Blazer Russet: An early to mid-season potato cultivar with high U.S. No. 1 yields and good processing and culinary qualities.

Authors: STARK, J. - UNIV OF ID, ID FALLS; Novy, Richard - Rich; LOVE, S. - UNIV OF ID, ABERDEEN; Whitworth, Jonathan; CORSINI, DENNIS - RETIRED ABERDEEN USDA-ARS; PAVEK, J. - RETIRED ABERDEEN USDA-ARS; MOSLEY, A. - RETIRED OREGON STATE UNIV; PAVEK, M. - WASHINGTON STATE UNIV; KNOWLES, N. - WASHINGTON STATE UNIV; THORNTON, R. - WASHINGTON STATE UNIV; JAMES, S. - OR STATE UNIV, REDMOND; HANE, D. - OR STATE UNIV, HERMISTON; OLSEN, N. - UNIV OF ID, T FALLS, ID; VALES, M. - OR STATE UNIV, CORVALLIS; Brown, Charles

Submitted to: American Journal of Potato Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/24/2007
Publication Date: 11/1/2007
Citation: Stark, J.C., Novy, R.G., Love, S.L., Whitworth, J.L., Corsini, D.L., Pavek, J.J., Mosley, A.R., Pavek, M.J., Knowles, N.R., Thornton, R.E., James, S.R., Hane, D.C., Olsen, N., Vales, M.I., Brown, C.R. 2007. Blazer Russet: An early to mid-season potato cultivar with high U.S. No. 1 yields and good processing and culinary qualities.. American Journal of Potato Research. 84 (6):467-477

Interpretive Summary: The potato cultivar ‘Blazer Russet’ is an early to mid-season cultivar notable for its high U.S. No. 1 yield of medium-russeted tubers. It was released in 2005 by the USDA-Agricultural Research Service and the Agricultural Experiment Stations of Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. Blazer Russet is suitable for processing into French fries and other frozen potato products directly from the field or from extended storage. Blazer Russet also may be used for fresh market consumption, with sensory evaluations similar to those of Russet Burbank.

Technical Abstract: Blazer Russet is an early to mid-season cultivar notable for its high U.S. No. 1 yield of medium-russeted tubers, and its good processing and culinary qualities. It was derived from the cross A7816-14 x NorKing Russet and was released in 2005 by the USDA-ARS and the agricultural experiment stations of Idaho, Oregon and Washington. Blazer Russet is very suitable for processing into French fries and other frozen potato products directly from the field or from extended storage, with higher merit scores than Russet Burbank and Ranger Russet in processing and post-harvest evaluations. Blazer Russet also has high merit for use in the fresh market, with sensory evaluations comparable to those of Russet Burbank. Total yields for Blazer Russet at five early harvest trial locations in the western U.S. were 12% greater than either Russet Norkotah or Shepody, while U.S. No. 1 yields were 12% greater than Russet Norkotah and 35% greater than Shepody. Specific gravities of Blazer Russet tubers were comparable to tubers of Shepody, and higher than those of Russet Norkotah in early harvest trials. In full-season trials in the western U.S., total yields for Blazer Russet were slightly lower than Ranger Russet and slightly higher than Russet Burbank, but U.S. No. 1 yields were 8% greater than Ranger Russet and 38% greater than Russet Burbank. In these full-season trials, tuber specific gravity of Blazer Russet was similar to Russet Burbank, but lower than Ranger Russet. Blazer Russet is resistant to sugar ends, tuber malformations and most internal and external defects; the exception being its moderate susceptibility to hollow heart. Blazer Russet is resistant to common scab, tuber powdery scab, and PVX, and has moderate resistance to blackspot bruise, and tuber late blight infections. It is moderately susceptible to powdery scab root galling, PVYo, early blight infection of the tuber, Erwinia soft rot, and Fusarium dry rot. Blazer Russet is susceptible to Verticillium wilt, pink rot, PLRV net necrosis, corky ringspot, and foliar early blight and late blight.