NAMING AND RELEASE OF
THE HARLEY BLACKWELL POTATO VARIETY

The Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Agricultural Research Service of North Carolina, and the Agricultural Experiment Stations of Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida, and New York, and the Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station announce the release of the potato variety HARLEY BLACKWELL, a white-, netted-skinned variety suitable for chipping directly from the field in the mid-Atlantic and southern states where internal heat necrosis has been a problem in the variety 'Atlantic'.

HARLEY BLACKWELL, evaluated under the pedigree B0564-8, was selected from a cross of B0155-24 x B9935-8. B0155-24, the female parent, was selected because of its high specific gravity, good chip color, resistance to PVX, PVY and race A of the golden nematode. B9935-8, the white-skinned male parent, was selected because of its oblong tuber conformation, good chip color, and resistance to internal heat necrosis and race A of the golden nematode.

Breeding and seedling tuber production of HARLEY BLACKWELL were done at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC), Beltsville, MD, by R.E. Webb. Clonal selection and field performance evaluations were done on Chapman and Echo Lake Farms, Presque Isle, Maine by K.G. Haynes. Foliar and soil-borne disease evaluations were done by R.W. Goth (USDA) and B.J. Christ (Pennsylvania State University). Preliminary evaluations were undertaken with cooperators in North Carolina (G.C. Yencho), Virginia (S.B. Sterrett), New Jersey (M.R. Henninger), Pennsylvania (B.J. Christ), Florida (D.P. Weingartner, C.M. Hutchinson and J.M. White), Maine (G.A. Porter), and New York (D.E. Halseth and J.B. Sieczka). Interregional performance trials through the NE-107 project began in 1993, and grower trials began in 2000. Results are shown in the linked PDF.

HARLEY BLACKWELL is a medium-maturing variety, similar in maturity to 'Atlantic'. Tubers are round, white-skinned, with a slightly lighter netting than 'Atlantic'. Tubers of HARLEY BLACKWELL are attractive, smooth, and have a much lower incidence of internal heat necrosis than 'Atlantic'. The specific gravity of HARLEY BLACKWELL averages 0.005 to 0.010 lower than the specific gravity of 'Atlantic', depending on location. Potato chips produced from HARLEY BLACKWELL directly from field production in the mid-Atlantic states are lighter than or equal in color to those produced from 'Atlantic'. Total glycoalkaloid content of HARLEY BLACKWELL grown in Presque Isle, ME in 2000 averaged 7.36 mg/100 g fresh weight as compared to 9.07 for 'Atlantic' and 10.85 for 'Monona'.

HARLEY BLACKWELL is resistant to race A of the golden nematode, internal heat necrosis and air pollution damage. It is susceptible to Verticillium wilt and late blight. It is moderately susceptible to early blight, has intermediate resistance to common scab, and has some tolerance to powdery scab.

For more information about this pototo please contact Dr. Kathy Haynes