Blue Danube potatoes

The main problem in the cultivation of potatoes is the danger of being damaged by late blight and other diseases of the nightshade, therefore varieties with strong immunity are especially valuable. These potatoes can be grown organically with little or no chemistry. The British variety Blue Danube has become a prominent representative of highly resistant potatoes with great potential for private and industrial cultivation.

The cultivar was bred by specialists from the Sarvari Research Trust in North Wales. Since 2002, the Foundation has been engaged in the selection of potatoes resistant to infections and pests.

The organization owes its appearance to the breeding program of the Hungarian scientist Istvan Sarvari. Using the unique material from the Leningrad collection of Nikolai Vavilov, in the 1950s, Sarvari created potatoes with immunity to late blight. In the UK, they became interested in his research and continued them, and the varieties that were developed received the prefix Sarpo (from Sarvari Potatoes) in their names.

Blue Danube (Sarpo Blue Danube) was created on the basis of the most famous work of Sarvari - the Sarpo Mira variety. The unique color of the peel and the Hungarian pedigree are the reason for the sonorous name of the variety. The Blue Danube quickly spread in Europe and today is one of the most popular "family members" of the Sarpo potato.

Blue Danube is a medium early high-yielding table variety with good drought resistance and strong immunity. It is undemanding to the quality of the soil and adapts to various climatic conditions.

Oval tubers of blue-violet color have an average weight of 150 g and are universal. The crop is not damaged during mechanized harvesting and is perfectly transported even over long distances.

The variety forms a medium-sized, upright bush with a strong stem. The plant is densely covered with dark green and wavy leaves at the edges, and during the flowering period it looks very decorative: the flowers are large, with rich purple petals and a yellow center of stamens collected in a long tube.

Each bush yields about 10 tubers. The Blue Danube tuber is smooth and dense, with a few shallow eyes and a purple rind. Tuber weight ranges from 100 to 250 g. The shape is elongated-oval, slightly flattened. When cut, the potato is white.

The Blue Danube belongs to culinary type B, it is characterized by a moderately dense, slightly digestible consistency and universal use. Mealy and starchiness are average, about 15%. The taste is very good, full-bodied, without wateriness. You can use such potatoes in a variety of ways: boil and cut into salads, stew, stuff, fry, add to soups.

The variety belongs to the medium early, the roots are ready to be harvested in 65-80 days from the moment of germination. Harvested in August, in dry weather.

The Blue Danube consistently yields high yields: the bush yields 2-3 kg, and with commercial cultivation from 1 hectare get from 350 to 400 centners.The tubers in the collection are practically uniform in size, the indicators of the presentation at the output are excellent - 84-96%.

The variety is well known in Germany, Poland and other European countries. In Russia, he is just beginning to gain popularity. This potato is well acclimatized, prefers regions with a moderately mild climate, but tolerates dry summers and weather changes without problems.

Planting is usually carried out in late April or early May, the soil temperature should be at least 8-12 ° C. Choose the sunny part of the site, without stagnation of moisture in the soil. The disinfected planting material is placed in the direction from north to south after about 30 cm, 60-70 cm is left between the rows.

Further care consists in hilling potato plantings, mulching, weeding. Plants can be fertilized with organic matter (compost), the variety does not need mineral additives.

Watering should be moderate, spend it in the evening. Watering should be stopped three weeks before harvest.

The variety does not have special requirements for the soil; it yields even on poor soil. Chernozem, loam, sandy loam are ideal.

The main advantage of the varieties of the Sarpo family is their resistance to late blight. The Blue Danube is immune to the following infections:

• late blight of tubers;
• common and black scab;
• blackleg;
• fusarium;
• alternaria;
• phytopathogen of potato cancer;
• pathogenic Y-virus (PVY).

The British producers themselves note that the Blue Danube has a lower resistance to late blight of leaves than Sarpo Mir, but the rest of the variety is not satisfactory. It also perfectly resists the raids of pests, is not affected by the golden nematode.