| Potato 'Russet Burbank' | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genus | Solanum |
| Species | S. tuberosum |
| Cultivar | 'Russet Burbank' |
| Origin | 1902 [1] |
Russet Burbank is a potato cultivar with dark brown skin and few eyes that is the most widely grown potato in North America. [1] A russet type, its flesh is white, dry, and mealy, and it is good for baking, mashing, and french fries (chips). [2] It is a common and popular potato. [3] [4]
This variety is a mutation (or sport) of the cultivar 'Burbank's Seedling' that was selected by the plant breeder Luther Burbank in 1873. The known lineage of Russet Burbank began in 1853 when Chauncey E. Goodrich imported the Rough Purple Chili from South America in an attempt to add diversity to American potato stocks which were susceptible to late blight. [1] [5] Goodrich bred Garnet Chili from Rough Purple Chili, and Albert Bresee bred Early Rose from Garnet Chili, from which Luther Burbank bred Burbank. This cross-over was formerly known as the Russell, but was eventually popularized as the Russet potato in the American stores. Russet Burbank has been widely, but incorrectly, reported to have been selected in 1914 by the Colorado potato grower Lou D. Sweet. A 2014 study confirmed that it was originally released in 1902 by L. L. May & Co and was first known as the Netted Gem. [1]
To improve the disease resistance of Irish potatoes, Luther Burbank selected the potato that became known as "the Burbank." It was not patented because plants, such as potatoes, propagated from tubers were not granted patents in the United States. [6]
Russet Burbank was not initially popular, accounting for only 4% of potatoes in the US in 1930. The introduction of irrigation in Idaho increased its popularity, as growers found it produced large potatoes easily marketed as baking potatoes. [5] The invention of frozen french fries in the '40s and fast food restaurants in the '50s increased its popularity further. By the 2010s, Russet Burbank accounted for 70% of the ultra-processed potato market in North America, and over 40% of the potato growing area in the US. [1]
Restaurants such as McDonald's favor russet potatoes for their size, which produce long pieces suitable for french fries. As of 2009, "McDonald's top tuber is the Russet Burbank." [7] After decades of consumption in North America, consumers and processors consider it the standard potato against which others are judged. [1] [5]
The Russet Burbank plants are medium-sized with stems with a medium thickness that are prominently angled. The leaves of this variety are medium-sized with large terminal and primary leaflets. The plant's flowers are medium-sized with dark green buds that drop readily. The variety has large, long tubers that are cylindrical or slightly flat. There are numerous eyes on the potato that are evenly distributed, and the sprouts are brownish-purple. [8]
The Russet Burbank variety stores very well for long periods. It can be stored at 7 °C (44.6 °F) for up to five months without the need to apply gasses that inhibit sprouting. One issue that can occur while in storage is an internal black spot, also known as IBS. Also, if the potatoes are harvested too early, there could be a skinning issue. [9]
Russet Burbank is highly resistant to black leg. It is moderately resistant to common scab and fusarium dry rot (Fusarium oxysporum and F. sambucinum). It is susceptible to fusarium dry rot (F. coeruleum), late blight (Phytophthora infestans), leaf roll, seed-piece decay, tuber net necrosis, verticillium wilt, PVX and PVY. [8] Genetically modified potatoes can be resistant to the Colorado Potato Beetle.
The potato is a starchy root vegetable native to the Americas that is consumed as a staple food in many parts of the world. Potatoes are tubers of the plant Solanum tuberosum, a perennial in the nightshade family Solanaceae.
Phytophthora infestans is an oomycete or water mold, a fungus-like microorganism that causes the serious potato and tomato disease known as late blight or potato blight. Early blight, caused by Alternaria solani, is also often called "potato blight". Late blight was a major culprit in the 1840s European, the 1845–1852 Irish, and the 1846 Highland potato famines. The organism can also infect some other members of the Solanaceae. The pathogen is favored by moist, cool environments: sporulation is optimal at 12–18 °C (54–64 °F) in water-saturated or nearly saturated environments, and zoospore production is favored at temperatures below 15 °C (59 °F). Lesion growth rates are typically optimal at a slightly warmer temperature range of 20 to 24 °C.
A russet potato is a type of potato that is large, with dark brown skin and few eyes. The flesh is white, dry, soft, and mealy, and it is suitable for baking, mashing, and french fries. Russet potatoes are sometimes known as Idaho potatoes in the United States, but the name Idaho Potato is trademarked by the Idaho Potato Commission and only potatoes grown in the state of Idaho can legally be referred to by that name.
The Désirée potato is a red-skinned main-crop potato originally bred in the Netherlands in 1962. It has yellow flesh with a distinctive flavour and is a favourite with allotment-holders because of its resistance to drought, and is fairly resistant to disease. It is a versatile, fairly waxy variety which is firm and holds its shape, and is useful for all methods of cooking, from roasting to mashing and salads.
Red Gold potato is an early variety of North American potato. It has a red skin with yellow flesh inside. It is resistant to potato leafroll virus and potato virus Y and moderately resistant to common scab, but is susceptible to potato virus A and potato virus S.
Yukon Gold is a large cultivar of potato most distinctly characterized by its thin, smooth, eye-free skin and yellow-tinged flesh. This potato was developed in the 1960s by Garnet ("Gary") Johnston in Guelph, Ontario, Canada, with the help of Geoff Rowberry at the University of Guelph. The official cross bred strain was made in 1966 and 'Yukon Gold' was finally released into the market in 1980.
The Vivaldi potato is a cultivar of potato bred by HZPC, in the Netherlands, and then passed to 'Naturally Best', based in Lincolnshire, England, who promoted and distributed the potato in the UK.
King Edward is a potato cultivar grown in the UK since 1902, making it one of the oldest cultivars still grown commercially.
Luther Burbank was an American botanist, horticulturist and pioneer in agricultural science. He developed more than 800 strains and varieties of plants over his 55-year career. Burbank's developments included those of fruits, flowers, grains, grasses, and vegetables. He developed a spineless cactus and the plumcot.
Alturas is a russet potato variety released in 2002 by the USDA-ARS and the Agricultural Experiment Stations of Idaho, Oregon, and Washington and it is under plant variety protection. It is a processing potato that has cold-sweetening resistance, so it can be processed directly out of storage into French fries and other frozen potato products.
Bintje is a middle-early ripening potato variety bred in the Netherlands by the Frisian schoolmaster K.L. de Vries in 1904 from and marketed for the first time in 1910. The name of the potato, a diminutive of Benedict, was borrowed from one of his former students.
Superior is a white-skinned, white-fleshed, mid-season potato variety. It was released by the University of Wisconsin potato breeding program in 1962, and is not under plant variety protection. It is a progeny of a cross between 'B96-56' and 'M59.44' and was first grown in 1951. 'B96-56' was also a parent of Kennebec. Like the potato variety Atlantic, Superior is widely grown for potato chip manufacturing right off the field and marketable yields are fairly high.
MegaChip is a round white potato variety with good tuber size, and specific gravity for making potato chips.
Umatilla Russet is a moderately late maturing variety of potato especially suitable for frozen french fries processing. It was jointly released by the Agricultural Experiment Station of Oregon, Idaho, and Washington and the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1998. 'Umatilla Russet' has been equal to or better than Russet Burbank in fry color in Oregon and regional trials. The potato was named by the state of Oregon after the Umatilla tribe, from which the city of Umatilla also takes its name.
Kennebec is a medium- to late-maturing white potato. It was bred by the USDA and selected by Presque Isle Station, Maine, in 1941. Kennebec is not under plant variety protection. This fast-growing variety has high yields. It maintains good quality in storage and is grown for both fresh market use and for potato chip manufacturing.
The Ranger Russet is a late-maturing potato that is used for baking and processing into fries. It was originally bred by Joseph J. Pavek of the USDA in Aberdeen, Idaho, and released jointly by the USDA and the agricultural stations of Idaho, Washington, Oregon and Colorado in 1991. Ranger Russet is not under plant variety protection. It yields medium to high numbers of tubers with a short dormancy period.
Marcy is a late maturing white potato variety. It was originally bred in 1990 at Cornell University from a cross between the Atlantic variety and Q155-3 variety. It is mostly used for chipping but can be used for baking and boiling. It has good storability; chip color is good even after short to medium storage. Marcy has a high yielding crop.
Melody is a cultivar of potato.
A genetically modified potato is a potato that has had its genes modified, using genetic engineering. Goals of modification include introducing pest resistance, tweaking the amounts of certain chemicals produced by the plant, and to prevent browning or bruising of the tubers. Varieties modified to produce large amounts of starches may be approved for industrial use only, however, not for food.
Innovator is potato variety that is oblong in shape with a smooth skin. It is a popular potato variety in Europe and is gaining popularity in North America as a frying and baking potato. The skin of the potato variety is russeted, similar to that of a Russet Burbank potato. Innovator also has shallow eyes with a cream coloured flesh.
