Saphire

Potato

Variety Description

Variety used for comparison: 'Bintje'

Summary: 'Saphire' has a large lightsprout with a medium number of root tips while 'Bintje' has a medium sized lightsprout with few root tips. The proportion of blue in the anthocyanin colouration of the lightsprout for 'Saphire' is medium while it is high for 'Bintje'. 'Saphire' has medium to dense pubescence at the base of the lightsprout while it is sparse for 'Bintje'. The size of the tip of the lightsprout in relation to the base for 'Saphire' is small while it is medium for 'Bintje'. 'Saphire' has a lightsprout tip with an intermediate habit while it is closed for 'Bintje'. The pubescence of the lightsprout tip for 'Saphire' is dense while it is medium for 'Bintje'. 'Saphire' has absent or very weak waviness of the margin of the leaflet while it is weak in 'Bintje'. The frequency of inflorescences per plant for 'Saphire' is high while it is medium for 'Bintje'. 'Saphire' has a medium sized corolla while it is small for 'Bintje'. The plant maturity for 'Saphire' is very late while it is late for 'Bintje'. 'Saphire' has a short oval to oval shaped tuber while it is long oval for 'Bintje'.

Description:

PLANT: intermediate to leaf type foliage structure, semi-upright to spreading growth habit, very late maturity

STEM: medium extent of anthocyanin colouration along the entire length

LEAVES: large outline, intermediate to open openness, medium to strong presence of secondary leaflets, medium green, low extent and weak intensity of anthocyanin colouration on the midrib of the upper side, absent or very low frequency of coalescence of terminal and lateral leaflets
SECOND PAIR OF LATERAL LEAFLETS: medium size, narrower than long width in relation to length
LEAFLET: absent or very weak waviness of margin, medium depth veins, medium glossiness on upper side, no pubescence on blade at apical rosette

INFLORESCENCE: high frequency per plant, medium to large size, low to medium extent of anthocyanin colouration on peduncle
FLOWER BUD: high extent of anthocyanin colouration
COROLLA: medium size, absent or very low extent of anthocyanin colouration on the inner side, anthocyanin absent to very weak in intensity with absent or low proportion of blue

TUBER: short oval to oval, light to medium yellow flesh
TUBER EYES: medium depth
TUBER SKIN: yellow, yellow at base of eye, medium anthocyanin colouration in reaction to light

LIGHTSPROUT: large, ovoid, medium number of root tips, short lateral shoots
LIGHTSPROUT BASE: very strong intensity of anthocyanin colouration, medium proportion of blue in the anthocyanin colouration, medium to dense pubescence
LIGHTSPROUT TIP: small size in relation to base, intermediate habit, weak to medium intensity of anthocyanin colouration, dense pubescence

Origin & Breeding History: The origin of 'Saphire' is the result of the cross made in 1991 between 'Bydand' and 'Caesar' at the Van Rijn-KWS B. V., breeding station in Emmeloord, The Netherlands. Selection criteria included maturity, yield, disease resistance, processing traits, morphological traits and storage characteristics.

Tests & Trials: Tests and trials were conducted during the 2011 growing season in Drummond, New Brunswick. Plots consisted of 60 plants grown in a single row with a row length of 18.5 meters and a row spacing of 0.9 meters.

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Potato: 'Saphire' (left) with reference variety 'Bintje' (right)