Pacific Russet: An Early Maturing, Attractive Russet Cultivar with Excellent Culinary Quality

American Journal of Potato Research, Jul/Aug 2004 by Lynch, D R, Kawchuk, L M, Chen, Q, Wahab, J, Et al

ABSTRACT

Pacific Russet is a high-yielding, early maturing, oblong russet fresh market cultivar with excellent tuber appearance and culinary quality. In trials conducted in western Canada the yield of the new cultivar was generally superior to Russet Burbank, Ranger Russet, and Atlantic at 80, 90, and 110 days after planting. In the North Central Regional Variety Trial the yield of Pacific Russet exceeded that of Russet Norkotah in four of the eight sites in 2000 and three of the eight sites in 2001. In trials conducted in Ontario (Canada) Pacific Russet exceeded the yield of Goldrush at both sites in 2001 and in 2002 at two of the three sites that included both cultivars. External and internal defects occur at very low levels. The new cultivar is resistant to common scab and moderately resistant to Verticillium and Fusarium wilt, but susceptible to Fusarium dry rot and late blight (foliar). Pacific Russet shows clear foliar but not tuber symptoms when infected with bacterial ring rot.

RESUMEN

Pacific Russet es un cultivar con tub�rculos de forma alargada y de color rosado para el consumo fresco, tiene rendimientos altos, excelente calidad culinaria y buena apariencia de tub�rculo. En pruebas realizadas en el oeste de Canad�, los rendimientos fueron en general superiores a los de Russet Burbank, Ranger Russet y Atlantic, tanto a los 80, 90 y 110 d�as despu�s de la siembra. En las pruebas Regionales del Centro Norte, el rendimiento de Pacific Russet fue mayor que el de Russet Norkotah en cuatro de ocho lugares, en el a�o 2000 y tres de ocho lugares, en el 2001. En pruebas realizadas en Ontario (Canad�), Pacific Russet excedi� en rendimiento a Goldrush en ambos lugares en los a�os 2001 y 2002, y en dos de los tres lugares donde se incluyeron ambos cultivares. Defectos externos e internos de tub�rculos se presentan en niveles muy bajos. El nuevo cultivar es resistente a la sarna com�n y moderadamente resistente a la marchitez causada por Verticillium y Fusarium, pero susceptible a la pudrici�n seca causada por Fusarium y al tiz�n tard�o (del follaje). Pacific Russet muestra s�ntomas foliares evidentes cuando est� infectada de pudrici�n bacteriana en anillo pero no muestra s�ntomas en el tub�rculo.

Accepted for publication 8 March 2004.

ADDITIONAL KEY WORDS: early yield, Verticillium wilt, common scab, after-cooking discoloration

INTRODUCTION

The cross yielding Racific Russet (tested as V0168-3 [Figures 1 and 2]) was made at the Lethbridge Research Centre in 1987 between NDA8694-3 (female), a smooth russet-skinned breeding clone from North Dakota State University, resistant to common scab but susceptible to Vertidllium wilt, and Century Russet (male), a high-yielding smooth russet-skinned cultivar, highly resistant to Verticillium wilt. The first four generations of field selection occurred at the Vauxhall Research Substation (Alberta, Canada) with subsequent evaluation in the Western Canadian Regional Potato Trials (1993-1997), the U.S. North Central Potato Trials (2000-2001), a multi-harvest trial at Vauxhall Research Substation (1999), and variety trials in Ontario (2001-2002). In 1998 the clone was offered to the Western Canadian Potato Consortium and accessed non-exclusively by Alberta seed Potato, Inc., (ASPI) and the Saskatchewan Seed Potato Growers Association (SSPGA) and tested in commercial plots in Alberta, Ontario, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan from 1999-2002. Rights for commercialization were assigned to ASPI and SSPGA in 2003. The new cultivar was registered in Canada on 29 May 2003 (Certificate #5657) and filing for Plant Breeder's Rights in Canada was accepted on 8 February 2002 (Application #02-2988). Breeder's rights are held by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

DESCRIPTION

Plants

Growth habit (Figure 1A): spreading, medium height, early maturity. Stems: medium thickness, inconspicuous straight single wings, slight swelling at the nodes, anthocyanin pigmentation absent. Leaves: medium green, pubescent, closed silhouette, no anthocyanin pigmentation on leaf rachis, medium-sized stipules. Terminal leaflet: medium ovate with acuminate tip and truncate asymmetrical base, weak waviness on the margin. Primary leaflets: four pairs, narrowly ovate with acuminate tip and truncate, asymmetrical base. secondary and tertiary leaflets: four to nine pairs. Petioles: green, no anthocyanin pigmentation.

Flowers

Low to profuse flowering (depending on environment) with medium number of florets per inflorescence. Buds: drop readily, no anthocyanin pigmentation. Calyx: green, no anthocyanin pigmentation. Peduncle: green, no anthocyanin pigmentation. Corolla: white, medium size, prominent star. Anthers: broad cone, orange, little fertile pollen. Stigma: capitate, medium green. Fruit production: low.

Tubers

Oblong, brown russetted skin, intermediate number of evenly distributed eyes, shallow eye depth, eyebrows not prominent, white flesh color, intermediate number per plant, mean length 93.9 mm (SD 11.3), mean width 62.2 mm (SD 6.6), mean thickness 51.2 mm (SD 6.2). Light sprouts: ovoid, weak pubescence, weak blue-violet pigmented base, green pubescent tip, medium frequency of root initials and lenticels, short lateral shoots.