Other Promising Potato Varieties Currently at Performance Evaluation stage
The potato research agenda of the FAREI gives priority to breeding programmes which are supplemented with introduction and evaluation of elite germplasm for selection of varieties potentially adapted to local conditions. Newly introduce potato varieties currently under evaluation are as follows:
Everest was introduced from the Stett Holland Company, Netherlands in 2018 and evaluated for agronomic performance in different agro-climatic regions. It is an early bulking, table potato variety giving higher tuber yield (35- 40 t/ha) than Spunta and Delaware (30 – 35 t/ha). Everest is therefore a good alternative to Spunta and Delaware in the first and second potato seasons respectively. Large scale release of the variety is planned in the crop season 2022.
Sababah was introduced from the Wesgro Potato Company, South Africa in 2019. Preliminary results showed that the var iety produces big oval tubers with yield at par with Spunta in the first season. Four yield evaluation trials were set up in the North, Centre and South of the island. An average yield of 33.6 t/ha was registered.
Santana is a Spunta-type variety with long, yellow- flesh tubers introduced in 2020 from the Stett Holland Company, Netherlands. The variety was evaluated in FAREI’s yield performance trials at four localities for yield and processing characteristics. An average yield of 24.3 t/ha was registered.
The three varieties will be subject to further assessment to confirm
performance in crop season 2021.
