Lady Blanca

Potato

Variety Description

Variety used for comparison: 'Yukon Gold'

Summary: 'Lady Blanca' has an ovoid shaped lightsprout with sparse to medium pubescence at the base while 'Yukon Gold' has a spherical light sprout with dense pubescence at the base. The tip of the lightsprout of 'Lady Blanca' has an intermediate habit, absent or very weak anthocyanin colouration and dense pubescence while the tip of the light sprout of 'Yukon Gold' has a closed habit, medium anthocyanin colouration and sparse pubescence. 'Lady Blanca' has a semi-upright to spreading growth habit while it is upright to semi-upright for 'Yukon Gold'. The leaf of 'Lady Blanca' has a closed to intermediate openness while it is open for 'Yukon Gold'. The extent of anthocyanin colouration on the mid rib of the upper side of the leaf in 'Lady Blanca' is medium while it is absent or very low for 'Yukon Gold'. The intensity of anthocyanin on the mid rib is medium for 'Lady Blanca' while it is absent or very weak for 'Yukon Gold'. 'Lady Blanca' has a large second pair of lateral leaflets while they are medium sized for 'Yukon Gold'. The extent of anthocyanin colouration on the flower bud of 'Lady Blanca' is absent or very low while it is medium to high for 'Yukon Gold'. 'Lady Blanca' has a shorter plant height than 'Yukon Gold'. The frequency of inflorescences per plant for 'Lady Blanca' is very low to low while it is medium for 'Yukon Gold'. 'Lady Blanca' has a low extent of anthocyanin colouration on the peduncle while it is absent or very low for 'Yukon Gold'. The skin colour of the tuber for 'Lady Blanca' is red while it is yellow for 'Yukon Gold'.

Description:

PLANT: leaf type foliage structure, semi-upright to spreading growth habit, medium maturity

STEM: medium extent of anthocyanin colouration halfway up

LEAVES: large outline, closed to intermediate openness, medium to strong presence of secondary leaflets, medium green, medium extent and medium 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: large, narrower to broad as long width in relation to length
LEAFLET: weak waviness of margin, shallow to medium depth veins, medium glossiness on upper side, no pubescence on blade at apical rosette

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

TUBER: long, white flesh
TUBER EYES: shallow depth
TUBER SKIN: red, red at base of eye

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

Origin & Breeding History: The origin of 'Lady Blanca' is the result of the cross made in 1996 between 'Lady Olympia' and CMK1991-088-016 at Rilland, The Netherlands. The selection criteria included yield, appearance, maturity, disease resistance and quality 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.

Comparison table for 'Lady Blanca' with reference variety 'Yukon Gold'

Plant height (cm)

Click on image for larger view

Potato: 'Lady Blanca' (left) with reference variety 'Yukon Gold' (right)