Content
Potatoes of the “Udacha” variety fully justify their name. Among domestic potato varieties, this is one of the best. Many summer residents, after experimenting with other varieties, choose this one. Buyer demand for the Udacha potato variety remains consistently high. What are the main characteristics of the variety, what is the secret of its success, popularity and “luck”?
Breeding history
The “Udacha” potato variety was developed in the 90s of the last century. The basis of the variety was the potatoes “Vilnya” and “Anoka”. Breeders set a goal - to achieve the creation of an unpretentious potato variety that produces good yields in different climatic zones with different soils. As practice has shown, the agronomists coped with their task excellently.
Newly baked potatoes “Udacha” have proven themselves well in a variety of regions: from the North-Western regions of Russia to the Black Earth Region, from the Volga region to the Far East. Its main feature is its high adaptability. The yield per hectare is 40-45 tons, even in hot and dry summer conditions.
Description and characteristics
The plant is characterized by powerful 40-centimeter bushes with thick leaves. Leaf shape with a characteristic dissection, bright green color. The variety blooms briefly, but profusely.The inflorescences are collected in small clusters. The flowers are snow-white, with sepals bent downward.
Potato tubers are round and oval in shape, with a small number of eyes. The color of the tubers varies from yellowish-cream to brownish. Tubers of this variety are characterized by thin and smooth skin, so there is very little peeling when preparing dishes. When raw, the potato flesh is white, but turns slightly yellow when cooked. This is especially noticeable if mineral fertilizers were used when growing the plant: potassium and chloride.
The characteristics of the “Luck” potato are as follows:
- The duration of the growing season is from 80 to 90 days;
- The average weight of 1 tuber is 150 g;
- The number of tubers on one plant is 10-15;
- The percentage of starch is 12-14%;
- Productivity per 1 ha (on average) – 42 tons;
- Productivity from 1 bush - 1.7 kg;
- The percentage of marketable products is 88-97;
- The taste is excellent.
The yield of Udacha potatoes is influenced by weather and agricultural practices, but the type of soil does not have a special impact on the yield.
Advantages
The advantages of the variety that distinguish it from other selection products are the following:
- Immunity to low temperatures. For active germination of tubers, an air temperature of plus 10 degrees is sufficient. Potato sprouts develop well in both cloudy and moderately cool weather. The landing date for the central regions is the end of April. Closer to the north, potatoes are planted in mid-May.
- Quick tuber setting. Approximately 1.5 months after emergence, young potatoes are quite suitable for food. The mass of tubers varies from 60 to 80 g. Young potatoes have a pleasant and delicate taste. The yield per 1 hectare after 2 months of growing season ranges from 20 to 25 tons.
- Disease resistance (potato cancer, rhizoctonia, mosaic, scab). Viral diseases are very rare.
- Excellent keeping quality. When ripened early, potato tubers are perfectly preserved “from harvest to harvest.” It is only important to ensure normal storage conditions. At the same time, potatoes do not lose their taste.
- Resistance to mechanical stress. The variety is very well suited for mechanical harvesting and transportation. This is especially important if potatoes are grown commercially.
- Excellent taste characteristics. The tubers are not watery and are equally suitable for mashed potatoes, baking and frying. This variety is rightfully considered one of the most delicious.
Disadvantages of the variety
First of all, this is insufficient resistance to “potato” diseases.
- Late blight.
- Alternaria blight.
- Golden nematode.
This variety also does not like excessively dense rows. However, if you follow agricultural practices, you simply will not encounter these problems.
How to grow "Luck"
The main thing that distinguishes the “Udacha” potato from other hybrids and varieties is its unpretentiousness in terms of soil. It grows not only on chernozems, but also on clay soils, loams and sandy loam soils. But potatoes also require some care. For example, the beds need to be prepared in the fall. Potatoes grow best after melons, cabbage and cucumbers. If you plant tubers in the same place for a long time, the risk of disease increases. In addition, the variety is degenerating.
Tubers grow best in soft soil. Therefore, the area intended for planting the variety must be dug up in advance to a depth of 2 cm. At the same time, the soil is fertilized with compost or humus, based on 40 to 45 buckets per 1 hundred square meters.
For clay soils, it is most convenient to plant tubers in pre-formed ridges 15-20 cm high, with a distance between ridges of 70 cm. With such planting, the soil will warm up better. Its breathability will also increase. For chernozems, planting in “ridges” is not necessary, since the soil warms up quite well without it.
Landing
The optimal weight of a planting tuber of the “Udacha” variety is from 50 to 80 g. The variety is characterized by large potatoes, so each tuber is cut so that three or four eyes remain on each part.
For planting, you need to take only healthy potatoes. Tubers with visible signs of disease should be discarded, as there is a risk of getting infected plants.
It is recommended to treat the tubers with wood ash. The ash disinfects and plays the role of potassium fertilizer for planting material. Then the potatoes need to be placed in a single layer in a sprouting box. The optimal temperature for germination is 16-18 degrees.
The optimal time for planting the “Udacha” variety, depending on the region, is from the second half of April to mid-May. The distance between holes within a row is at least 20 cm. The interval between rows is from 30 to 40 cm. To feed the plant, you need to mix compost and wood ash in equal proportions. No more feeding is needed; it is better to feed the bushes during the first hilling.
After emergence, it is advisable to hill them up to protect them from possible night frosts. Further care of plants consists of weeding weed and loosening the soil.This allows for improved air supply to the root system. It is best to loosen the soil after rain, before it has had time to dry out.
Potatoes "Luck" love nitrogen fertilizers, but they need to be fed with great care so that they do not get on the leaves and stems of the plant. In terms of watering, the variety is undemanding, so abundant watering is needed only in severe drought and hot weather.
Pest and disease control
The variety has good disease resistance, but you should be wary of certain diseases.
Late blight
It appears as dark gray spots on the leaves and stems. The disease affects the entire plant down to the tubers. They begin to rot.
Prevention against late blight can include:
- Maintaining crop rotation.
- Weeding and weed removal.
Before the flowers appear, the seedlings are treated with Ridomil (25 g per 10-liter bucket of water). After the flowers appear, use the Hom product (30 g per 10-liter bucket). If affected plants are found, they must be immediately dug up and destroyed.
Stem nematode
A plant affected by a nematode is characterized by increased bushiness. The leaves are paler in color than is typical for the variety. Spots appear on the tubers. Prevention: adding wood ash when planting. If affected plants are found, they need to be dug up and destroyed.
Colorado beetle
On plants affected by the beetle, tubers form worse than on healthy ones. Planting plants with a strong smell (calendula, dill) next to the potatoes helps. Treatment with such means as Karate, Corado, Tanrek, etc. helps. Before using the drugs, you must carefully study the instructions. And, of course, the tried and tested collection of beetles by hand helps.Good protection against beetles is adding wood ash to the holes when planting.
Reviews
Most of the reviews about the variety are positive.
Good afternoon I bought the Udacha variety as a quick ripening plant. I planted 1 kg on April 27, 2019, and dug up 2 buckets on July 16, 2019. The variety yields a lot in the bush, 85% large and medium and 15% small. It’s convenient to dig; all the potatoes remain on the bush. The pulp is white, cooks quickly, is very soft, the puree is delicious and can be eaten without oil. When frying, the potatoes do not fall apart and keep the pieces intact. I left a good variety for breeding. Next year I will plant earlier.
I bought it at the market for food. The seller praised it: it cooks for 15 minutes, it’s very tasty and I won’t regret it. But I regretted it. My child mainly needs purees. Boil and bake for an hour and a half. I didn't like the taste at all. Not good on puree. Not tasty potatoes. Only dug up crop and already covered with white dots under the skin. I won't take this one again
My dears, I planted a kar this year.Good luck and it’s been two months now, the bushes are good and there are no signs of blooming yet. There aren't even any buds. The husband is swearing.