Varieties

Alex McDonald (Merchants) Ltd act as Breeders Agent for the following companies:

Varietal Descriptions

*Alex McDonald (Merchants) Ltd - Cultivar Licensee

A second early to early main-crop fresh market potato variety

Key Characteristics

A second early to early main-crop fresh market potato.

High plant vigour and tuber yield potential.

Attractive oval-round tubers. Excellent all round eating quality.

High soft rot resistance giving potential as a quality export potato.

Partial resistance to Globodera pallida potato cyst nematode (PCN)

History

Driver was evaluated for several years in field trials throughout the country as Crop 8. It performed well in many trials over the years and was released in 1995. The New Zealand agency for Driver was awarded to Alex McDonald (Merchants) Ltd.

Market Position

Driver is a general purpose second early to early main-crop potato cultivar, mainly suitable for the fresh market in both New Zealand and in export markets. It has potential over all commercial potato production areas of New Zealand. It has also proved successful as a home garden potato.

Tuber and Eating Characteristics

Tubers of Driver tend to be round-oval to oval-round in shape, with shallow eyes and cream flesh. Tuber skin tends to be white as a second early potato and is sometimes suitable for washing. Later in the season it gets slightly darker. Tuber dry matter tends to be similar to Ilam Hardy. In cooking Driver has shown good resistance to sloughing and graying throughout the season. It has excellent flavour and is very good for all home cooking methods, boiling, roasting, baking, microwaving and frying.

Red Rascal

Red Rascal is a new maincrop potato suited to premium fresh market and pre-pack trade

Description and Attributes

Tubers

• Attractive bright red skin (darker than Desiree)

• Clean white flesh

• Medium-large set of medium-sized tubers

• Even, smooth, oval shape

Quality

• Cooking quality has been consistently high in boiling tests and good in frying tests.

• Physiological disorders such as hollow heart, fleck, growth cracks and secondary growth are rarely observed.

• Skin finish is good with firm smooth skin

Pest and Disease Resistance

• Relativaly resistant to bacterial soft rot (Erwinia sp.).

• Better field resistance to Late Blight (Phytophthoria infestans) than Rua.

• Relatively resistant to Powdery Scab (Spongospora subterranea)

Harvesting

Thus, Red Rascal can be lifted from second early stage on and, because of good dormancy, could be left for later lifting if necessary.

Kiwitea

Kiwitea - a potato released by Crop & Food Research for French fry production.

Summary

Kiwitea is a potato cultivar with quality characteristics suitable for French fry production. Tubers are oval-shaped , white-fleshed and have good resistance to the major diseases prevalent in New Zealand. Yields are typically comparable to Ilam Hardy at early harvests.

Maturity

• Second early - slightly later than Ilam Hardy.

Pest and Disease Resistance

Kiwitea has major gene resistance to currently prevailing races of late blight. The cultivar has sufficient resistance to powdery scab to suggest that this fungus is unlikely to be a problem during processing. Resistance to Potato Cyst Nematode is low. However, Kiwitea appears to be slightly less susceptible to bacterial soft rot than Ilam Hardy, Rua or Iwa.

Quality

Samples from both Crop & Food Research's and Watties Frozen Foods' trials have produced good recoveries of processed product. Processing characteristics are oval shape, low sugars and medium dry matter. Sugar levels remain low in long term storage allowing flexibility in how the crop is processed. Dry matter content of Kiwitea tubers from early lifting were slightly higher on average than Ilam Hardy.

The cultivar can be susceptable to secondary growth if subjected to uneven growing conditions.

While predominantly suitable for French fry production Kiwitea has shown acceptable steaming and crisping results from most Crop & Food Research trials.

Desiree

Bintje

Producing Bintje is particularly advantageous because the harvested potatoes find a ready sale in many markets. This variety is most suitable for ware consumption and for processing.

Description and Attributes

Pest and Disease Resistance