Caribou Russet Becomes Leading Potato Variety in Maine as Breeding Program Expands

Maine marked its 206th birthday on March 15, 2026, commemorating the day it became the 23rd state of the United States in 1820. While blueberries are widely recognized as a symbol of the state, potatoes also play a significant role in Maine’s agricultural heritage.

Maine ranks among the top ten potato-producing states in the United States. According to data from the United States Department of Agriculture, the value of Maine’s potato production reached USD 257.3 million in 2025.
 

Caribou Russet gains prominence in Maine

In recent years, the Caribou Russet has emerged as one of the most important potato varieties grown in the state. Developed by researchers at the University of Maine, the variety has become the most widely planted potato in Maine.

According to the industry publication Spudman, Caribou Russet was the top potato variety grown in Maine in 2023.

Mario Andrade, Assistant Professor of Potato Breeding and Genetics at the University of Maine:

"It was released in 2015, and it has been ramping up, the acreage, year by year. Mostly, after the early 2020s, it just stood out as one of the main varieties that Maine growers grow for Russet processing varieties, which means varieties for French fry production."

"On seed acreage, which is farmers that are producing potatoes to be used as a seed, the Caribou Russet was the most grown variety in Maine last year."

Developed through collaboration and breeding research

The Caribou Russet was developed by the University of Maine in partnership with the Maine Potato Board at the Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station’s Aroostook Farm. The variety was released by potato breeder Greg Porter, who previously worked at the university.

Mario Andrade:

"Greg is passionate about Maine, and he names his varieties with Maine-related things. So, he thought naming the new variety as a town of Maine was a good thing to do, and that is super related with Maine heritage."

The development of new potato varieties involves traditional plant breeding techniques, where breeders cross different parent plants to combine desirable traits such as high yield, disease resistance and processing quality.

Mario Andrade:

"So, we cross parent A with parent B. Let’s say that parent A has very high-yield potatoes. Parent B has disease resistance or quality for processing. We cross those two plants and obtain seed, natural seed, and then we plant the seed in the next season, and we start to make the selections out of that progeny."

Versatility supports grower adoption

According to the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, most potatoes produced in the state are used for processed foods such as French fries and potato chips.

One of the key advantages of Caribou Russet is its versatility. The variety performs well both for processing and for the fresh market, making it attractive to growers.

Mario Andrade:

"The good thing about the Caribou Russet is that it can be used both for French fries and it can be sold in what we call the fresh market, direct to the consumer at the supermarket. That’s one of the reasons that growers started to adopt the Caribou Russet; high yields and good processing quality early in the season."

The University of Maine continues to expand its breeding program, testing more than 250 new potato varieties each year as part of its research efforts to improve productivity and quality for growers.