Alta Russet: An Early-Maturing, High-Quality Russet Cultivar for Wedge-Cut French Fry Production

American Journal of Potato Research, May/Jun 2004 by Lynch, D R, Kawchuk, L M, Chen, Q, Konschuh, M, Et al

DISEASE-RESISTANCE EVALUATION

Alta Russet is resistant to common scab and verticillium wilt and moderately resistant to early blight and Fusarium wilt. The cultivar is susceptible to Fusarium dry rot and late blight (Table 8). The cultivar shows good visual foliage and tuber symptoms when infected with bacterial ring rot. Disease-reaction ratings for early blight, common scab, Verticillium wilt, Fusarium wilt, and bacterial ring rot (Nelson et al. 1992) were determined over two seasons in replicated field plots using appropriate check cultivars. Fusarium dry rot (Lynch et al. 2003) and late blight reactions were determined in laboratory experiments. Rating categories were determined using Wards Minimum Variance Cluster procedure (Ward 1963).

SEED AVAILABILITY

Exclusive commercialization rights in Canada have been assigned to Alberta Seed Potato Inc. (RR 6, 17507 Fort Road, Edmonton, Alberta T5B 4K3 (Canada) who have contracted seed production. Pathogen free tissue cultures are maintained by Phyto Diagnostics Co. Ltd in British Columbia, under contract with the Lethbridge Research Centre.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The following contributions are gratefully acknowledged: Lamb Weston Inc for trials conducted in Washington State; Mr. Erich Dyck, Ms. Evelyn Lyon, Ms. Susan Smienk and Mr. Ron Gregus for technical assistance. The Western Potato Consortium and the Matching Investment Initiative of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada for providing funds for the Western Canadian Potato Breeding Program. This is LRC Contribution No. 387-03062.

LITERATURE CITED

Lynch DR, LM Kawchuk, Q Chen, and M Kokko. 2003. Resistance to Fusarium sambucinum in wild and cultivated Solanum species. Amer J Potato Res 80:353-358.

Nelson GA, DR Lynch, and GC Kozub. 1992. Ring rot symptom development on potato cultivars and lines in southern Alberta. Potato Res 35:133-142.

Ward JH. 1963. Hierarchal grouping to optimize an objective function. J Amer Stat Assoc 58:236-244.

D. R. Lynch1*, L. M. Kawchuk1, Q. Chen1, M. Konschuh2, J. Holley2, D. K. Fujimoto1, D. Driedger2, H. Wolfe3, L. Dunbar4, D. Waterer5, P. Bains6, J. Wahab7, and P. McAllister6

1 Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge Research Centre, P.O. Box 3000, Lethbridge, Alberta T1J 4B1 Canada

2 Alberta Agriculture Food and Rural Development, Crop Diversification Centre-South, SS #4, Brooks, Alberta TIR 1E6 Canada

3 Manitoba Crop Diversification Centre, P.O. Box 309, Carberry, Manitoba R0K 0110 Canada

4 Alberta Seed Potato Inc., RR6, 17507 Fort Road, Edmonton, Alberta T5B 4K3 Canada

5 University of Saskatchewan, Department of Plant Sciences, 51 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5A8 Canada

6 Alberta Agriculture Food and Rural Development, Crop Diversification Centre-North, RR6, 17504 Fort Road, Edmonton, Alberta T5B 4K3 Canada

7 Canada-Saskatchewan Irrigation Diversification Centre, P.O. Box 700, Outlook, Saskatchewan S0L 2N0 Canada

* Corresponding author: Tel: 403-317-2276; Fax: 403-382-3156; E-mail: lynchd@agr.gc.ca