Megachip facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Potato 'MegaChip' |
|
|---|---|
| Genus | Solanum |
| Species | Solanum tuberosum |
| Hybrid parentage | 'Wischip' v 'FYF85' |
| Cultivar | 'MegaChip' |
MegaChip is a special kind of potato! It's a round, white potato known for making really good potato chips. It has the right size and density for crispy, delicious chips.
This potato was created by scientists at a research station in Wisconsin, USA. They carefully bred different potato types together. 'MegaChip' was developed from a "cross" (like mixing the genes) of two other potatoes called 'Wischip' and 'FYF85'. This special breeding process started way back in 1985. 'MegaChip' potatoes make high-quality chips that have a great color, whether they are used right after being harvested or after being stored for a while in cool temperatures.
What Makes MegaChip Special?
How It Grows (Botanical Features)
The 'MegaChip' potato has some unique features in how it grows:
- It's a medium-late variety, meaning it takes a bit longer to grow before it's ready for harvest, especially for making chips.
- Its potatoes (called tubers) are round to oval in shape and can be medium to large in size.
- The inside of the potato is white. It has a high "specific gravity," which means it's quite dense. This is important for making good chips.
- These potatoes can also be stored for a medium-long time before they start to sprout, which is called dormancy.
- The leaves of the 'MegaChip' plant are a dark green color.
- Each plant usually has four to seven groups of flowers, called inflorescences.
- Each flower group has about 12 individual flowers (florets). The stalks that hold these flowers (peduncles) are of medium length.
Growing MegaChip (Agricultural Features)
Farmers like growing 'MegaChip' potatoes because they have some helpful features:
- They are very good at resisting a common potato problem called "scab." This means the potatoes are less likely to get rough, scabby spots on their skin.
- They are also pretty good at resisting other plant diseases. These include "foliar early blight" (a leaf disease), "powdery scab" (another skin disease), "pink rot" and "dry rot" (diseases that cause the potato to decay), and "soft rot" (which makes the potato soft and mushy).
- 'MegaChip' potatoes are fairly resistant to "shatter bruise." This means they don't easily break or get damaged when they are harvested or moved around.
- Farmers can count on getting a similar amount of potatoes each year, as the yields (how much they harvest) are stable.
