Alturas (potato)

Alturas is a potato variety released in 2002 by the USDA-ARS and the Agricultural Experiment Stations of Idaho, Oregon, and Washington and it is under plant variety protection.^[1] It is a processing potato that has cold-sweetening resistance, so it can be processed into French fries directly out of storage and other frozen potato products.

Botanical features

• Tubers are lightly russeted with brown skin
• Tubers are oval to oblong
• Tuber sprouts are green
• Flesh is white and has a shallow eyes
• Has a large, open canopy and is a late-maturing variety
• Plant stems are green with some anthocyanin pigmentation
• Has white flowers and yellow anthers
• Range of one to eight infloresences per plant

Agricultural features

• Higher yields and higher specific gravity than Russet Burbank
• Resistant to Verticiliium wilt and early blight
• Superior to the more common Russet Burbank in that it is
• More resistant to Corky ringspot, late blight
• Tuber net necrosis (caused by Potato leafroll virus), Fusarium dry rot, and common scab
• Susceptible to Potato virus X, Potato virus Y, bacterial soft rot, root-knot nematode, and bacterial ring rot

References

1. R. G. Novy, R.G.; Corsini, D. L.; Love, S. L.; Pavek, J.J.; Mosley, A. R.; James, S.R.; Hane, D.C.; Shock, C. C.; Rykbost, K. A.; Brown, C.R.; Thornton, R.E. (2003) “Alturas: A Multi-Purpose, Russet Potato Cultivar with High Yield and Tuber Specific Gravity.” “American Journal of Potato Research” 80:295–301