Potato variety Leader

The leader is an early maturing table potato variety (Solanum tuberosum). Received by specialists of the State Scientific Institution "Ural Research Institute of Agriculture". The patent holder is Agrofirm Sedek LLC. In 2002 he was included in the state register of breeding achievements of the Russian Federation. Approved for cultivation in three regions of the country: Ural, West Siberian, Far East. It is appreciated for its amicable early ripening, high yield of marketable tubers and their excellent taste. Suitable for mechanical cleaning, transportation and long-term storage.

From the emergence of full shoots to ripening, 65-80 days pass, the first crop can be harvested already on the 45th day of the potato growing season.

Plant of medium height, intermediate type. Stems are semi-erect. Leaves of medium size, intermediate type, green in color. The leaf is medium. The waviness of the edge of the sheet plate is very weak or absent at all. Corollas are medium in size, white.

The leader is multi-tuberous, more than 20 tuber crops can be formed on one plant, which ensures high productivity. The average weight of marketable potatoes is 88-119 grams. Tubers are oval-rounded. The rind is yellow, smooth to the touch. The pulp is white. The eyes are small, shallow, making it easy to peel the potatoes.

The variety showed itself excellently during the state tests. Marketable yield was 207−248 c / ha, at the level of Pushkinets standards. On the 45th day after full germination, at the first digging, it was possible to get 98-112 kg / ha, which corresponds to the established standards. On the 55th day of the growing season of plants, during the second digging, 134-188 c / ha were collected, at the level and by 44 c / ha more than the standards. The best yield was recorded in the Tyumen region - 339 centners of potatoes were obtained per hectare of area, 29 centners / ha higher than the established standard. The patentee states that the potential yield can reach 400 c / ha. Marketability is at a high level - 80-93%, which is comparable to the standards. Keeping quality is very good, tubers are stored for more than a year without loss of consumer and marketable qualities, while not sprouting.

Our hero's taste is very good. Medium-boiling tubers, suitable for cooking any kind of food. They are equally good for cooking, frying, baking, stuffing, and will perfectly show themselves as an addition to salads, vegetable mixtures and soups. According to gardeners' reviews, Leader puree is simply gorgeous! The pulp has a pleasant consistency, the starch content in it fluctuates between 12-12.2%, which is 0.3-2.2% lower than the Pushkinets standard.

The variety is relatively undemanding to soil and climate, capable of adapting to various growing conditions. Gardeners noticed that the yield is not particularly dependent on the weather, even in the worst seasons, potatoes can show impressive results. However, plants are very responsive to additional attention, and competent agricultural technology has a positive effect on the amount of harvest. Here are some simple tips to help you succeed in growing this strain.

• Tubers have a pronounced dormant period, so it is strongly recommended to germinate them before planting. In general, experts recommend greening seed material in the fall.
• Landing in the ground can be done only when it warms up to about + 10 ° C. Return frosts will affect the plants very painfully, so do not rush to plant.

• The soil for growing potatoes must be well prepared - fertilized, plowed, hardened. The leader loves light, so the site should be sunny.
• They are planted according to the scheme 35 × 65-70 cm.The depth of embedding on heavy soils is about 5-6 cm, on loose soils - 12-15 cm.
• During the growing season of plants, do not forget about the standard agricultural practices. These include weeding, loosening the soil and hilling, preventive treatments against diseases and pests, fertilizing and watering.As for the latter, special attention should be paid to sufficient soil moisture - the variety does not tolerate drought well, it feels better in moist soils.
• Fertilizers should be applied as needed, but in most cases they are required. Plants actively use nutrients and minerals of the soil, so you need to provide them with regular feeding in sufficient quantities. Just do not get carried away with nitrogen-containing fertilizers - their excess content in the soil can lead to increased leaf growth to the detriment of tuberization.
• Maintain crop rotation. This is especially important for this potato, as it is susceptible to late blight. If you plant tubers in an area where other nightshades have previously grown, the likelihood of infection of plants with diseases characteristic of this culture will increase.

The leader is highly resistant to the causative agent of cancer. It is relatively resistant to common scab and rhizoctonia. Susceptible to golden cyst nematode. According to the All-Russian Research Institute of Phytopathology, it is vulnerable to the late blight causative agent both in the tops and in the tubers, but it manages to yield the crop before it appears.

Gardeners speak very positively about this variety. It has a lot of advantages: high yield, excellent taste and versatility in cooking, excellent presentation and resistance to mechanical damage, undemanding to growing conditions, unpretentious care, early amicable ripening, excellent keeping quality of tubers. Also, a separate point should be noted the independence of the yield from the weather conditions of the season - while other varieties suffer a complete fiasco, our hero continues to remain at his best.

Among the shortcomings, it is worth highlighting the susceptibility to golden cyst nematode and late blight. It also includes weak drought resistance. However, a skilled gardener can easily cope with these problems. Otherwise, Leader is a wonderful potato that will definitely delight you with its taste and yield!