SNOWDEN

Snowden
Variety Name: SnowdenRights Holder | Breeder: UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSINCountry of Origin: United United StatesYear of of introduction: 1990
Snowden is oval, slightly-flattened potatoes with smooth, light-buff skin with some netting, and white flesh. Late harvest. Snowden is a crisping potato.

Features

  • Plants: tall, semi-erect; thick, slightly pubescent, and very lightly pigmented stems; prominent wings; light to medium swelling of stem nodes.
  • Leaves: olive green, open, slightly pubescent.
  • Terminal leaflets: ovate, tip acuminate, base obtuse, and semi-asymmetric with moderately waving margins.
  • Primary leaflets: four pairs, narrowly ovate, tip acuminate, base cordate.
  • Secondary leaflets: few and small.
  • Flowers: few, medium size white corolla with light yellow anthers; drop readily; no seed berries produced.
  • Tubers: round to oval, slightly flattened; buff skin, slightly netted; eyes medium shallow; white flesh.
  • Sprouts: green; base moderately pubescent; apex closed and strongly pubescent.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Snowden has a high specific gravity, above-average yields, and should be grown under irrigation, as needed. Snowden has a heavy set and requires a spacing of approximately 12 inches.

Chip quality is very good and will produce an acceptable chip color from storage temperatures above 45. Storage quality is good. Scab susceptibility is similar to the Atlantic.
Even without an official release by the University of Wisconsin, Snowden has grown rapidly in its popularity in the 1990s. Its first published description was by Peloquin, SP, C Thill, and AD Pavlista in the newsletter Nebraska Potato Eyes volume 6 issue 1 in Spring, 1994.

This cultivar is designated for the potato chip market. Snowden (W 855) was selected in the late 1970s in Wisconsin from a cross between Wischip and B5141-6, and named in 1990.

Selection and early testing were done by Dr. Stan Peloquin and Mr. Donald Kichefski at the UW-Lelah Starks Potato Breeding Farm, Rhinelander, WI. In 1993, 7,230 acres of certified seed were grown nationwide ranking eighth in acreage; a fourth (1730) of this acreage was in Nebraska, second to Wisconsin.

It is now a standard in the North Central Regional Trials. It is very much like Atlantic except that it chips out of 45F storage without reconditioning.

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