COMMERCIAL VARIETY TRIALS

AROOSTOOK FARM

2005

 

 

 

All varieties were planted at an 8” spacing and fertilized with 100 lbs. of 14-14-14-1.2

 

 

      2004—Out of Storage Observations: 

 

 

1.   AF1808-18 (russet) (0.6 acre)

      Planting date: 5/20/2004

      First vine kill: 8/21/2004

      Harvest date: 9/23/2004

    This variety stored well as a seed lot at 38°F in 4-20cwt. pallet boxes and did not     sprout prematurely by mid-April. As with earlier experiments with this variety, it produced large, somewhat uniform attractive tubers with a thick russet type skin. Problems with this variety this year included sunburn and a more variable size profile, although these issues were not as severe as previous years’ results. Fusarium rot, soft rot, and pressure bruise were absent in this lot at the mid-April observation.

This variety again developed marketable sized tubers in a shorter amount of time than any other variety evaluated. Tuber size was produced about 9 days ahead of Reeve’s Kingpin (AF1753-16) and about 15 days ahead of Shepody. Yield was 125 cwt. per acre, with a total yield of 75 cwt.

 

 

2.  AF2133-17 (russet) (0.07 acre)

     Planting date: 5/20/2004

     First vine kill: 8/21/2004

     Harvest date: 9/23/2004

   This variety stored well as a seed lot at 38°F in a 20 cwt. pallet box. There was some “pipping” of sprouts when tubers were cut for seed in late April. There was an absence of fusarium rot, soft rot, pressure bruise, and sunburn in this lot. Tuber eyes were as shallow as AF1808-18, but type was much more desirable (brick-shaped) than either Reeve’s Kingpin or AF1808-18. Yield was 143 cwt. per acre, with a total yield of 10 cwt. This lot was replanted for commercial trials in 2005.

 

 

3.  AF2211-9 (round) (0.07 acre)

     Planting date: 5/20/2004

     First vine kill: 8/21/2004

     Harvest date: 9/23/2004

Commercial Variety Trials Aroostook Farm (continued)                                        Page 2                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

 

 

 

This variety stored well as a seed lot at 38°F in a 20 cwt. pallet box. Like AF2133-                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

17 (russet), there was some “pipping” of sprouts at seed cutting in late April. Tuber type was not as uniform as AF1758-7, but was a bit more variable. Skin texture was smoother than AF1758-7, with slightly deeper eyes. Rot, sunburn, scurf and growth cracks were                                                                                                          

absent from this lot. Yield was 214 cwt. per acre, with a total yield of 15 cwt. This lot was replanted for commercial trials in 2005.   

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

 

4.  AF1758-7 (round) (0.5 acre)

     Planting date: 5/20/2004

     First vine kill: 8/21/2004

     Harvest date: 9/23/2004

   This variety stored well as a seed lot at 38°F in 3-20cwt. pallet boxes with no premature sprouting by mid-April. No fusarium, soft rot, sunburn, or pressure bruise was present in this lot. Yield was 120 cwt. per acre, with a total yield of 60 cwt. Tubers from this lot were replanted for commercial trials in 2005. Observations for a commercial table stock application for this variety are continued below.

 

 

5.  AF1758-7 (round) (2.1 acre)

     Planting date: 5/24/2004

     First vine kill: 9/02/2004

     Harvest date: 10/02/2004

   Of all round varieties in these commercial trials, this variety appears to show the best promise as a table stock variety from the standpoint of yield, appearance, type, and defects. Tubers had a skin texture like a Superior with somewhat shallow eyes and very few blemishes. Tuber size profile was approximately 75% between 2 1/8” to 3 1/8”, with no sunburn or growth cracks present. It appears to exhibit medium to medium late characteristics and seems to survive mechanical harvesting with no bruising issues. More observations of this variety from the 2005 crop will be made to see how it performs in a commercial washing/packaging plant. Yield was 262 cwt. per acre, with a total yield of 550 cwt. This year (2004), all potatoes from this 2.1 acre lot were disposed of at a dehydration plant due to the absence of any opportunity to market them as fresh table stock.

 

 

6.   AF1938-3 (round) (0.1 acre)

      Planting date: 5/20/2004

      First vine kill: 8/21/2004

      Harvest date: 9/23/2004

   This year marked the 4th consecutive year of evaluation for this variety. It stored well as a seed lot at 38°F in a 20 cwt. pallet box and did not sprout prematurely by mid-April. No

 

  Commercial Variety Trials Aroostook Farm (continued)                                      Page 3

 

 

fusarium, soft rot, sunburn or pressure bruise was present in this lot. Observations for commercial table stock application for this variety are continued below.

 

 

7.   AF1938-3 (round) (2.1 acre)

      Planting date: 5/24/2004

      First vine kill: 9/02/2004

      Harvest date: 10/02/2004

   This variety had somewhat reduced yields this year at 243 cwt. per acre. Previous yields in trials of this variety have been in the 300+ cwt. range, with one experimental lot yielding 400+ cwt. per acre. It produces very round tubers, typed well with fairly shallow                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

eyes. As mentioned before in previous reports, the texture of tuber skin is between a Superior and Atlantic. It is a medium to late variety and has a fairly uniform size profile of approximately 70% between 2 1/8” and 3 1/8”. It has performed well in previous years                                                                                                                                  

in a commercial table stock washing/packaging operation, showing very few blemishes, giving a bright, attractive appearance in consumer bags. On the negative side, in the last two years of trials, this variety has shown an increasing occurrence of up to 3 % growth cracks. Yield was 243 cwt. per acre with a total yield of 510 cwt. This year (2004), all potatoes from this 2.1 acre lot were disposed of at a dehydration plant due to absence of any opportunity to market them as fresh table stock.

 

 

 

8.   Reeve’s Kingpin (AF1753-16) (russet) (0.5 acre)

      Planting date: 5/21/2004

      First vine kill: 8/21/2004

      Harvest date: 9/24/2004

   As in previous years, this variety stored well as a seed lot at 38°F in 4-20 cwt. pallet boxes and showed no sprouting by mid-April. Observations this year have concurred with earlier years where the variety sizes up approximately 9 days earlier than Shepody with good type and tuber size but seems to be susceptible to sunburn. This lot was used to produce enough potatoes to fill a bin at the new MPB research storage at Aroostook Farm for further storage evaluations for frying. This will be the last evaluation of this variety until research needs dictate otherwise.

 

 

 

 

 

    

           

      

 

 Commercial Variety Trials Aroostook Farm (continued)                                       Page 4       

 

 

 

 2005—Planting, Field and Harvest Observations:   

 

         Seven lots of promising clones were grown with intent to expand five as available

         seed for commercial evaluation. They were fertilized with 1100 lbs. of 14-14-14-1.2

         using a seed spacing of 8”. Planting dates were May 19 & 20, 2005, top killing date 

         was August 24, 2005, and harvest date was September 25, 2005. Six of the seven

         promising clones emerged well with approximately 85% emergence. Only AF1808-

         18 displayed delayed, uneven emergence.  All six of the seven lots displayed good

         plant vigor, except the seventh, AF1808-18, which appeared to have less than 

         intermediate plant vigor. There were no diseases or pests present during the

         growing season, and all five seed lots tested clean in Florida. All of the seed lots

         were top killed early to avoid disease. Five of the seven lots below are in storage.

         All seven will be evaluated in the spring of 2006.                                                                                        

                    

                           

         Variety                                Planted acres       Total yield (cwt)       Yield/acre (cwt)        

        

         AF 1808-18 (russet)                 0.6                      100                             167        

         AF 2133-7 (russet)                   0.4                        85                             213        

         AF 1758-7 (round)                   1.5                      470                             313

         AF 2211-9 (round)                   0.6                      150                             250

         AF 1938-3 (round)                   1.2                      140                             117

         NY 126 (round white chip)      0.06                    N/A                            N/A

         NY 129 (round red)                  0.06                    N/A                            N/A