tuber set is concentrated, the tubers are large and the yield is high, the cultivation technique should follow the principle of “deep planting, shallow covering, and multiple rounds of earthing up”, and during the growing period attention should be paid to the control of potato late blight.

Chaobai

[Characteristics]The “Chaobai” potato is an extremely early-maturing vegetable-type variety, bred by the Dalian Academy of Agricultural Sciences in Liaoning Province. The plant grows luxuriantly with strong vigour, about 40 cm tall. The stems are green and sturdy, the leaves are thick, flat and spreading, and the leaf colour is deep green. The flowers are white. Tuber set is concentrated, and the tubers are round. White skin and white flesh, large and uniform, with a rate of large and medium tubers of 71-84%, smooth skin and relatively good quality, and a starch content of 12.5-13.4%.

[Yield]The “Chaobai” potato is suitable for planting in the two-crop regions and suburban areas of Liaoning, Hebei, Jiangsu and Anpan, with an average yield of about 1500 kg per mu (1 mu).

[Cultivation]The suitable planting density for the “Chaobai” potato is about 5000 plants per mu. Management should be strengthened during cultivation, with timely irrigation and heavy application of high-quality decomposed base fertilizer.

Zhongshu No. 2

[Characteristics]“Zhongshu No. 2” was bred by the Institute of Vegetables and Flowers of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences through hybridization using LT-2 as the female parent and DTO-33 as the male parent. The plant is of the spreading type, 50-70 cm tall, with sturdy main stems; when whole tubers are planted there are generally 3-4 stems, and the stems are light purplish-brown. The leaf colour is deep green. The corolla is purplish-red, the anthers are orange-yellow, there is abundant pollen, and the ability to set fruit naturally is strong; there are many flowers, the berries are large, and there are many seeds. The tubers are flat-round, the skin and flesh are light yellow, the skin is smooth, and the eyes are relatively shallow.

[Yield]The “Zhongshu No. 2” tubers are of good quality, with a starch content of 14-17%, vitamin C 80 ml per 100 g of fresh tubers, and a reducing sugar content below 0.2%, making them suitable for eating and processing. The growing period from emergence to maturity is about 50-60 days. Field growth and development are vigorous. Tuber set is concentrated, the tubers are large and uniform, with 4-6 tubers per plant, and the dormancy period is short, passing through dormancy in 40 days; eating quality is excellent and storage tolerance is good. The average yield is 1500-2500 kg/mu.

[Cultivation]“Zhongshu No. 2” is suitable for winter cultivation in our region, and can be planted somewhat densely, with 4000-4500 plants/mu being appropriate. For cultivation, the soil is required to have medium to upper-grade fertility, and sufficient fertilizer and water are needed during the growing period; it is not suitable for dryland cultivation and can be used for intercropping and relay intercropping with other crops. Cultivation management adopts a continuous promotion approach, growing it as an early-maturing vegetable crop.

Zhongshu No. 4

[Characteristics]“Zhongshu No. 4” was bred in 1995 by the Institute of Vegetables and Flowers of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and is an extremely early-maturing type variety. It takes about 60 days from emergence to maturity. Growth vigour is relatively strong. The plant type is upright, about 50 cm tall, with few branches; the stems are green with a light purple base. The leaves are deep green, the compound leaves are upright, of medium size, and the leaf margins are flat; the corolla is light purple and can set fruit naturally.

[Yield]The “Zhongshu No. 4” tubers are oblong, with light yellow skin and light yellow flesh, smooth skin, large and uniform, with few and shallow eyes, and concentrated tuber set. The tuber dormancy period is about 60 days, it is tolerant of poor soil, and the steaming quality is excellent, with an average yield of about 1500 kg per mu.

[Cultivation]“Zhongshu No. 4” is planted at 4500-5000 plants per mu. Promote sprouting before sowing, apply base fertilizer, strengthen early management, and earth up and cultivate in time to promote early growth and early tuber set; during the tuber-setting stage and the tuber-bulking stage, irrigate in time, and one week before harvest carry out level irrigation to facilitate harvest and storage. It is suitable for intercropping and relay intercropping with crops such as cotton and maize.