TX1523-1Ru/Y a.k.a Sierra Gold(TM): An Early Maturing, Yellow-fleshed Russet Cultivar for the Specialty/Gourmet Market

American Journal of Potato Research, Sep/Oct 2005 by Miller, J Creighton Jr, Scheuring, Douglas C, Koym, Jeffrey W, Holm, David G

ABSTRACT

TX1523-1Ru/Y, a unique specialty cultivar with deep-yellow flesh color and an attractive russet skin, was released in 2003 by the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station. The smaller, immature tubers are round, but take on an oval shape as they mature. Eyes are shallow and the tuber surface is smooth. Tuber size tends to be medium (113.4-283.5 g; 4-10 oz). Total and marketable yield varies with year and location, but tends to be comparable to 'Yukon Gold', with percent marketable yield slightly higher. Vines are semi-prostrate, with medium vigor and size, and relatively early maturity. Specific gravity is about the same or slightly less than Yukon Gold, but generally greater than 'Russet Norkotah'. TX1523-1Ru/Y has good culinary qualities, with resistance to after-cooking-darkening, and can be chipped, boiled, baked, or microwaved. It has been reported to be excellent to superior as a microwave product. Unlike Yukon Gold, TX1523-1Ru/Y is resistant to hollow heart, brown centers, and internal discoloration. It tends to be less susceptible to tuber infection by late blight (Phytopthora infestans) than Yukon Gold, has greater resistance to common scab (Streptomyces scabies), and is less susceptible to black scurf (Rhizoctonia solani). TX1523-1Ru/Y is believed to be the first yellow-fleshed russet-skin cultivar released in the United States.

RESUMEN

TX1523-1Ru/Y, es un cultivar especial y �nico con pulpa de color amarillo intenso y una atractiva piel rojiza, que ha sido liberada el a�o 2003 por la Estaci�n Experimental Agr�cola de Texas. Los tub�rculos m�s peque�os son redondos cuando est�n inmaduros, pero a medida que maduran toman la forma ovalada. Los ojos son superficiales y la superficie del tub�rculo es lisa. El tama�o del tub�rculo tiende a ser mediano (113.4 a 283.5 g; 4 a 10 onz). El total de rendimiento comercial var�a con el a�o y la localidad, pero tiende a ser comparable con Yukon Gold que tiene un rendimiento comercial ligeramente mayor. Las plantas son semipostradas de vigor y tama�o mediano y son relativamente de madurez temprana. La gravedad espec�fica es la misma o ligeramente menor que Yukon Gold pero generalmente mayor que Russet Norkotah. El TX1523-1Ru/Y tiene buenas cualidades culinarias con resistencia al oscurecimiento despu�s de la cocci�n y puede ser picado, cocido, horneado o usado en el microondas. Se ha reportado que es excelente a superior como producto del microondas. A diferencia de Yukon Gold TX1523-1Ru/Y es resistente al coraz�n vac�o, oscurecimiento medular y decoloraci�n interna. Tiende a ser menos susceptible a la infecci�n del tub�rculo causada por tiz�n tard�o (Phytopthora infestans) que Yukon Gold, tiene mayor resistencia a la sarna com�n (Streptomyces scabies) y es menos susceptible a la caspa negra (Rhizoctonia solani). Se cree que TX1523-1Ru/Y es el primer cultivar de pulpa amarilla y piel rojiza que ha sido liberado en los Estados Unidos.

Accepted for publication 21 January 2005.

ADDITIONAL KEY WORDS: Solanum tuberosum, yellow flesh, russet, release, variety

INTRODUCTION

TX1523-1Ru/Y resulted from a cross of 'Krantz' (female) X 'Delta Gold' (male) that was made by the Texas Potato Variety Development Program, Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, during the fall/winter of 1990/91. It was originally selected near Springlake, Texas, in August of 1992. The pedigree of TX1523-1Ru/Y is presented in Figure 1.

Krantz (Lauer et al. 1988), a cross made in Minnesota with original selection in Texas, is an oblong, light russet, white-fleshed variety with medium-late maturity, excellent culinary qualities, resistance to hollow heart, moderate resistance to Verticillium wilt, and high resistance to common scab. Delta Gold (Reeves et al. 1979) is a round, buff skin, yellow-fleshed variety with medium-late maturity, excellent for baking and processing, moderate resistance to scab, and immune to net necrosis and PVA. TX1523-1Ru/Y was evaluated as a 12-hill selection in 1993 and 1994, and from 1995 through 2002 in replicated trials in Texas. TX1523-1Ru/Y was entered in the Southwestern Regional Trials in California, Colorado, and Texas in 1998 and 1999, and subsequently advanced to the Western Regional Trials where it was evaluated at sites in California, Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, and Washington from 2000 to 2002. In four of these five trials, TX1523-1Ru/Y received the highest merit rating of all entries. It is the first russet-skinned, yellow-fleshed cultivar developed in the United States, and is intended for the specialty/gourmet market. seed increase and commercial trials were conducted in California, Colorado, and Oregon. The cultivar is marketed exclusively by Discovery Garden, a subsidiary of California-Oregon seed, Inc., Oakdale, CA, under the trademarked-name 'Sierra Gold', serial number 76/976264.

VARIETAL DESCRIPTION

Plant, Vine, and Foliage Descriptors (Figure 2A)

Growth habit: Spreading, medium height, medium-early maturity, later than 'Russet Norkotah' and about the same as 'Yukon Gold'. Stems: medium thickness, diminutive wings, anthocyanin pigmentation absent. Leaves (Figure 2B): yellowish green (Royal Horticulture Society [RHS] Color Chart value 137A, 3rd ed), pubescence absent, open silhouette, no anthocyanin pigmentation on the leaf rachis, small stipules. Terminal leaflet: medium ovate with acuminate tip and obtuse symmetrical base, weak margin waviness. Primary leaflets: three to five medium-sized pairs, medium ovate with acuminate tip and lobed base. secondary and tertiary leaflets: four to eight pairs. Petioles: green, no anthocyanin pigmentation.