Content
Potatoes are one of the main agricultural crops and are grown in huge quantities. Zekura is a variety that combines not only high yield, but also excellent taste. Thanks to this, it has become widespread throughout the world.
Origin story
The Zekura potato was developed by German breeders. The goal of their work was to obtain a variety that would meet the following criteria:
- short ripening period;
- fairly high resistance to diseases, pests and adverse environmental conditions;
- good taste;
- long shelf life of potatoes.
After several months, and maybe even years of painstaking work, the Zekura variety was developed, which has been successfully grown in Russia and the CIS countries for more than 20 years.
Description and characteristics
Zekura is a medium-height potato bush, the flowers and base of the stem are purple or reddish in color. The main characteristics of the variety are presented in the table.
Tubers | They have an oblong shape, the eyes are inconspicuous, the skin is smooth, light yellow in color. |
Starch content | 13-18% |
Tuber weight | 60-140 g |
Number of tubers per bush | 15-19 |
Productivity | 350-370 centners of potatoes per hectare |
Keeping quality | 97-98% |
Resistance to diseases and pests | Average resistance to common scab, leaf roll virus, late blight |
Resistance to adverse conditions | Drought resistance |
Tuber ripening period | 3-3.5 months after planting potatoes |
Bush height | 30-35 cm |
Spreading of the bush | Minimum |
Shelf life in a dark and ventilated area | From 4 months to six months |
Recommended regions for growing the variety | North Caucasian, West Siberian, Far Eastern, Central Black Earth, Middle Volga |
Another distinctive feature of the variety is the taste of Zekura potatoes. When cooked, it practically does not boil over and has an excellent taste.
Advantages and disadvantages
The main advantages of the Zekura variety include:
- resistance to diseases and pests;
- unpretentiousness to environmental conditions;
- high percentage of shelf life;
- root crops are even, smooth, without roughness or flaws;
- excellent taste, allowing you to use potatoes for making mashed potatoes, stews and soups;
- possibility of planting in many climate zones;
- high yield.
This is one of those varieties that tolerate drought well. However, during hot periods of the year it is necessary to ensure proper watering of the potatoes, otherwise the tubers will be very small due to lack of moisture.
Otherwise, the root vegetable has no obvious shortcomings, this once again confirms that Zekura is deservedly included in the list of the best varieties.
Landing
Since Zekura potatoes have good disease resistance, no special treatment of root crops is required. The only rule before planting is to remove all damaged tubers and germinate the eyes within 14-18 days.
In the fall, it is necessary to prepare the area for planting and dig up the rows to 30-35 cm.Zekura potatoes need to be planted at a time when the soil temperature at a depth of 15 cm is not lower than +10° C. It is best to do this at the end of April or in the first half of May.
Potatoes are planted in rows at a depth of 8-11 cm and at a distance of about 35-38 cm from each other. 2 tubers are placed in each hole. And already 20-30 days after planting, sprouts appear above the soil surface.
Care
In general, Zekura potatoes are unpretentious and do not require special care. At the beginning of summer, during the period of rapid growth of weeds, it is imperative to weed the rows, and after the first shoots appear, spud up the bushes. This will prevent the root system from drying out during dry periods of the year, and will also make the arrangement of the tubers relative to each other more compact.
In the future, you need to carry out regular removal weed and loosening the surface layer of soil, approximately 3 times during the entire growing season.
Although Zekura is a drought-tolerant variety, it is recommended to water the potatoes once a week in extreme heat. In the absence of rain and low air temperatures, you need to dig a hole 15-20 cm deep next to the bush. If the soil there is wet, do not water it. If the ground is dry, pick up a hose or turn on the irrigation system.
Hilling and feeding
Hilling is one of the main techniques in caring for Zekura potatoes.Sprinkling the lower part of the bush with soil and forming ridges should be done about 3 times throughout the season. This is necessary for better soil aeration, protection of the root system from drying out and the formation of more tubers, and therefore a higher yield.
Since Zekura does not have large bushes, hilling is easy. To do this, it is better to use small hoees or hoes, and carry out the procedure itself early in the morning. The soil must be moist; hilling dry soil can cause severe damage to the roots and stolons of the potato.
Zekura responds favorably to feeding with organic and mineral fertilizers. Their application is carried out if, when digging up the site in the fall or planting tubers in the spring, no fertilizers were added to the substrate.
Fertilizers can be applied in three periods:
- before hilling, diluted mullein is used;
- during the formation of buds - potassium fertilizers with the addition of ash;
- during the flowering period of potatoes, it is better to use superphosphate or mullein.
When applying fertilizers, it is necessary to take into account the stage of plant growth, as well as its condition and the rate of vegetative mass gain.
Diseases and pests
Zekura potatoes are resistant to a wide range of diseases and pests, including rust, late blight, scab, leaf curl virus, and blackleg. Despite this, there are often cases of bushes being damaged by the Colorado potato beetle, mole cricket, cutworm caterpillars, and wireworms.
To destroy the Colorado potato beetle, it is recommended to plant calendula between rows of potatoes, and also cover the soil with wood ash.As preventative measures for the appearance of pests and the development of diseases, it is necessary to regularly weed and loosen the beds, add ash and lime after digging the area. Also follow the watering regime, do not allow the soil to become waterlogged or dry out too much.
Harvesting
Harvesting takes place from mid-August to the second ten days of September. For subsequent storage of potatoes, you need to disinfect the storage, dry it and, if possible, ventilate it. Potatoes should be sorted, removing all tubers with signs of disease or damage.
Conclusion
For 20 years now, Zekura potatoes have been rightfully considered one of the best varieties, and this is not without reason. Easy care, resistance to pests, high yield and excellent taste make it more and more popular for growing in your gardens, cottages and personal plots.
