GemStar Russet

Potato

Variety Description

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

Summary: 'Gemstar Russet' has a taller plant height than 'Summit Russet' and a shorter height than 'Russet Burbank'. 'Gemstar Russet' has no anthocyanin on the stem while 'Russet Burbank' has weak to medium anthocyanin and 'Summit Russet' has weak anthocyanin. 'Gemstar Russet' has lighter green leaves than the reference varieties. 'Gemstar Russet' has a higher flowering profusion than 'Russet Burbank'. 'Gemstar Russet' has a conical shaped light sprout while 'Russet Burbank' has an ovoid light sprout and 'Summit Russet' has a spherical shaped light sprout. 'Gemstar Russet' has a more open light sprout tip than the reference varieties.

Description:

'Gemstar Russet' has a semi-upright growth habit and produces a leaf type plant. The stems are medium to thick and have no anthocyanin colouration. The nodes have absent to very low swelling.

'Gemstar Russet' has light green leaves and an intermediate leaf silhouette. The leaf rachis and petiole have no anthocyanin colouration. The terminal leaflet is medium to broadly ovate in shape with an acute to acuminate shaped tip and obtuse to cordate shaped base. The terminal and lateral leaflets have an absent to very low frequency of coalescence. The lateral leaflets are large in size and are narrowly ovate in shape with an acute to acuminate shaped tip and cordate shaped base. The leaf veins are shallow to medium in depth. The terminal and lateral leaflets have weak to medium waviness of the margin and have a glossy upper surface. The leaf blades have sparse pubescence at the apical rosette. The presence of secondary leaflets is medium.

'Gemstar Russet' has a high flowering profusion and a medium inflorescence size. The flower buds are strongly persistent and have no anthocyanin colouration. The corolla is white in colour, medium in size and has a moderately prominent star. The peduncle has no anthocyanin colouration.

The tubers have light beige skin with yellow colour at the base of the eye. The skin develops weak to medium anthocyanin colouration when exposed to light. The skin texture is russetted and the tubers are oblong in shape. The tuber eyes are shallow to intermediate in depth and are evenly distributed. The tuber eyebrows are moderately prominent. The tuber flesh is white in colour with no secondary colour present.

'Gemstar Russet' has a medium sized light sprout which is conical in shape. The light sprout base has medium anthocyanin with an absent to low proportion of blue. The base has medium pubescence. The tip of the light sprout is equal in size in relation to the base. The tip has an intermediate habit and has no anthocyanin colouration. The tip has sparse to medium pubescence. There are a medium number of root tips and the lateral roots are short in length.

Origin & Breeding History: 'Gemstar Russet' originated from a cross between 'Gem Russet' and A8341-5. The cross was made at the University of Idaho's Aberdeen Research and Extension Center in 1990. It was first selected in the field in 1992 and evaluated for 11 years. 'Gemstar Russet' was tested under the experimental designation A9014-2 in the Western Regional Trials in 1999 to 2001. Selection criteria included yield, maturity, appearance, specific gravity, resistance to tuber defects, storage fry colour and resistance to common field diseases including Verticillium wilt and common scab.

Tests & Trials: Trials for 'Gemstar Russet' were conducted in North Tilley, New Brunswick in 2004. A randomized block design was used with four replicates per variety. All entries were planted in single-row plots and each entry had one replicate per block. Plots consisted of rows 5.5 meters long and between row spacing of 91 cm. Measured characteristics were based on 10 measurements. Colour determinations were made using the RHS colour chart.

Comparison table for 'GemStar Russet' with reference varieties 'Russet Burbank' and 'Summit Russet'

Plant height (cm)