Bannock Russet

Potato

Variety Description

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

Summary: 'Bannock Russet' has fewer secondary and tertiary leaflets than 'Russet Norkotah'. The flower bud of 'Bannock Russet' has no anthocyanin while the reference varieties have moderate anthocyanin. 'Bannock Russet' has a spherical light sprout while the reference varieties have ovoid light sprouts. 'Bannock Russet' has no anthocyanin or pubescence at the base of the light sprout while the reference varieties have pubescence and anthocyanin present on the base.

Description:

'Bannock Russet' has a spreading 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 moderately prominent and waved single. The stem nodes have slight swelling and no anthocyanin. 'Bannock Russet' produces a moderate number of branches.

The leaves of 'Bannock Russet' are medium 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 medium 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 medium ovate in shape with acute shaped tips and obtuse to cordate, moderately asymmetrical bases. The margins of the terminal leaflets have medium waviness. 'Bannock Russet' has five pairs of primary leaflets which are medium in size. They are narrowly ovate in shape with acute shaped tips and cordate shaped, moderately asymmetrical bases.

'Bannock Russet' produces a medium 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 moderately prominent star. The calyx and peduncle have no anthocyanin colouration. The anthers are bright yellow in colour when the flower is fully expanded and are arranged in a narrow, irregular cone shape. The stigma is capitate and light green in colour.

The tubers of 'Bannock Russet' have brown coloured skin with no secondary colour. Skin texture is russetted and tuber shape is oblong. Tuber eyes are protruding to shallow in depth, few in number and partially apical to evenly distributed. The eyebrows are not prominent. The tuber flesh is white in colour with no secondary colour. 'Bannock Russet' produces a low number of tubers per plant.

The light sprout of 'Bannock Russet' is spherical in shape with no pubescence or anthocyanin colouration at the base. The light sprout tip habit is closed. The tip has absent to weak pubescence and no anthocyanin. The light sprout has a low frequency of root initials and weak protrusion of lenticels. The lateral shoots on the light sprout are short in length.

Origin & Breeding History: 'Bannock Russet' originated from a cross between A75175-1 and A75188-3, made at The University of Idaho's Aberdeen Research and Extension Center in April of 1981. 'Bannock Russet' was selected out of an F1 population using the selection criteria; appearance, yield, specific gravity, french fry quality and disease resistance.

Tests & Trials: Tests and trials for 'Bannock Russet' 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 'Bannock Russet' with reference varieties 'Russet Norkotah' and 'Russet Burbank'

Secondary and tertiary leaflets

Colour of corolla (RHS)