Fjord

Potato

Variety Description

Varieties used for comparison: 'Atlantic', 'Kennebec' and 'Niska'

Summary: The plants of 'Fjord' have a more upright growth habit than those of 'Atlantic' and 'Niska' and mature earlier than those of 'Kennebec'. 'Fjord' has medium green leaves while those of 'Atlantic' and 'Niska' are olive green. The lower side of the leaves of 'Fjord' are less pubescent than those of 'Atlantic' and 'Kennebec'. The primary leaflets of 'Fjord' are narrow ovate while those of the reference varieties are broad ovate. Flower colour for 'Fjord' is light blue violet while it is violet for 'Atlantic' and white for 'Kennebec' and 'Niska'. 'Fjord' has a larger corolla with a more prominent star than 'Niska'. The tubers produced by 'Fjord' have brown skin with white flesh while those of 'Atlantic' have buff skin with cream flesh and those of 'Kennebec' and 'Niska' have white skin with white flesh. The shape of the tubers for 'Fjord' is oblong while it is round for 'Atlantic' and compressed for 'Niska'. Anthocyanin colouration at the base of the light sprout is moderate to strong for 'Fjord', absent for 'Atlantic' and 'Kennebec' and weak for 'Niska'.

Description:

'Fjord' is a table and french fry potato variety which has an upright growth habit. It produces a mostly stem type plant which is medium to tall and matures mid-season. The stem is medium in thickness and has very weak anthocyanin colouration. The stem wings are moderately prominent and wavy single type. The stem nodes are not swollen nor do they have anthocyanin colouration. 'Fjord' produces a few branches.

'Fjord' has medium green leaves with very sparse pubescence on the lower surface. The leaf silhouette is more open than closed. There is very weak anthocyanin colouration at the apex and base of the leaf rachis. There is very sparse pubescence at the apex of the leaf rachis and sparse pubescence at the base. The petiole has weak anthocyanin colouration and the stipules are small. The terminal leaflet is medium ovate in shape with a cuspidate tip and obtuse, mostly symmetric base. The margin of the terminal leaflet has weak waviness. On average, there are four (4) pairs of primary leaflets. The primary leaflets are medium sized and narrow ovate in shape with an acuminate tip and obtuse, mostly symmetric base. On average, there are ten secondary and tertiary leaflets.

'Fjord' has a high to very high flowering profusion and produces a medium to large number of florets per inflorescence. The flower bud has strong to very strong anthocyanin colouration and the buds are moderately persistent. The flowers are light blue violet with weak anthocyanin on the inner side of the corolla. The corolla is large and has a prominent to very prominent star. The calyx has strong anthocyanin colouration and the peduncle has strong to very strong anthocyanin. The anthers are orange and arranged in a narrow cone shape. The moderate amount of pollen produced is more fertile than not. The medium green stigma is capitate in shape. There are a low to moderate number of berries produced.

The tuber has predominantly brown skin with no secondary colour. The skin texture is rough and flaky and the tuber shape is oblong. The tuber eyes are moderately deep, few to intermediate in number with a predominantly apical distribution. The tuber eyebrows are slightly prominent. The flesh of the tubers is white with no secondary colour. There are a moderate to high number of tubers per plant. The tubers have a short dormancy period.

The light sprout is conical in shape. The base of the light sprout has moderate pubescence and moderate to strong intensity of red violet anthocyanin colouration. The habit of the light sprout tip is closed. The tip is green with sparse pubescence and very weak intensity of anthocyanin colouration. There are a moderate number of light sprout root initials and the protrusion of the lenticels is weak to moderate. The lateral shoots are short to medium in length.

Origin & Breeding History: 'Fjord' (experimental designation QP90083.58) originated from a cross between the female parent 'TA8188-04', a clone from the genetic improvement program in Fredericton, New Brunswick which specializes in interspecies crosses of Solanum andigenum Juz. & Bukasov and S. tuberosum L., and the male parent 'A7961-1', a clone from the genetic improvement program at the University of Idaho, U.S.A. with long tubers, white tuber skin and resistance to verticilium. The cross took place at le Centre de recherche Les Buissons inc., Pointe-aux-Outardes, Québec in 1990. Criteria used by the breeder, Dr. Pierre Turcotte, in the selection of 'Fjord' were appearance, tuber size and shape, tuber skin colour and texture, colour of tuber flesh, depth of tuber eyes, yield, yield stability, specific gravity, tolerance to common scab, late blight and rhizoctonia, aptitude for boiling, chipping and frying, and length of tuber dormancy.

Tests & Trials: Tests and trials for 'Fjord' were conducted at Pointe-aux-Outardes, Québec during the summer of 2004. The trial consisted of one 12.5 metres long row for the candidate variety and each reference variety. The potatoes within each row were planted 25 cm apart, center to center, and the spacing between the rows was 1 mètre.

Comparison tables for 'Fjord' with reference varieties 'Atlantic', 'Kennebec' and 'Niska'

Total number of secondary and tertiary leaflets per leaf

Colour of corolla (RHS)