Winter this year in most of the country was snowy and cold. However, soon the beginning of the season is a hot season, which is better to approach fully armed. Two important points occupy a special place in the large list of things a potato grower has to do: preparing his own seeds for planting and carrying out varietal renewal (acquiring new healthy material with good yield potential).
Company NORIKA - as a breeder and seed producer - cares about the quality of the original seed material - one of the main components of a successful harvest, because the shortcomings of seeds are difficult to correct (We wrote about this in more detail in the previous issue of the magazine in the article: "Seeds with excellent pedigree." How to avoid potato degeneration and get rich harvests ")... In this issue, we want to raise an equally relevant topic - the choice of a variety.
What to prefer from a wide variety of proposals? Potato growers ask this question regularly. There is no single answer, since a lot depends on the individual requirements and tasks of the economy.
The main criteria for choosing a variety are:
- demand in the market;
- varietal traits that meet market needs and growing conditions;
- plasticity or the possibility of production in specific soil and climatic conditions;
- availability of high-quality certified seeds on sale (without this, you cannot evaluate the potential of the variety, and you cannot earn money).
Many farmers also pay close attention to:
- ripening dates;
- productivity;
- resistance to pathogens and adverse environmental factors;
- resistance to mechanical damage;
- keeping quality (dormant period);
- the alignment of tubers under the bush;
- marketability (what it looks like in the window \ in the grid \ washed);
- resistance of the pulp to darkening (when it comes to processing);
- the demand for the variety and the selling price;
- advantages in comparison with other varieties (from the same ripening group / similar in spring characteristics, etc.);
- taste qualities.
There are many parameters, and when choosing a variety, an agricultural producer always balances, highlighting the most important for himself.
Which varieties of NORIKA selection have proven themselves as reliable and promising, And why do we recommend paying attention to new items? Let's talk about the example of a variety GALA.
The demand for it has remained steadily high for many years, because everyone knows it. Meanwhile, the variety gained popularity not immediately after entering the State Register (2008). The employees of the NORIKA company had to do a great job in order to learn, and subsequently to teach agricultural producers to get the most out of the variety, to fully reveal its potential. It took about seven years for the GALA variety to firmly enter the production programs of NORIKA partners, and now, for several years in a row, it is the most popular variety in Russia (data from the Federal State Budgetary Institution Rosselkhoztsentr on planting areas).
Working out the cultivation technology of each variety takes time, farmers need not only to learn about the benefits of a new breeding achievement, but also to learn how to work with it.
By purchasing seeds from the originator, you can not only get detailed information about varietal characteristics, but also correctly select a variety for specific growing conditions.
To date, 35 varieties of the NORIKA selection are included in the State Register of Breeding Achievements approved for use on the territory of the Russian Federation, three varieties are under state variety testing.
Consider those that have already proven themselves in the market: Vega (2013), the Inara (2013), the Fidelia (2014), the Wendy (2014), the Merlot (2015). All of them belong to the canteen category, have excellent optical characteristics, are resistant to a variety of pathogens, are flexible in cultivation, and have an impeccable taste.
No less interesting Estrella (2011) Dolphin (2011) Safia (2015) Aksenia (2015) are varieties of Lange breeding (Saatzucht Fritz Lange), since 2018 NORIKA is their copyright holder.
The company's new products also received the highest ratings from agricultural producers - Baltic Rose и Passwords (2019). The seed material of these varieties is often redeemed "on the vine", even in the field. Applications for it must be submitted in advance, preferably in the fall.
It is also necessary to mention a separate group of varieties for processing - this is a completely separate market, which was formed in Russia not so long ago. Interest in them is just waking up, although some varieties already have a solid "work experience". For example, sort Albatross, which is characterized by a high starch content, was included in the register 20 years ago, and began to be in high demand recently, thanks to the development of a specialized production line.
Today the NORIKA line includes:
• varieties for the production of chips: Pirol (2005) Kibits (2011);
• varieties for fries: Linus and Ikarus (they are undergoing state variety testing);
• varieties for processing into starch: Albatross and Partner (the first year at the state variety test).
It should be noted that the seed material of these varieties is scarcely available for sale.
The bulk of these products are produced by order of farms specializing in the cultivation of raw materials for processing enterprises, in the volumes stipulated by contracts.)
Seed production is a rather complex process, which includes not just reproduction of potatoes year after year, but bringing the original seed potato material to the elite class indicators in the production process, which in turn is achieved in conditions of spatial isolation, as a result of the use of special seed-growing agricultural practices, with numerous phyto-cleanings, during which specialists of the originators evaluate each plant in the field for its exact belonging to a particular variety and the absence of pathogens.
All buyers of seed potatoes from NORIKA-SLAVIA LLC (the exclusive representative of NORIKA in the Russian Federation) receive a document confirming the authenticity of the variety, its real class and quality indicators - CERTIFICATE OF CONFORMITY. It is important to understand that this is not just a bureaucratic paper, but a final document confirming the successful passage of a batch of seed potatoes through all stages of the certification process.
In order for a certain variety to show itself as well as possible, mistakes in agricultural technology must be eliminated. It should be borne in mind that not all varieties, especially if we are talking about intensive ones, are suitable for the standard cultivation technology. Sometimes, to achieve the desired values, it is enough to simply add food. Understanding this, the company "NORIKA-SLAVIA" LLC is not limited to the sale of seeds, and consultations at the implementation stage, but provides agricultural support throughout the growing season. The company's specialists visit farms in different regions, analyze how potatoes are grown, identify problems and give recommendations, helping the customer from the first year of production trials to maximize the potential of a new variety for him.
We know the characteristics of our varieties, we have extensive experience with them in various regions, and we are ready to help you choose the best options according to your requirements. A rich assortment is the trademark of NORIKA, and we always have something to offer in each specific case.
Full information about the varieties is presented on the website norika.ru The company's specialists are always ready to answer your questions. In addition, we actively maintain pages on social networks and are as open as possible for communication.