Content
The Svitanok Kyiv potato was developed in the USSR, but still remains popular both in Russia and in many former socialist republics. Amateur gardeners value it for its “uncapriciousness” regarding cultivation conditions and agricultural technology, excellent keeping quality, versatility of purpose and very good taste of the tubers. Of course, the variety is not ideal, but some shortcomings do not outweigh the advantages.
History of appearance
The Svitanok Kyiv potato was bred in Ukraine by specialists from the Institute of Potato Growing of the local Academy of Agricultural Sciences. This organization is listed as the originator (along with the Russian LLC Litvinovskoye). A whole team of breeders worked on the creation of a new variety, all of them are listed as authors.
The Svitanok Kyiv potato was included in the State Register of Breeding Achievements of the USSR in 1987. The necessary official variety trials took five years.Now the variety continues to be listed in the Russian State Register.
Description of the potato variety Svitanok Kyiv
The tubers of the Svitanok Kyiv potato look quite presentable. And the relatively small size of the bushes is another plus, especially for owners of the standard “six hundred square meters”.
Bush
Potato bushes Svitanok Kyiv are low (about 50 cm), “squat”, relatively compact. The stems are medium thick, but erect, rarely lying on the ground. The foliage is medium, the leaf blades are medium-sized, slightly wrinkled. Flowering is abundant, but short-lived. The corollas are large, bright lilac.
The root system of the bushes is powerful and well developed
Tubers
Svitanok Kyiv potato tubers are medium in size, weighing 90-120 g. The shape can be either round-oval or irregular. The skin is pink, thin, but strong and elastic - this provides the variety with good shelf life and transportability. Darker, red-crimson “eyes” stand out against the general background. They are small and superficial, so peeling the tubers is easy.
The flesh of the Svitanok Kyiv potato is pale yellow or creamy. After heat treatment it does not darken. There is not a hint of “starchiness” or wateriness in the pulp; the texture seems to be oily.
There are very few “little things” in the nests, the percentage of marketable tubers is 96%
Characteristics of potatoes Svitanok Kyiv
A significant advantage of the Svitanok Kyiv potato over its “competitors” is its outstanding taste. But this is not the only varietal characteristic that needs to be taken into account when choosing a variety or hybrid for yourself.
Taste qualities
The taste qualities of Svitanok Kyiv potatoes are characterized as “good” or “excellent”.According to the culinary classification, potatoes belong to type C. This category includes varieties with a high starch content. They are suitable for making purees and various fillings for baking, stewing, roasting, and stuffing.
During frying or cooking soup, the tubers “fall apart” or turn into an unappetizing porridge.
Ripening time
Svitanok Kyiv is a mid-early potato variety. Tubers are dug up 85-105 days after mass germination. The ripening time of the crop depends on the local climate and weather during the summer. In the warm southern regions it is even slightly shorter than the “official” one (75-80 days), so there the Svitanok Kyiv potato can be classified as an early-ripening variety.
Productivity
The Svitanok Kyiv potato is not very popular among professional farmers. However, the existing experience in its cultivation allows us to assert that the average yield of the variety when grown on an industrial scale is 250-300 centners per hectare, and the record one is more than 450 centners / ha.
Amateur gardeners, having provided Svitanok Kievskiy potatoes with competent care, receive up to 300 kg per 100 m². The average yield is 180-200 kg per hundred square meters.
9-12 tubers are formed in one “nest”
Growing regions
Initially, Svitanok Kyiv potatoes were intended for cultivation in regions with a temperate climate (Central region, Volga region).However, the State Register officially recognizes it as suitable for more severe conditions - the North-Western region, Western Siberia, the Far East, and the Urals. The Svitanok Kyiv potato is also actively cultivated in its homeland - there it has also “taken root” very successfully and is considered practically a standard one. It is also highly appreciated by gardeners in Moldova and Belarus.
Disease resistance
The creators have provided Svitanok Kyiv potatoes with immunity to bacterial cancer and rhizoctonia. It has good resistance to various types of mosaic virus, blackleg and scab. The most dangerous for the variety is late blight in both forms and the leaf curl virus.
As for pests, gardeners do not note any particular love for the Svitanok Kyiv potato from the Colorado potato beetle. Although, during “massive” attacks on the garden, bushes of this variety will not be ignored. There is also information from the originator, according to which the Svitanok Kyiv potato is relatively resistant to the golden cyst nematode.
Bushes affected by late blight quickly dry out, the above-ground part dies off
Advantages and disadvantages
The outstanding taste of Svitanok Kyiv potatoes is recognized even by professional tasters. From them he received the highest possible score – 5 points.
Potatoes Svitanok Kyiv have a rich chemical composition
Pros:
- suitability of the variety for cultivation in most Russian regions;
- minimal “susceptibility” to the negative influence of weather factors;
- low maintenance requirements;
- relatively early and “friendly” harvest ripening;
- presence of immunity and good resistance to diseases;
- resistance of planting material to degeneration;
- compactness of bushes, possibility of compacted plantings;
- external presentability of tubers;
- almost complete absence of “trifles”;
- very good keeping quality, transportability and preservation of potatoes;
- outstanding taste of tubers;
- Suitable for preparing many dishes.
Minuses:
- relatively low yield;
- tendency to be affected by late blight, leaf curl virus;
- unsuitability of tubers for frying and cutting in boiled form.
Landing rules
Potatoes Svitanok Kyiv prefers relatively light soils, with a fairly high percentage of sand in the composition. Other criteria for choosing a place for a garden bed are good lighting, the absence of groundwater close to the surface of the earth, and a neutral or slightly acidic pH.
In central Russia, Svitanok Kyiv potatoes are planted in the first ten days of May. In the south - 2-3 weeks earlier. In regions with harsher climates, you sometimes have to wait until early June. The substrate at a depth of 10 cm should by this moment warm up to 7-8 °C.
Potato tubers Svitanok Kyiv, intended for planting, demonstrate good “germination”, so they do not need additional treatment with biostimulants. They only require dressing in a fungicide solution to prevent fungal diseases.
Tubers germinate quite quickly - in 3-3.5 weeks
The optimal planting pattern for this variety is 30-35x55-60 cm. The depth of the holes is 10-12 cm. At the bottom, in addition to a handful of humus and a small amount of fertilizer, it is recommended to put special chemicals or folk remedies to repel the Colorado potato beetle and wireworm.
A warm, dry, cloudy day is best for planting.
Care instructions
Caring for Svitanok Kyiv potatoes includes the following agrotechnical measures:
- Watering. Svitanok Kyiv potato beds need additional moisture only if hot and dry weather persists for a long time. There are seasons when plants rely entirely on natural precipitation. In hot weather, the beds are moistened every 10-12 days.
- Fertilizer application. When the soil in the garden is fertile enough, in principle, you can do without them. But it will not be possible to collect record harvests without applying fertilizers. Fertilizing is carried out three times - 8-12 days after mass germination, during flowering and immediately after its end.
- Hilling. The growing season of the Svitanok Kyiv potato is short, so two hillings are enough for it - when the stems reach a height of 12-15 cm and after another 2.5-3 weeks.
- Prevention of diseases. In addition to treating the tubers in a fungicide solution before planting, it is recommended to spray the bushes with the same preparation if the weather is favorable for the development of the fungus that causes late blight and other pathogens for a long time. And if the Colorado potato beetle invades neighboring areas, it is better to spray your own plantings with insecticides in advance.
Hilling promotes the development of the root system and the formation of more tubers
Collection and storage
Early and mid-early potatoes are harvested without waiting for the bush to dry out completely. Enough for most of the tops to begin to turn yellow.In central Russia this is approximately the first ten days of August. The Svitanok Kyiv variety is suitable for both manual and mechanized harvesting.
There is no point in delaying harvesting - tubers that are “overexposed” in the soil for more than three weeks have a sharp decline in keeping quality.
The dug up potatoes are immediately sorted out, rejecting “substandard” ones and setting aside planting material separately for the next season. Tubers suitable for long-term storage are dried in the open air or in a well-ventilated room, protected from direct sunlight, for 10-12 days.
The storage method for Svitanok Kyiv potatoes is not important, the conditions are standard:
- temperature 3-4 °C;
- air humidity 80-85%;
- lack of light and cold drafts;
- good ventilation.
Conclusion
The Svitanok Kyiv potato is a table variety, the advantages and disadvantages of which have long been well known to gardeners. It is distinguished by its endurance, ability to adapt to different nuances of the local climate, good keeping quality, and external presentability of the tubers. Due to its ease of care, the variety is suitable even for inexperienced summer residents.
Reviews of summer residents about Svitanok Kyiv potatoes
