Modoc: A potato variety with bright red skin and early maturity for fresh market

American Journal of Potato Research, Jul/Aug 2003 by Rykbost, K A, James, S R, Mosley, A R, Charlton, B A, Et al

Accepted for publication 17 April 2003.

ABSTRACT

Modoc is an early maturing, red-skinned, white-fleshed potato cultivar for fresh market use. The Agricultural Experiment Stations of Oregon, North Dakota, California, Idaho, and Washington jointly released Modoc in 2003. Modoc was derived from a 1989 cross of ND1196-2R and ND2225-1R performed at North Dakota State University. Modoc retains bright skin color in storage and is suited for marketing directly from the field or storage. It produces slightly lower total yield than Red LaSoda or Dark Red Norland, but higher marketable yield and more desirable tuber size and shape. Modoc tubers seldom exhibit growth cracks, secondary growth, hollow heart or other external or internal defects. Dry matter content of Modoc tubers is similar to Dark Red Norland and Red LaSoda (18.9% compared to 18.8% and 17.7%, respectively). Culinary quality of Modoc was rated equal to Dark Red Norland and Red LaSoda for boiling and microwaving preparation methods. Modoc tubers are similar to standard varieties in sugar, vitamin C, and glycoalkaloid (4.5 mg/100 g) concentration. Modoc foliage clearly expresses PVY symptoms and has not demonstrated high susceptibility to viral or fungal diseases during a decade of seed production and evaluation.

ADDITIONAL KEY WORDS: Solanum tuberosum, red variety, release.

RESUMEN

Modoc es un cultivar de papa de madurez precoz, piel roja y de uso en fresco. Las Estaciones Experimentales de Oregon, North Dakota, California, Idaho y Washington han liberado conjuntamente el cultivar Modoc en el 2003. Modoc deriva de un cruzamiento de ND1196-2R y ND2225-1R realizado en la Universidad del Estado de North Dakota en 1989. Modoc retiene el color rojo brillante de la piel en almacenamiento y es apropiada para su comercializacion directa a partir del campo o del almacen. Tiene rendimientos totales ligeramente menores que la Red LaSoda o la Dark Red Norland, pero mayor cantidad de tuberculos comercializables y de forma y tamano preferidos. Los tuberculos de Modoc raramente exhiben rajaduras de crecimiento, crecimiento secundario, corazon vacio u otros defectos internos y externos. El contenido de materia seca de Modoc es similar al de Dark Red Norland y Red LaSoda (18.9 comparado cou 18.8 y 17.7 por ciento, respectivamente). Las cualidades culinarias de Modoc son iguales a las de Dark Red Norland y Red LaSoda para hervido y metodos de preparacion en microondas. Los tuberculos de Modoc son similares a los de las variedades estandar en la concentracion de azucares, vitamina C y glicoalcaloides (4.5 mg/100 g). El follaje de Modoc muestra claramente sintomas de PVY pero no ha demostrado alta susceptibilidad a enfermedades virales o fungosas durante la decada de produccion y evaluacion de semilla.

INTRODUCTION

Modoc was evaluated as NDO4300-1R and is a cooperative release by the Agricultural Experiment Stations of Oregon, North Dakota, California, Idaho, and Washington. The name "Modoc" is derived from an Indian tribe indigenous to the Klamath region of south central Oregon and northeastern California. The name is also affixed to numerous geographic features in the region. In addition, an 1872-1873 conflict between the U.S. Army and the Modoc Tribe is known as the Modoc War (Snyder 1988). The clone was derived from a 1989 cross between ND1196-2R and ND2225-1R (Figure 1) made by R. H. Johansen at North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota. The clone was initially selected at the Klamath Experiment Station at Klamath Falls, Oregon in 1991.

Early Modoc evaluations were conducted in 1992 and 1993 at Klamath Falls, Oregon. Breeders seed was produced at the Klamath Experiment Station in 1992 and subsequent increases were made at the Central Oregon Agricultural Research Center, Powell Butte, Oregon. Modoc was more widely evaluated in replicated trials at Klamath Falls and Corvallis, Oregon, and Tulelake and Bakersfield, California, locations in 1994 to 1997 and in regional trials in seven western U.S. states in 1998 to 2000.

DESCRIPTION

Pictures of Modoc plant, flower, tubers, and light sprout are presented in Figure 2.

Plants: Growth habit: Small to medium, semi-erect vine; intermediate foliage, with early maturity (100 days from planting to senescence compared with 110 days for Dark Red Norland). Stems: Weak to medium anthocyanin pigmentation, with weak to medium wings. Leaves: Medium green color; thick, short pubescence; medium-open silhouette; medium anthocyanin pigmentation in leaf midribs and petioles; with small leaf stipules. Terminal leaflets: Medium ovate, with acuminate tips, medium wavy margins, and cordate base. Primary leaflets: Six pairs per leaf; medium ovate, with acuminate tip, medium size, and cordate base. Secondary and tertiary leaflets: Seven to 11 pairs, average of 9.0.

Flowers: Moderate (three to six, average of 4.4) number of inflorescences per plant, nine to 17 (average of 12.9) florets per inflorescence. Corolla: Purple-violet (value of 82B, Royal Horticulture Society Color Chart (RHSC), London, England) with darker inner corolla, pentagonal shape. Calyx: Strong anthocyanin pigment. Anthers: Yellow-orange (value 14A RHSC); broad cone-shaped, with some pollen. Stigma: Capitate; olive-green (value 137C, RHSC). Berry production was not observed under field conditions.