INDUSTRY DIRECTORY

The Smorgasbord: Galena Russet

Published online: May 29, 2020 Articles, Seed Potatoes, Smorgasbord
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This article appears in the June 2020 issue of Potato Grower.

Galena Russet is a medium- to late-maturing variety that is notable for having both high early- and full-season yields. It has higher protein content than standard potato varieties Ranger Russet, Russet Burbank and Russet Norkotah, with high vitamin C content similar to Ranger Russet.

Galena Russet exhibits cold-sweetening resistance and maintains acceptable reducing sugar concentrations (<0.1 percent fresh weight) and fry color (<USDA 1) when stored at 42 to 48 degrees Fahrenheit for six months. It also displays good internal and external fry texture following cold storage.

In variety trials in the Pacific Northwest, fry color, uniformity of color along the fry, and post-harvest processing merit for Galena Russet were consistently superior to Ranger Russet and Russet Burbank. Additionally, it displays a similar incidence of shatter bruise as Ranger Russet and tends to be less susceptible to blackspot bruise compared to standard varieties.

Seed availability is currently limited with seed acreage reported in Nebraska in 2019. Check www.pvmi.org for a full list of seed growers.

Development

  • Parentage: A98083-9 × Premier Russet
  • Developed by the Tri-State Breeding and Research Program, released in 2020
  • PVP applied for April 2020

Management

  • Cut seed to 2 to 2.5 ounces
  • Optimal plant spacing for commercial production on 36-inch rows in southeastern Idaho is 10 to 12 inches.
  • Plant 6 to 8 inches deep and provide a broad shallow hill to minimize greening

Fertility

  • Moderate nitrogen requirement; performs best with split nitrogen prior to planting and before rows close

Irrigation

  • Maintain available soil moisture at 60 to 80 percent throughout season.
  • At senescence, avoid overwatering

Harvest

  • Standard practices for minimizing tuber impact damage during harvest and transfer to storage should be followed to reduce the potential for shatter and blackspot bruise.

Storage

  • Dormancy length about 20 days shorter than Russet Burbank

Disease Response

  • More resistant to the viruses PVY, PLRV, and tuber net necrosis than Russet Burbank and Ranger Russet; but is slightly more susceptible to foliar early blight
  • Moderate levels of resistance to common scab
  • Susceptible to powdery scab
  • Moderately resistant to mop-top virus, with fewer internal defects from the virus than Ranger and Burbank