Freedom Russet

Potato

Variety Description

Varieties used for comparison: 'Russet Burbank' and 'TX1523-1RU/Y'

Summary: 'Freedom Russet' has a more upright growth habit than the reference varieties. 'Freedom Russet' has a shorter leaf length than 'Russet Burbank' and a narrower leaf than both reference varieties. 'Freedom Russet' has a darker leaf than the reference varieties. 'Freedom Russet' has a higher frequency of coalescence of the terminal and lateral leaflets than the reference varieties. 'Freedom Russet' has red-violet corolla colour while 'Russet Burbank' has white corolla colour. 'Freedom Russet' has white tuber flesh while 'TX1523-1RU/Y' has light to medium yellow tuber flesh. 'Freedom Russet' has a medium sized light sprout while 'Russet Burbank' has a small light sprout and 'TX1523-1RU/Y' has a large light sprout. 'Freedom Russet' has a broad cylindrical shaped light sprout while the reference varieties have an ovoid shaped light sprout. 'Freedom Russet' has sparser pubescence on the light sprout base than the reference varieties.

Description:

PLANT: upright growth habit, leaf type foliage structure
STEM: no anthocyanin colouration, thin to medium thickness, nodes with low swelling

LEAVES: dark green, intermediate silhouette, no anthocyanin colouration on upper side of rachis and on petiole, medium depth of veins, absent or very weak waviness of margin, medium glossiness on upper side, medium pubescence on leaves at apical rosette, very weak presence of secondary leaflets
TERMINAL LEAFLET: narrow ovate shape, acuminate tip, acute to obtuse base, medium to high frequency of coalescence with lateral leaflets
LATERAL LEAFLETS: small, narrow ovate shape, acute tip, cordate base

INFLORESCENCE: high flowering profusion, small, flower buds persistent, medium anthocyanin colouration in flower bud.
COROLLA: red-violet, medium anthocyanin on inner side, medium size, weakly prominent star, weak anthocyanin colouration on peduncle

TUBER: elliptical to oblong
TUBER SKIN: beige, yellow at base of eye, russetted to heavily russetted texture
TUBER EYES: shallow, evenly distributed, eyebrows not prominent
TUBER FLESH: white, no secondary colour

LIGHT SPROUT: medium size, broad cylindrical shape, medium number of root tips, short lateral shoots
BASE: medium to strong anthocyanin colouration, absent or low proportion of blue in anthocyanin, sparse pubescence
TIP: smaller than base in size, closed habit, weak anthocyanin colouration, sparse pubescence.

Origin & Breeding History: 'Freedom Russet' originated from a cross between ND 14-1 rus and W 1005-rus, made at the Rhinelander Agricultural Research Station, Madison, Wisconsin, USA in 1991. A conventional breeding scheme based on individual clonal selection in generation F1 was used. The main selection criteria used in selection of this variety were tuber shape and resistance to scab and Verticillium wilt.

Tests & Trials: Trials for 'Freedom Russet' were conducted in Drummond, New Brunswick in 2006. All entries were planted in single-row plots. Plots consisted of rows 22 metres long with 30 cm in row spacing and between row spacing of 91 cm. Measured characteristics were based on 10 measurements. Colour determinations were made using the 1986 RHS colour chart.

Comparison tables for 'Freedom Russet' with reference varieties 'Russet Burbank' and 'TX1523-1RU/Y'

Leaf length (cm)

Leaf width (cm)

Colour of corolla (RHS)

Click on image for larger view

Potato: 'Freedom Russet' (centre) with reference varieties 'TX1523-1RU/Y' (left) and 'Russet Burbank' (right)