Potato variety Pennant
Pennant is a mid-season table potato variety (Solanum tuberosum), bred by Russian breeders. It was received by the specialists of the A. G. Lorkh All-Union Potato Research Institute in cooperation with Agrocenter Korenevo LLC. Authors: Simakov E.A., Grigoriev G.V., Mityushkin A.V., Zhuravlev A.A., Salyukov S.S., Ovechkin S.V., Boyko V.V. Our hero was bred by crossing the famous Picasso and a numbered hybrid 128-6. More recently, in 2016, it was included in the state register of breeding achievements of the Russian Federation. Zoned in three regions of the country: North-West, Central, Central Black Earth. It is appreciated for its ability to adapt to different growing conditions. Suitable for long-term storage. Great for processing into crispy potatoes.
The period from the moment of emergence to ripening takes 80-100 days, depending on the region of cultivation.
Plant of medium height or tall, intermediate type. Stems are semi-erect, few in number, of medium thickness, there is no anthocyanin coloration. The foliage is weak. Leaves are medium in size, closed, light green dull color, venation is moderately expressed. Corollas are small or medium-sized, white, the adhesion of the lobes is smooth. The inner side of the corolla has a weak anthocyanin coloration, sometimes it is completely absent. Berries are rarely formed. Stolons are short or medium, white.
Photo: FGBNU VNIIKH them. A.G. Lorkha. Site: vniikh.com
The root system of the Pennant is quite well developed, 7-12 medium-sized potatoes are formed on one plant. The mass of commercial tubers is noted in the range of 96-140 grams, on average, the weight fluctuates at the level of 80-100 grams. The tubers are oval-rounded. The peel is of a mesh structure, yellow in color, smooth to the touch. The flesh of potatoes on the cut is light yellow. The eyes are small or medium, not numerous. The depth of occurrence is medium or small.
According to the results of state tests, the marketable yield of the variety was recorded in the range of 241-430 c / ha, at the level and 85 c / ha higher than the indicators Lugovskoy... The maximum amount was collected in the Vologda region - 560 c / ha, 207 c / ha more than the established standards. According to the originator, the average yield fluctuates at the level of 500-550 c / ha. Marketability 82−98%, keeping quality 93%.
Pennant has a wonderful taste. The tubers are medium-sized, slightly cracked during cooking, but do not lose their shape. The pulp is moderately dense, with a very pleasant texture, slightly mealy, not watery, does not darken during heat treatment. Potatoes are best suited for mashed potatoes and baked, and will also work great in soups. The starch content in the pulp is quite high - 14-18%, which makes our hero suitable for processing into chips and potato products: starch, flour, dry puree. Also in the tubers there is an increased dry matter content, which can be confidently attributed to the pluses of the variety.
The variety is undemanding to soil and climate; it can grow in almost all regions of Russia. It is distinguished by its ability to adapt to different growing conditions. Also, its feature is drought resistance. Plants are unpretentious in care, they only require basic agrotechnical measures. By the way, tubers are resistant to mechanical damage, making Pennant suitable for mechanical harvesting.
Our hero is resistant to cancer, golden cyst nematode, moderately resistant to Alternaria and common scab. According to the originator, it is slightly affected by rhizoctonia and ring rot.According to the All-Russian Research Institute of Phytopathology, it is moderately susceptible to late blight pathogen in tubers and tops. The originator says that potatoes are resistant to late blight. In any case, preventive treatments will obviously not be superfluous.
The pennant has recently appeared on the wide market, therefore it has not yet gained sufficient popularity, but we can safely say that it will soon appear on the plots of many gardeners and on the industrial sown areas of large agricultural firms. It has a lot of advantages: high yield, unpretentious care, undemanding to soil and climate, drought resistance, excellent taste, good keeping quality and transportability, resistance to mechanical damage and many diseases.
No flaws in the variety have yet been identified. It has very great potential, and very soon it can become quite popular in the plots of gardeners, among other, long-known varieties.
