Ranger Russet facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Potato 'Ranger Russet' |
|
|---|---|
| Genus | Solanum |
| Species | Solanum tuberosum |
| Cultivar | 'Ranger Russet' |
| Breeder | Joseph J. Pavek, USDA |
| Origin | Aberdeen, Idaho, USA |
The Ranger Russet is a type of potato that grows later in the season. It's often used for baking or for making delicious fries. This potato was first created by Joseph J. Pavek. He worked for the USDA in Aberdeen, Idaho.
The USDA and farming stations in Idaho, Washington, Oregon, and Colorado officially released the Ranger Russet in 1991. This potato is not protected by special plant patents. It produces many potatoes, and they don't stay dormant (asleep) for a very long time.
What Does the Ranger Russet Potato Look Like?
The Ranger Russet plant is usually medium to tall in height. It stands somewhat upright. Its stems are slightly colored, and the parts where leaves join the stem (called nodes) are a bit swollen.
The leaves are open and medium green. The main veins on the leaves have a faint color. The plant has four pairs of main leaflets. These are narrow and oval-shaped with a pointed tip. Their base is blunt and even.
The plant also has four pairs of leaflets at the very end of the stem. These are also narrow and oval with a pointed tip. However, their base is blunt and uneven.
When new potato sprouts appear, they are wide and shaped like a cylinder. The bottom part is a medium red-violet color and quite fuzzy. The top part has a faint color and is moderately fuzzy.
The plant produces many flowers. The petals of the flowers are a medium red-violet color. The pollen-producing parts (anthers) are lemon yellow. The flower buds themselves are strongly colored.
The potatoes (tubers) are long and slightly flat. Their skin is brown and rough (russet). The "eyes" of the potato, where new sprouts can grow, are spread out evenly and are medium deep. The inside of the potato is white. These potatoes are also quite dense.
How Does the Ranger Russet Grow?
This potato type is very good at resisting certain problems. It has a high resistance to heat damage, called heat necrosis. It also resists hollow heart, which is when the potato's center is empty. Diseases like Verticillium wilt, PVY, and PVX also have a hard time affecting it.
The Ranger Russet has a moderate resistance to other issues. These include early blight, common scab, leafroll virus, and Fusarium dry rot. It can sometimes get small cracks as it grows.
However, the Ranger Russet is very easily affected by late blight. This is a serious potato disease. It is also very susceptible to root-knot nematodes, which are tiny worms that can harm plant roots.
Storing Ranger Russet Potatoes
When stored at 45 degrees Fahrenheit (about 7 degrees Celsius), Ranger Russet potatoes stay dormant for around 100 days. Dormancy means they are "asleep" and won't sprout.
If you are storing these potatoes to use as seeds for planting, they need to be kept cooler. About 7-9 degrees cooler will help prevent them from sprouting too much or aging too quickly.
Potatoes stored for making fries can be kept in similar conditions to another potato type called Russet Burbank. If you plan to store the potatoes for more than three months, you should apply a chemical to stop them from sprouting before the 90th day.
If the potatoes are not fully grown or are damaged, a problem called Fusarium dry rot can occur. It's also important to keep the storage area very humid. This helps reduce the risk of pressure bruises on the potatoes.
