ARS | Publication request: Owyhee Russet: A variety with high yields of U.S. No. 1 tubers, excellent processing quality, and moderate resistance to Fusarium dry rot (Fusarium solani var. coeruleum).

Submitted to: American Journal of Potato Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: February 15, 2012
Publication Date: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Potato production is constantly changing. There is a need to make the process cheaper, more sustainable, with a greater recovery of processed product from raw product. Owyhee Russet is a new variety which accomplishes some of these goals. First, Owyhee yields more larger tuber sizes than standard varieties. It produces a lighter color when fried and can be held at cooler temperatures than standard varieties and still produce the lighter fry colors. It is resistant to common scab which makes the tubers better looking. It has very little rot in storage due to Fusarium dry rot. It has some weaknesses. It is not resistant to the Irish Potato Famine disease, blight in the foliage or the tubers. Also it is sensitive to most common pre-emergence herbicide. It's most outstanding feature is the high yield. As a consequence less land is needed to grow the crop that the processors will need. Owyhee should be a cheaper more efficient potato to grow than the standard cultivars grown now.

Technical Abstract: Owyhee Russet (AO96160-3) originated from a cross between A89384-10 and A89512-3 in 1996. Owyhee Russet was released in 2009 by Oregon State University, in cooperation with the USDA-ARS and the Agricultural Experiment Stations of Idaho and Washington and is a product of the Northwest Potato Variety (Tri-State) Development Program. Owyhee Russet has semi-erect medium sized vines with medium to late maturity. The tubers are long, with a tan skin, medium russeting, and attractive tuber appearance for fresh market. Owyhee Russet was evaluated in several locations across the Northwest for more than 15 years. Total yield of Owyhee Russet is similar to that of Russet Burbank and Ranger Russet but significantly higher than Russet Norkotah. U.S. No.1 tuber yield of Owyhee Russet is significantly higher than Russet Burbank and Russet Norkotah, resulting in substantially higher marketable yield. Owyhee Russet tubers have significantly higher specific gravity than Russet Burbank and Russet Norkotah. Fry color following tuber storage at 4°C and 9°C is significantly lighter for Owyhee Russet than the comparison varieties. Relative strengths include high yield with a very high proportion of U.S. No.1 tubers, good tuber appearance and excellent processing quality, resistance to cold sweetening, common scab and Fusarium dry rot. Weaknesses include susceptibility to foliar and tuber late blight and susceptibility to metribuzin herbicide injury. Allelic patterns of five SSR markers have shown that Owyhee Russet has a distinctive DNA genetic fingerprint from its russet type reference varieties which are Ranger Russet, Russet Burbank, and Russet Norkotah.