RED MARIA

Red Maria
Variety Name: Red MariaRights Holder | Breeder: CORNELL UNIVERSITYCountry of Origin: United United StatesYear of of introduction:
Red Maria is almost perfectly round with very shallow eyes and white flesh. The semi-upright plants often spread slightly. Red Maria is a good all-purpose potato with extra-sweet moist flesh that is perfect for boiling, mashing, roasting, or being made into potato salad. It retains its moisture when baked.

Production Characteristics
 
  • Maturity: Late season
  • Yield: Heavy. Total yield 406 cwt/a; marketable yield 354 cwt/a.; 105% Atlantic; 118% Chieftain over 11 years of field trials
  • Tuber set: Heavy. It sets high in the hill, requiring additional hilling
  • Nitrogen: TBD
  • Specific gravity: Avg. 1.070 in NE states; much lower in southern states
  • Diseases: Very susceptible to late blight. Resistant to common scab, Golden nematode Ro1, hollow heart, internal heat necrosis. Moderately resistant to blackspot bruise
  • Storage: Excellent; dormancy is three weeks longer than Chieftain
  • Market: Fresh market, round red tablestock
  • Advantages: A round red with uniform tuber size and higher productivity than Chieftain and Norland Dark Red.  Few internal defects and pick-outs. Earlier skin set than most red-skinned varieties. A replacement for Norland Dark Red
  • Other: Strong skin set will typically take a full three weeks after vine kill

Physical Characteristic
 
  • Plant
     
    • Growth habit/canopy: Semi-upright to spreading; intermediate type foliage structure
    • Inflorescences: Red violet corolla, prominent star, yellow-orange anthers
    • Stems: Medium to thick with weak to medium anthocyanin coloration
    • Leaves: Medium to dark green, intermediate silhouette, very weak to weak anthocyanin coloration

  • Tubers
     
    • Skin color and texture: Bright deep red, light net to netted skin
    • Flesh color: White to off-white with no secondary color
    • Shape: Large, round uniform tubers
    • Eye depth/distribution: Shallow eyes, primarily on apical half. Eyebrows are medium
    • Overall appearance: Good, attractive tubers
Culinary Characteristics
 
  • Taste/flavor: Good boiling and cooking scores
  • Texture after cooking: Does not slough; remains firm and does not darken after boiling
  • Preferred uses: An all-purpose potato, good for boiling, mashing, roasting, salads. Baked, it will be moist
  • Presentation: Same as any red-skinned potato