Excitement cools for Premier Russet

The Premier Russet was one hot potato.

Many researchers and growers believed it would be the next great potato for the french fry industry, a likely successor to the industry standard Russet Burbank.

"We had high expectations -- probably too high,"University of Idaho Extension potato specialist Nora Olsen said of the Premier Russet.

Researchers and farmers liked the new variety because it required less fertilizer than the Burbank, turned in higher yields and produced a higher percentage of U.S. No. 1 grade tubers.

The Premier Russet had undergone years of evaluations by university researchers in Idaho, Oregon and Washington prior to its release in 2006 by the tri-state Potato Variety Management Institute.

There was just one problem: The new variety had not yet cleared all the stringent tests used by the fast food industry.

The Premier Russet ultimately failed to pass muster with McDonald's.

Potato researchers say they've learned from the experience and are now working more closely with processors and fast food chains to evaluate potential new spud varieties earlier in the development process.