The Smorgasbord: La Belle Russet

Published online: Oct 30, 2019 Articles, Seed Potatoes, Smorgasbord
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This article appears in the November 2019 issue of Potato Grower.

La Belle Russet is an early- to medium-maturing variety with good early-season yields of oblong-long, medium-russeted tubers with a long tuber dormancy comparable to that of Russet Burbank. It is notable for its production of attractive tubers produced in varied growing environments across North America, resulting in a high percentage of marketable yield.

Check www.pvmi.org for a full list of seed growers.

History

  • Parentage: A99031-1TE × A96013-2
  • Developed by Tri-State Breeding and Research Program; released in 2019
  • PVP applied for in 2019

Strengths

  • Good resistance to growth cracks
  • Resistant to second growth and hollow heart
  • Moderate reistance to shatter and blackspot bruise
  • Maintains acceptable reducing sugar concentrations and fry quality up to nine months after harvest
  • Long tuber dormancy

Management

  • 190 to 210 pounds of nitrogen per acre for a 400-hundredweigh-per-acre yield
  • Soil moisture should be maintained between 65 and 80 percent ASM
  • Standard harvest practices to reduce the potential for shatter and blackspot bruise.

Storage

  • Long tuber dormancy: 160 days at 45 degrees Fahrenheit and 145 days at 48 degrees
  • Cure at 55 degrees, then ramp to storage temperature
  • Mild to moderate mottling
  • Moderately susceptible to dry rot

Disease Response

  • Moderate resistance to tuber necrosis associated with potato mop-top virus
  • Greater susceptibility to potato leafroll virus and dry rot than Russet Norkotah