Potatoes are an indispensable product in our diet. To grow a vegetable on their own in the garden, many try to choose a less whimsical and most delicious variety. These qualities are possessed by potatoes of the Adretta variety. It will be discussed in the article.
Selection history
It used to be that if the potato has yellow flesh, then it is fodder - and the vegetable was sent for livestock. But such tubers had a more attractive appearance than those whose pulp was white. Therefore, in 1975, breeders from Germany decided to try to bring table potatoes with yellow pulp from forage varieties.
Did you know? The world leader in growing potatoes is China. In 2016, 99.1 million metric tons of this vegetable were produced in the country.
The experiment was not just successful: the new variety had excellent taste and was among the best varieties of our time.
Description and general description
Adretta bush - medium branching, low (up to 0.6 m), with large light green foliage with a rough surface. Leaflets erect. Actively developing at the initial stage of the growing season. During flowering, the bush is densely dotted with small snow-white flowers.
Tubers form early. On average, under one bush you can find 8-12 rounded fruits. Their weight can vary between 95-180 grams. They are covered with a thin rough skin with small eyes. The pulp is yellow, juicy, contains a lot of starch (16–23%). Root crops high.
Distinctive characteristics of the variety:
- medium-late variety, 80–115 days for ripening;
- tolerates drought and temperature surges;
- the bush has erect shoots and large foliage;
- the tubers have a thin skin;
- resistant to most diseases, but in the rain can be affected by scab, late blight;
- the starch content in the pulp is 16-23%, which makes it friable after cooking;
- productivity is high - 4.5–5 kg / m².
Advantages and disadvantages of culture
Potato Adretta has not only positive qualities, the variety also has disadvantages.
- Pros:
- unpretentiousness;
- resistance to changes in weather conditions;
- resistance to most diseases;
- good yield;
- high crop keeping;
- good commercial qualities of tubers;
- universality of culture.
- Minuses:
- if drought occurs during the emergence period, it will rise weakly;
- unstable to late blight and scab;
- stored tubers germinate early.
Productivity
As noted, the yield of the variety is quite high. Under one bush, 8–12 tubers are formed, as a result of which 40–45 tons of tubers can be harvested from one hectare of potato beds.
Taste qualities
The potato flesh is juicy, crumbly, not watery. From it you can cook various dishes. In addition, it contains many useful substances, for example, B vitamins and a number of minerals.
Optimal landing times
Depending on the region, the landing of the Adretta is carried out in April or the first decade of May. By this time, the soil at a depth of 8-10 centimeters should warm up to + 10 ° C.
Important! Planting a vegetable is better on a warm, dry day.
Planting and growing potatoes
The technology of planting potatoes is straightforward. The main thing is to choose the right place for landing and timely prepare the planting material.
Soil requirements
Adretta is undemanding to soil fertility. It is suitable for sandy, sandy loam soil or chernozem. The variety will grow on clay soil, if the latter is well fertilized with litter manure with hay and straw content of about 60%, and will often loosen. Acidic soils are not suitable.
It is advisable to choose a plot for the bed not in the shade, since due to lack of lighting only the ground part of the plant will grow abundantly.
Preparing planting material
Seed material must be carefully prepared before planting. 2-3 weeks before the expected day of planting, the tubers selected in advance are taken to a warm, bright place so that they “wake up”. Such conditions stimulate the formation of shoots in the eyes.
Planting fruits should be medium in size, without rot and mold. If the tuber is large, it can be cut in half. A week before planting, seed material is quenched: it is kept warm during the day and cold at night. 2-3 days before disembarkation, disinfection is performed.
It is treated with “Maxim” preparations, copper chloride, Bordeaux liquid.
Landing technology
Landing is made in the grooves, which are preferably carried out on the bed in the direction from south to north. Grooves break through with an interval of 70–75 cm. They dig holes in them with a depth of 10–15 cm at a distance of 30–35 cm one from one.
Important! If potatoes are grown in cold climates, the bottom of the hole should be covered with straw or branches to protect the planting material from sudden frost.
It is advisable to pour a little ash or mineral fertilizers into each well. Some gardeners also put a clove of garlic to protect the plant from the bear.
Variety care after planting
For the gardener, the main thing in choosing a cultivar is unpretentiousness. Such quality is possessed by potatoes Adretta. But in order to get a good crop, you still need to make some efforts and follow the rules for caring for the plant.
Hilling and loosening the soil
Over the entire growth period, Adretta is spurred twice. For the first time, the procedure is performed 14 days after germination. After 10-15 days, the bushes spud again. The procedure is as follows: from the aisles, the earth is raked under the bushes, forming mounds. Such actions help strengthen the plant and stimulate it to form new tubers.
Watering and fertilizing
Irrigation is carried out regularly. Water is poured from the hose into the grooves or a drip irrigation system is used. For 1 m², it is advisable to spend 10 liters of liquid. Water the crop in the morning, before sunrise or in the evening, after sunset, so that its rays do not "cook" the tubers.
The frequency of irrigation depends on weather conditions. The norm is considered irrigation with an interval of 3-4 days. It is not necessary to fill the plant.
In order for the tubers to grow large, it is necessary to fertilize the plant. If the soil is nutritious, fertilizing is sufficient twice a season. Poor soil is fertilized more often. The first top dressing is carried out 2-3 weeks after germination. Organics are used, for example, mullein solution.
Reapply nutrients at the end of the flowering period. Now it is desirable to give preference to mineral complexes with a high content of potassium. Fertilizers are applied in dry form before irrigation or diluted with water and used for irrigation.
Pest and Disease Control
The main ailments affecting Adretta:
- Blackleg. It is manifested by foliage deformation, withering and decaying tops. If an affected bush is found, it is removed from the garden so that the disease does not spread. The place after it is treated with ash with copper sulfate.
- Common scab. Because of it, the tubers become covered with spots, ulcers, cracks. Full treatment is not possible. You can only stop the development of the disease by lowering the acidity of the soil with ash, lime. For preventive purposes, it is necessary to carry out the treatment with fungicides of the seed material.
- Rhizoctonia. It appears black spots and growths on tubers. You can resist the disease by prophylactic treatment of seed with fungicides, as well as the introduction of potash fertilizers into the soil.
- Late blight. It attacks the foliage of the plant and manifests itself in the form of dark spots on it, which gradually increase in size. As a result, the sheet completely dies. You can cure the disease with Oxychom (10 g per 6-8 l of water), as well as the timely destruction of dry tops.
Did you know? Ukraine is in third place in the world in terms of the number of potatoes consumed per capita (136 kg). Bypassed her Belarus (181 kg) and Kyrgyzstan (143 kg).
Among pests, the main enemy of potatoes of any kind is the Colorado potato beetle. It can be driven away by treating the bushes with insecticides, but this is not for long. Therefore, it is better to collect them by hand, breaking off also the leaves with larvae settled on them. Collected pests need to be carried off-site and destroyed.
Features of harvesting and storage of crops
The ripening time of the variety is 80–115 days from the moment of planting. Usually harvesting in the middle lane falls at the beginning of September, although you can enjoy the first tubers by the end of June. It is undesirable to overexposure the crop, as it may begin to rot.
The time when you can start digging tubers is determined by the tops. By the time the tubers are fully ripened, the tops will have dried and the peel will become coarser.
It is advisable to harvest in dry weather, so that it is easier to shake the ground from potatoes. They dig out a shovel or using a walk-behind tractor. Crop sorted, cleaned from the ground and put in a dry place to dry.
Potatoes need three to four days to cure. After it is packed in bags and lowered into the cellar, where there should be good ventilation, and the temperature is not higher than + 3 ° С.
Potato Adretta has fruits of almost perfect shape. It is easy to grow, and after that it is pleasant to use in any form, since the taste of tubers is excellent.
