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Title: Purple Pelisse: a specialty fingerling potato with purple skin and purple flesh

Author
item VALES, M - Oregon State University
item BROWN, C - Oregon State University
item CHARLTON, B - Oregon State University
item HANE, D - Oregon State University
item JAMES, S - Oregon State University
item SHOCK, C - Oregon State University
item MOSLEY, A - Oregon State University
item Brown, Charles

Submitted to: American Journal of Potato Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/15/2012
Publication Date: 7/13/2012
Citation: Vales, M., Brown, C., Charlton, B., Hane, D., James, S., Shock, C., Mosley, A., Brown, C.R. 2012. Purple Pelisse: a specialty fingerling potato with purple skin and purple flesh. American Journal of Potato Research. 89:306-314. DOI 10.1007/s12230-012-9254-3.

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. There is also a need to restore consumer confidence in potato from the standpoint of nutrition. Purple Pelisse. is a step in that direction. It is a slender, elongate potato that fits into the fingerling class. It has a bright, shiny skin very suitable for the eye appeal necessary for the consumer of the fresh potato. Its deeply pigmented purple flesh is an outstanding feature of this variety. The purple color is anthocyanin. Anthocyanins are known as superb antioxidants and have been shown to reduce overall inflammation in humans in a recent study. These same pigments derived form blueberries were shown to slow down the aging of the brains of rats. Rats were able to perform thinking exercises, acts of agility, and learning responses much later in their lives if given a diet rich in the same anthocyanins that are in Purple Pelisse. Purple Pelisse, is, thus, a potato with many potential advantages. It fills a new market niche: fingerlings. It posseses phytonutrients with proven health benefits in high concentration. And lastly it will find itself in restaurants being served to people who are looking for something different and very tasty.

Technical Abstract: Purple Pelisse is a specialty fingerling potato with purple skin and dark purple flesh. It has medium maturity and sets a large number of smooth, small, fingerling-shaped tubers. The tubers have medium specific gravity and high levels of antioxidants. This potato variety is mainly intended for the fresh market but it can also be used for processing; chips made from Purple Pelisse tubers retain their bright purple color, resist fading and have a pleasant taste. Purple Pelisse is moderately resistant to common scab and potato virus Y and susceptible to most of the other common potato diseases. Purple Pelisse resulted from a cross between NDOP5847-1 and bulked pollen of red-fleshed potatoes. It was first selected from seedling tubers planted and grown at Madras, Oregon in 2001 and was subsequently evaluated for an additional 6 years in public and industry trials throughout the western U.S, including Western Regional Red/Specialty Trials in 2006 and 2007. Purple Pelisse was officially released as a variety in 2009 from the Pacific Northwest (Tri-State) Potato Variety Development Program.