SEBEC

'Sebec' (experimental designation 'AF0338-17) originated from the University of Maine potato breeding program. It is the result of a cross conducted in 2001 between the selections designated 'AF303-5', as the female parent, and 'SA8211-6', as the male parent.

The seeds from the cross were planted in a greenhouse during the spring of 2002 and the resulting seedlings were transplanted and grown in a greenhouse at the University of Maine's Aroostook Research Farm, in Presque Isle, Maine.

From these, several of the largest seedling tubers were harvested to create a family of seedling tubers from the cross. This family of tubers was planted in the field during the spring of 2003.

From these, selections were made in the fall of 2003 based on visual characteristics including tuber shape, appearance, size, and yield.

Further evaluation of the selections was conducted over a number of years during which the evaluation was more intensive and the plots increased in size and/or the number of locations, so that progressively fewer clones were retained.

Many traits were evaluated including yield, tuber size profile, specific gravity, ability to chip from the field and/or storage, freedom from internal and external physical defects, appearance, maturity, and yield.

'Sebec' was one of the selections from 2003 which was retained throughout the selection process.