Pike potato facts for kids

The Pike potato is a special type of potato. It was created by scientists at Cornell University and Pennsylvania Experimental Stations in March 1996. This potato began as a "cross" in 1981. This means two different potato types, 'Allegany' and 'Atlantic potato', were bred together.

The Pike potato is strong! It can fight off many plant diseases. These include the golden nematode, common scab, golden necrosis, and a leaf disease called Phytophthora. Farmers grow Pike potatoes mainly to make delicious potato chips.

What Makes Pike Potatoes Special?

The Pike potato has several unique features that make it a great choice for farmers and chip makers.

How Pike Potatoes Look

• Pike potato plants grow to a medium height.
• Their leaves are a nice medium green color.
• Each leaf has three pairs of smaller leaves called leaflets.
• The flowers have orange anthers, which are the parts that hold pollen.
• The potatoes themselves, called tubers, are round.
• They have a skin color with a slightly flaky surface.

Growing and Using Pike Potatoes

• Pike is a "full season" potato. This means it takes a whole growing season to be ready for harvest.
• Its specific gravity is similar to the 'Atlantic' potato. This is a measure of how dense the potato is.
• When stored at 7 degrees Celsius (about 45 degrees Fahrenheit), Pike potatoes still make light-colored chips. This is important for chip companies.