Innovator

Potato

Variety Description

Varieties used for comparison: 'Shepody' and 'Russet Burbank'

Summary: The terminal leaflets of 'Innovator' are often fused with the primary leaflets while they are not fused for the reference varieties. 'Innovator' has white flowers while 'Shepody' has red-violet flowers. The tubers of 'Innovator' have tan coloured skin while 'Shepody' has white skin and 'Russet Burbank' has buff skin. 'Innovator' has light yellow tuber flesh while the reference varieties have white flesh. The light sprout base of 'Innovator' has less anthocyanin than the reference varieties.

Description:

'Innovator' has a semi-erect growth habit and produces a plant of medium height which is intermediate between stem and leaf type. The stems are medium in thickness and have no anthocyanin colouration. Stem wings are strongly prominent and waved to straight single. The stem nodes have slight swelling and no anthocyanin. 'Innovator' produces a medium number of branches.

The leaves of 'Innovator' are yellowish-green in colour and have medium pubescence on the lower surface. The leaf silhouette is medium. The leaf rachis has no anthocyanin on the top or bottom. The rachis has weak pubescence on the top and no pubescence on the bottom. The petioles have no anthocyanin and the stipules are medium in size. The terminal leaflets are narrow to medium ovate in shape with many fused to the primary leaflets. The tips are acute to acuminate in shape and the bases are obtuse to cordate and strongly asymmetrical. The margins of the terminal leaflets have strong waviness. 'Innovator' has six pairs of primary leaflets which are medium in size. They are narrowly ovate in shape with acute shaped tips and cordate shaped, strongly asymmetrical bases.

'Innovator' produces a high number of inflorescences per plant and a medium number of florets per inflorescence. The flower buds have no anthocyanin and are persistent. When fully expanded, the flowers are white in colour. There is no anthocyanin on the inner and outer side of the corolla. The corolla is medium in size with a weakly prominent star. The calyx and peduncle have no anthocyanin colouration. The anthers are orange in colour when the flower is fully expanded and are arranged in a broad cone shape. The stigma is capitate and medium green in colour.

The tubers of 'Innovator' have tan coloured skin with no secondary colour. Skin texture is lightly russetted and tuber shape is oblong. Tuber eyes are shallow in depth, intermediate in number and evenly distributed. The eyebrows have slight to moderate prominence. The tuber flesh is light yellow in colour with no secondary colour. 'Innovator' produces a low number of tubers per plant.

The light sprout of 'Innovator' is broad cylindrical in shape with very strong pubescence and absent to weak, red-violet anthocyanin colouration at the base. The light sprout tip habit is closed. The tip has medium pubescence and absent to weak, red-violet anthocyanin. The light sprout has a medium to high frequency of root initials and medium protrusion of lenticels. The lateral shoots on the light sprout are medium in length.

Origin & Breeding History: 'Innovator' originated from a cross between 'Shepody' and RZ-84-2580, made in Metslawier, The Netherlands in 1988. Selection criteria included yield, quality and disease resistance.

Tests & Trials: Tests and trials for 'Innovator' were conducted at Grand Falls, New Brunswick in 2000. A randomized block design was used with four replicates per variety. All entries were planted in single-row plots which were 5.5 metres long. Spacing between adjacent plots was 91 cm and spacing between adjacent hills within the plot was 30.5 cm.

Comparison tables for 'Innovator' with reference varieties 'Shepody' and 'Russet Burbank'

Colour of corolla (RHS)

Tuber length (mm)