Potato variety Bullfinch

Bullfinch is a Russian early maturing potato variety (Solanum tuberosum) for table use. Was bred by distant hybridization with subsequent selection. Employees of the Leningrad Scientific Research Institute of Agriculture “Belogorka” and the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution “Institute of General Genetics named after V.I. N.I. Vavilov ”, namely N. Gadzhiev, V. Lebedev, M. Ivanov, Z. Evdokimova. In 2001, the variety was included in the state register of breeding achievements of the Russian Federation in eight regions: North, North-West, Central, Volgo-Vyatka, Central Black Earth, Middle Volga, Ural and Far East. This potato is intended for cultivation in garden and garden plots, as well as in small farms.

The time from the emergence of full shoots to full maturation is 60-70 days, the first crop can be harvested on the 45th day of the growing season.

Plant of medium height, intermediate type, with a moderate amount of green mass. The main stem is semi-erect or erect. The leaves are large, weak waviness is visible at the edges, or absent. The flowers are medium-sized, reddish-purple in color.

The root system of this potato is well developed, up to 15 tubers weighing 59-90 grams are formed in one nest, there are practically no trifles. The tubers are oval-rounded. The rind is pink or light red, sometimes darker, smooth or moderately rough to the touch. The flesh on the cut is white. The eyes are small, almost invisible, painted in a bright red color, often stand out against the general background.

As for the color of the peel and eyes, one nuance should be mentioned. Bullfinch is often confused with the Picasso variety. But the last color of the peel is yellow, and our hero is red. Also, Picasso has characteristic spots around the eyes, but our variety does not. Be careful when buying seed material!

Marketable yield, according to state tests, averages 180-271 c / ha, 105 c / ha higher than the results of Pushkinets. In the Leningrad Region, on the 45th day after germination (during the first digging), 130 centners were obtained from one hectare, on the 55th day of vegetation (during the second digging) - 210 centners / ha, 40 centners / ha more than the standard. The maximum yield was recorded in the same area - 354 c / ha, 139 c / ha higher than the established norm. Marketability ranges from 65-85%. Bullfinch's keeping quality is very good - 95%.

Potatoes have excellent taste. In cooking, it is versatile, suitable for cooking any dishes. According to some reports, the tasting assessment of boiled tubers is 7 points. The pulp has a pleasant texture, without excessive wateriness or dryness. The starch content is slightly increased - 15.7-16%, 0.3-0.6% more than the established standard.

The Snegir variety is distinguished by its unpretentiousness to growing conditions and undemanding to soils, due to which it has spread widely throughout Russia. In addition, in agricultural technology, it is absolutely simple and, with minimal care, is capable of producing a large amount of harvest. Below are the basic guidelines for growing.

• Before planting, a selection of seed should be carried out. Tubers of medium size, even, without signs of disease and pests are best suited.
• The recommended seeding pattern is 60 × 35 cm. The seeding depth is 8-10 cm.
• During the growing season of plants, do not forget about standard agricultural techniques, such as loosening the soil, hilling, weeding, preventive treatment against insects and diseases. As for watering and feeding, these activities are carried out as needed. In northern regions with cool summers and heavy rainfall, potatoes can do without watering at all. And fertilization is usually required for soils that are poor in nutrients and trace elements.
• An important point is compliance with crop rotation. The best predecessors will be legumes, cabbage, zucchini, cucumber, onion, garlic, beets, green manure.

The variety is resistant to cancer, macrosporiosis, viruses, rarely affected by scab, but susceptible to golden cyst nematode. Tubers are moderately susceptible to late blight, the tops are affected more often.

Bullfinch has gained wide popularity in garden plots throughout the country in a short period of time. This is one of the best domestic early varieties. It has many advantages: high yield, amicable formation of tubers, excellent taste, suitability for long-term storage, as well as undemanding to soils and climatic conditions of growth. Even in bad weather seasons, plants are capable of producing large amounts of crops. Of the shortcomings, it can be noted that susceptibility to a nematode, but if all preventive measures are followed, this nuance will not become a problem.

And now some of the author's own observations. This potato proved to be excellent in the experimental areas of the Ural Research Institute of Agriculture, as well as on personal household plots. Tubers are large, uniform, very few small, ripen amicably. The yield is high even under unfavorable weather conditions, especially in comparison with the performance of some other domestic varieties. However, in order to obtain the best results, it is necessary to carefully consider the choice of planting material, as well as its timely updating. Purchase seed material only from trusted sellers, since often unscrupulous firms sell disease-infected tubers, and also offer a completely different variety under the guise of Bullfinch, inferior in quality.

In addition to the originators, the cultivation is officially carried out by: LLC "Breeding firm" Liga "" and LLC "Slavyanka-M" in the Leningrad region, FGBNU Kaliningrad Research Institute of Agriculture, ONO "Kholmogorsk Experimental Station of Livestock and Plant Breeding" in the Arkhangelsk Region, Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education RSAU-Moscow Agricultural Academy named after K .AND. Timiryazeva in Moscow, FGBUN "Federal Research Center" Kazan Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences "" in the Republic of Tatarstan, FGBNU "Ural Research Institute of Agriculture" in Yekaterinburg, FGBNU "Udmurt Research Institute of Agriculture", GAU SPC "Mossemprodtekhkartofel" "In Moscow, farm" Egorsha "in the Tula region.