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The top six potato varieties grown in the United States (Fall Crop)

Potato fields in Idaho. Idaho is the US state producing the most potatoes, followed by Washington.

In this article, PotatoPro wants to give you an in depth insight in the potato varieties grown in the United States. We generated a Top 6 potato varieties based on the USDA data for the 2016 fall potato crop.

In its statistics, the USDA distinguishes a spring, summer and fall potato crop, but the fall potato crop is by far the largest segment, typically accounting for over 90% of the weight of the potatoes harvested. The top six presented below is based on the by the USDA reported acreage (not harvested weight) in 2016 in seven top potato growing states as a percentage of the total fall acreage in those states: Idaho, Maine, Minnesota, North Dakota, Oregon, Washington and Wisconsin.

We have included all the varieties cultivated on over 2.5% of the potato acreage in these seven states. You can find more information on the varieties in each of these states by visiting the PotatoPro pages of these states. We have listed all varieties that are over a 3% threshold in that specific state.

Top 6

#1 Russet Burbank
#2 Russet Norkotah
#3 Ranger Russet
#4 Umatilla Russet
#5 Frito-Lay varieties
#6 Norland

Click the link or just scroll down to learn more on each of these varieties.

Russet Burbank

Russet Norkotah

Origin

Selected from a cross made in North Dakota between ND9526-4 Russ x ND9687-5 Russ and tested as ND534-4 Russ. Released by North Dakota in 1987.

Characteristics

Russet Norkotah is an early to medium maturity cultivar grown primarily for the fresh market. Yields are medium and tuber specific gravity is low to medium. Plants are medium sized, slightly upright; stems are medium thick with non-pigmented nodes and internodes. Leaves are medium in size, open and slightly pubescent. Buds are slightly pigmented, corolla is white and anthers are yellow-orange. Tubers are long to oblong, smooth, russeted and have shallow, bright golden eyes. Tuber flesh is white, dormancy is medium and sprouts are white with some purple pigment at the tip.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Russet Norkotah has a very attractive general appearance with a high percentage of U.S. No. 1 tubers. Tuber shape and type are very desirable for the count-carton market. The variety is not well suited for processing. It is adaptable to many of the growing areas.

Russet Norkotah is susceptible to most viruses and late blight. It is very susceptible to Verticillium wilt and early blight. It is reported to have some tolerance to common scab and silver scurf.

Source: PAA

Ranger Russet

Umatilla-Russet

Origin

Umatilla Russet was bred by Dr. J. J. Pavek in Aberdeen (Idaho) from the cross (Butte x A77268-4) and released jointly by the Oregon, Idaho and Washington Agricultural Experiment Stations and the USDA in 1998.

Characteristics

The Umatilla Russet is a medium late potato variety, wiht medium to high yield and good tuber uniformity. Tuber specific gravity is higher and more uniform than Russet Burbank; lighter fry color that holds up well throughout the storage season. Less susceptible than Russet Burbank to tuber shape and physiological problems induced by moisture stress. Relatively resistant to hollow heart, brown centre and internal brown spot. Medium long dormancy period.

Umatilla Russet is a very good variety for boiling, baking, frying and chipping; excellent choice for processing because of low sugar and high starch content.

Source: CFIA

Frito-Lay varieties

Norland

Origin

Norland was tested as ND2908-1R and released by the North Dakota Agricultural College in 1957. The parentage is Redkote xND626. Several darker red-skinned strains of Norland have been selected since its release.

Characteristics

Norland is widely adapted, early maturing and has a determinate type of growth. Plants are medium large and spreading with stems that are medium-thick and prominently angled. Nodes are slightly swollen and green with green internodes and waved wings. Leaves are medium to large, slightly closed and medium green. Leaflets are ovate, acute lobed and asymmetrical. Petioles are green. Flowers are purple with medium-large orange anthers with abundant pollen.

Tubers are oblong, smooth, slightly flattened, medium red with shallow eyes. Specific gravity is low to intermediate and yields are low to intermediate.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Tubers are excellent for boiling and frying and fair for baking. The variety seldom produces off-type, knobby or growth-cracked tubers and it is not susceptible to internal defects. It is tolerant to common scab but is susceptible to infection by the common viruses, early blight, late blight and air pollution injury. Red skin color decreases after tubers mature.

Source: PAA