Potato variety Rodrigo (Rodriga)

Rodrigo is a German medium early potato variety (Solanum tuberosum) for table use. Bred by employees of Solana GmbH & CO KG. In 2008 he was included in the state register of breeding achievements of the Russian Federation under the official name "Rodriga". Approved for cultivation in five regions of the country: Central, Volgo-Vyatka, North Caucasian, Middle Volga, Far East. Differs in large tubers with a large mass. Suitable for long-term storage.

The period from planting to harvest is 70-85 days.

The plant is tall or medium, intermediate type, not very spreading, the amount of green mass is medium or less. The main stem is semi-erect, there are few lateral ones. Leaves of medium size, intermediate type, without pubescence, green, sometimes dark green. Waviness of the edges of the sheet plate of medium intensity. Corollas are medium, red-violet in color. When the potato ripens, the tops turn yellow, the stems disintegrate and lay on the ground.

In one nest of Rodrigo, about 7-9 large tubers are formed with an average weight of about 200 grams, and sometimes up to 700-800 grams, there are practically no small ones. The tubers are oval in shape, the surface is even. The peel is red, strong, has a mesh structure, smooth or slightly rough to the touch. The pulp is light yellow in color, does not darken during heat treatment. The eyes are small, shallow, almost invisible.

Marketable yield, according to the results of state tests, on average 150-218 c / ha, at the level of variety standards Nevsky and 31 c / ha more than the potato standard Sorcerer... The largest harvest was obtained in the Republic of Tatarstan - 382 c / ha were harvested, at the level of the Nevsky standard. According to some data, it is possible to receive up to 450 centners from one hectare of area. Marketability is high - 85−96%, keeping quality - 95%. A special feature is that the tubers are resistant to freezing, due to which they can safely tolerate a violation of the temperature regime in the storage room, while not losing their consumer and commercial properties.

The taste is very good, even great! Rodrigo is classified as culinary type B (according to the EAPR classification - the European Association for Potato Research), a medium-boiling group. The finished pulp is medium crumbly, pleasant consistency, not watery. Tubers are suitable for preparing a variety of dishes, especially well suited for frying, baking, stuffing, and also perfectly complement soups, vegetable mixes and salads. Mashed potatoes are especially popular. According to gardeners, it turns out to be very rich and airy. By the way, housewives also note that cleaning the tubers does not take much time and labor, thanks to their flat surface and almost invisible eyes. The pulp contains about 12.5-15.4% starch, the amount of dry matter is within the normal range or slightly lower.

Rodrigo is undemanding to soil and climatic conditions of growth. Of course, it shows the best yield on light fertile soils, in zones with a mild climate, however, it adapts perfectly to unusual conditions for it, due to which it has spread quite widely throughout Russia. The variety is also highly resistant to drought and high temperatures, so it can be cultivated with good success in the southernmost corners of the country. Plants are unpretentious, do not require much attention and special conditions. But for the best results, you should take some care of them. Below is a small list of agrotechnical recommendations for cultivation and care.

• It is advisable to germinate the tubers before planting. This will contribute to better germination and a shorter growing season. You can also treat tubers with dressing and growth stimulants, but this event is optional. By the way, the seed material of this variety can be cut.

• You can grow Rodrigo using any technology. In addition to such common methods as Standard and Dutch, there are more "exotic" ones. For example, growing under straw. By the way, with this method, this potato shows a fairly good yield, while the amount of care for it is reduced to a minimum. You can also try bag or barrel growing technology.
• Tubers should be planted at a distance of about 30 cm from each other, with a planting depth of 8-10 cm.
• Plants respond well to standard agricultural practices such as soil loosening, hilling, watering and feeding, weeding, and treatment against diseases and pests. All these activities should be carried out in a timely manner, as needed. The amount of fertilizers applied to the soil varies depending on the characteristics of your site; the originator does not give specific instructions.
• Remember to maintain a crop rotation. This is very important, since when planting tubers in a place where other nightshades have previously grown, the likelihood of infection of plants with diseases characteristic of this crop increases. And this, in turn, leads to a decrease in productivity and the unsuitability of seed material for further use. The best precursors are legumes, cucumber, squash, cabbage, onions, beets, garlic, and green manure.

The variety is resistant to cancer, golden cyst-forming potato nematode, rhizoctonia, blackleg, glandular spot, and some viruses. However, it is still highly desirable to carry out timely preventive treatment of plants from diseases that are more common in your growing area.

The main feature of Rodrigo is undoubtedly the very large size of the tubers. According to some reports, one record-holder had a mass of 1200 grams! In this regard, the first digging can be carried out before full ripening, while the young crop will still delight you with its size.

Gardeners appreciate the amicable formation of tubers, their evenness and uniformity, the absence of trifles. They have an excellent presentation, a bright dark red peel perfectly protects them from mechanical damage, making them suitable for transportation and machine cleaning. The tubers are very well stored for a long time, do not germinate, and do not lose their excellent taste. Also, they perfectly tolerate the drop in temperature in the storage room and do not freeze.

It should also be noted that the variety is undemanding to growing conditions. It can be grown on almost any soil, and with standard agricultural techniques it is capable of producing a large amount of yield. In addition, the plants do not require special attention to themselves, and caring for them will not take you much time and effort. The drought resistance of our hero deserves a separate mention, and therefore the possibility of his cultivation in areas with very hot summers.

It should be noted the good resistance of this potato to a variety of diseases and, of course, the high yield of Rodrigo. From one nest with minimal labor costs, it is possible to stably receive about 3 kg of tubers, and this is far from the limit!

Nevertheless, gardeners consider the most important advantage of this variety to be its taste. Among all the variety of varieties, it is sometimes very difficult to find one that will be both fruitful, and unpretentious, and tasty. Our hero fits all these points perfectly! According to the reviews of the hostesses, it is from this potato that the best mashed potatoes are obtained, both in consistency and in taste.

Among this large list of advantages, there are several disadvantages. Tubers are quite sensitive to waterlogged soil and can start to rot. Because of this, yields can be severely reduced during very rainy seasons.However, by providing drainage from plantings, the damage will be noticeably reduced. Some gardeners note that it is on their site that the tubers of this variety do not reach the declared outstanding sizes. This happens due to the peculiarities of the soil or lack of care - it's hard to say, but still, most of the reviews about Rodrigo from different regions of the country are positive, so it's definitely worth trying to grow him.