Dark-fruited beauty comes from Ukraine - description of potato variety "Darkie"

Smuglyanka is one of the most interesting potato varieties of the Ukrainian selection, which is rapidly gaining popularity among business farmers and gardeners of amateurs.

Dark large tubers are not only tasty, but also very useful, rich in vitamins and valuable trace elements.

In this article you will find a detailed description of the variety, you will get acquainted with its characteristics and peculiarities of cultivation, learn what diseases it is subject to.

Origin

Potato Smuglyanka was bred by Ukrainian breeders, originator - NAU Sumy region. Perhaps growing in any region with a temperate or warm climate.

Recommended cultivation in industrial conditions, potatoes are willingly planted in private farms and on farms.

Unlike many dark-fruited varieties, Smuglyanka is very fruitful, responsive to fertilizers. Beautiful, even tubers are suitable for sale or use in catering establishments.

Potatoes "Smuglyanka": description of the variety and photos

Smuglyanka is a mid-early table variety. Productivity is high, with good care and favorable climatic conditions from 1 hectare you can collect up to 480 centners.

To compare the yield and keeping quality of a variety with others, you can use the table below:

Bushes of medium height, intermediate type, upright. Branching and the formation of green mass is moderate. Leaves are medium-sized, dark green, with slightly wavy edges. Flowers are light purple, collected in a compact halo.

Berries are rarely tied and quickly fall off. The root system is well developed, 10-12 large potatoes are formed under each bush.. The amount of non-value stuff is insignificant.

Planting care standard. Potatoes are planted in fully warmed soil, the tubers are placed at a distance of 30 cm from each other. For the season, the bushes 2-3 times curl, it is recommended dosed watering and a single top-dressing.

Read more about how to feed potatoes, when and how to apply fertilizers, how to do it properly when planting, read in the articles of our website.

Seed material does not degenerate for a long time, for sowing you need to select large potatoes not damaged by pests with pronounced varietal characteristics.

Advantages and disadvantages

Among the main advantages of the variety:

• excellent taste of root crops;
• early amicable ripening;
• good yield;
• resistance to mechanical damage;
• immunity to major diseases;
• excellent keeping quality;
• excellent commercial quality of tubers; seed material is not prone to degeneration;
• resistance to weather extremes;
• unpretentiousness.

The disadvantage of the variety can be considered susceptibility to attacks by pests. Potatoes are sensitive to the nutritional value of the soil, in poor loams the yield is significantly reduced.

Specifications

• tubers are large, weighing from 100 to 150 g;
• round-oval shape;
• tubers are even, neat, without hillocks and potholes;
• peel dark blue with a purple tint, evenly colored, moderately thin, smooth;
• eyes superficial, shallow, few;
• the pulp on the cut is white or cream;
• high starch content, ranging from 16 to 20%;
• high content of protein, vitamins, valuable amino acids.

Potatoes have excellent taste: very bright, rich, but at the same time gentle. Tubers are not dry and not watery, after cooking, they become crumbly and literally melt in the mouth.

When cutting and boiling potatoes do not darken, while maintaining a pleasant cream color.Tubers can be boiled, stewed, baked, they make an air mash. For the preparation of slices, french fries are not suitable.

In the table below you can see the starch content of different varieties:

You can get acquainted with the fruits of the potato “Smuglyanka” in the photo:

Features of growing

For planting select large enough potatoes with pronounced varietal characteristics. Such a selection ensures high yields, the tubers will be as bright and large. It is recommended to mark bushes suitable for seed material even during cultivation, and store the collected seed potatoes separately.

Tubers are pickled, processed by a growth stimulator, dried. This is followed by germination in the light or in wet sawdust. Cutting tubers before planting is not recommended.

Variety Darkie prefers light soils based on sand or black soil. The soil must be carefully loosened, select from it the remains of plants and other extraneous inclusions.It is preferable to plant the potatoes in the fields that occupied the legumes, carrots, cabbage, radish. Lots change every 2-3 years. This technique is a good prevention from pests, diseases and degeneration of tubers.

Tubers are best planted in the wells, located at a distance of 30-35 cm from each other. Depth - no more than 10 cm, required wide aisles. Wood ash or humus spreads out through the holes. During the planting season you need to spud 1-2 timesforming crests of bushes. Frequent weeding or mulching with straw is recommended.

In a dry summer, potatoes need to be watered, a drip system of moisture or sprinkling is recommended. Increase the yield will help the introduction of complete mineral complexes or organic matter.

Harvest is dried at the border or under a canopy, sorted, and then removed for storage. Tubers intended for sale can be packed directly on the field.

On our site you will find a lot of useful information about the storage of potatoes: time, temperature, possible problems. And also how to store root crops in the winter, on the balcony, in drawers, in the refrigerator, in peeled form.

Diseases and pests

The variety is resistant to many diseases of Solanaceae: potato cancer, golden cyst-forming nematode, common scab, various viruses: Fusarium, Alternaria, verticillosis.

Under adverse conditions, it is possible for phytophtorosis to damage the tubers or leaves. For the prevention of late blight, planting is copiously sprayed with copper-containing preparations. From the root rot or blackleg, the bushes will be saved by mulching the soil with mowed grass.

Like other dark-fruited varieties, Dark-skinned woman attracts pests. Landings are threatened by Colorado beetles, wireworms, and Medvedki. Periodic spraying with insecticides, pretreatment of the soil and tubers before planting help.

In the fight against the Colorado potato beetle will help chemicals: Aktara, Corado, Regent, Commander, Prestige, Lightning, Tanrek, Apache, Taboo.

When growing potatoes, additional chemicals are often used to improve yields or pest control.

Read all about the benefits and dangers of fungicides, herbicides and insecticides in useful articles on our site.

Potatoes "Darkie" - a young, but very promising variety, which is considered to be the star of the Ukrainian selection. It is ahead of competitors in terms of yield, taste, resistance to diseases, commercial qualities of tubers. Potatoes can be planted on industrial fields or in personal gardens, it is absolutely universal.

There are many ways to grow potatoes - from standard to the most exotic. We bring to your attention articles on Dutch technology, how to grow potatoes from seed, under straw, in bags and barrels, in boxes or boxes without bottom.

We also offer you other varieties of potatoes that have different ripening terms: