Umatilla Russet facts for kids

The Umatilla Russet is a type of potato that grows well and is ready to harvest a bit later in the season. It's especially good for making frozen french fries. This potato was first introduced in 1998. It was developed by agricultural experts from Oregon, Idaho, and Washington, along with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The 'Umatilla Russet' potato often produces french fries with a better color than the well-known 'Russet Burbank' potato. It performed very well in tests across the region. The state of Oregon named this potato after the Umatilla tribe. The city of Umatilla also gets its name from this tribe.

Potato Characteristics

Plant Features

• The potato's skin is a tan color and looks "russety," meaning it has a rough, brownish texture.
• The potatoes themselves are long. They often get narrower at one end.
• Inside, the potato flesh is a light creamy color.
• The leaves of the plant are dark green. They have a medium amount of soft hairs, called pubescence.
• Each plant usually has a few flowers, up to seven.
• The flowers are light purple. They have a bright yellow-orange center.

Growing and Health

• This potato type is less likely to get a plant disease called Verticillium wilt.
• It is also less likely to suffer from net necrosis, which causes dark spots inside the potato.
• The 'Umatilla Russet' is strong against Potato virus X (PVX). This means it resists getting sick from this virus.
• However, it can show leaf symptoms if it gets Potato virus Y (PVY).
• It is less likely for the potato itself to get infected and rot from Phytophthora infestans, a serious potato disease.
• On the downside, it is more likely to get "blackspot." This is a dark bruise that appears when the potato is hit. It can also get "shutter bruise."
• Good news! This potato is less likely to have problems like "hollow heart" (an empty space inside), "brown center" (a brown spot in the middle), growth cracks, or "sugar ends" (dark, sweet ends after frying).