Laura potatoes
Against the background of rapidly changing weather conditions in the countries of central Europe and the former USSR, the breeders were faced with the urgent question of breeding a potato variety that has a high yield and resistance to a harsh climate. Breeders from Germany have made significant progress in this matter. In particular, based on the results of the breeding studies, the employees bred a variety that was named the Laura potato. In terms of its qualities and characteristics, Laura fully complies with the required standards.
Laura potatoes
Laura variety description
This variety initially became widespread among agricultural producers in Europe - Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland and Germany. However, over time, Laura potatoes also interested ordinary gardeners in Russia, where this variety quickly and successfully took root, even displacing the scarlet potato variety. However, the Laura variety has one feature - potatoes do not grow very well on soils where the percentage of black soil is low, as well as in regions with constant droughts.
Appearance of potatoes
The bush is medium in size, spreading. The arrangement of leaves on the bush is intermediate, typical for this culture. The structure and surface of the leaf are wrinkled. The leaves themselves are medium in size, green in color. The shoot has many inflorescences. The flowers of the plant are white and light purple in color. The Laura potato variety has oval and slightly elongated fruits. The tuber itself is covered with a dense dark red skin, which is its external feature.
The variety is one of the most popular red-peeled varieties (as you know, the classification of tubers is carried out by the color of the peel).
The pulp of the Laura variety has a rich yellow color, which indicates a high level of starch content in fruits, on average about 16.4-16.5%. This indicator indicates that Laura belongs to a highly starchy crop, which has a positive effect on the palatability. The eyes of the Laura variety are medium in size. The average fruit weight is 80-150 grams. In length, the potato has a fruit of 70 mm or more.
Uses of laura potatoes
For use in food fried or boiled, the laura variety can be used before the established technical maturity - after about 65-70 days, when the size of the root crops reaches significant volumes (close to 60-70 mm). The fruits can be used for food only if the skin from the tuber is effortlessly separated during cleaning. For years, the accumulated agricultural practice of planting vegetable crops indicates that medium early and early varieties are planted in order to use young fruits for food in households and private farms. In this case, when growing the Laura variety, you must adhere to certain rules.
One of the most important is not to use fruits that have so-called green spots on the surface or when peeled. These fruits are not suitable for both human consumption and technical use. The main reason for the defeat of tubers with green spots is improper storage of root crops in direct sunlight and, accordingly, increased air temperature.
If you study in detail the description of the Laura potato variety, it is clear that the indicator of green spots indicates the formation of solanine in the tuber, a poisonous substance for animals and humans. And even if this substance is contained in the tuber in small quantities, but when these signs appear, the vegetable is not recommended to be eaten. Exposure to corned beef can negatively affect a person's overall well-being. The most favorable climatic zones for growing such a vegetable crop are the central and northwestern regions of the Russian Federation. The yield of this variety is quite high - from one bush you can get from 15 to 20 large fruits. Up to 330 centners of ripe fruits can be harvested from one hectare.
Positive properties
- Unlike most mid-early varieties, which do not last long, the laura variety can be stored and retain its beneficial qualities for a fairly long period of time. As a rule, about 95% of tubers are perfectly stored throughout the year, subject to temperature conditions ranging from 1 to 3 degrees in a dark, ventilated place.
- The variety under consideration has in its cells a significant natural reserve of resistance to various viral diseases, such as: the Y virus, nematode and leaf roll. Laura has an increased resistance to late blight (both tubers and shoots). In general, the characteristic of the Laura variety is only positive.
- The variety is quite resistant to various kinds of diseases that can occur during the ripening of the fruit.
- The fruits do not change their taste and color during heat treatment.
Taste qualities
The fruits have a healing effect
Laura potatoes are a table variety and are classified as food grade "B", which means that the fruit is suitable for human or animal consumption. Due to a fairly large percentage of starch in the structure of the root crop, Laura is suitable for making mashed potatoes and especially French fries, so beloved by most Europeans and residents of the countries of the former USSR. French fries made from laura are especially ruddy and crispy, with excellent taste and aroma.
It is for its taste that Laura is appreciated by producers; the variety can be cultivated not only for personal use, but also for sale in industrial volumes.
The description indicates that such a variety has a spectrum of medicinal qualities for the human body. Given the high percentage of starch content, when consumed in reasonable quantities, this variety gives an antiviral effect to the whole body. The juice of the yellow fruit, in combination with its red peel, helps to lower arterial blood pressure, and also lowers blood sugar levels, which is very important for people with diabetes mellitus. Laura contains a whole range of vitamins and useful microelements, including phosphorus, calcium, vitamins B and C.
Preparing tubers for planting
As a rule, planting of this variety begins in April, when the soil has warmed up enough. In order to plant the tubers, you must carefully prepare the seed material. To do this, it is necessary to sort out the available seeds, removing tubers unsuitable for planting. Both deformed and small specimens, rotten or affected by diseases, can be unsuitable.
The next stage is the vernalization of tubers, meaning the germination of sprouts for 10-12 days in the sun or in the light.Then it is necessary to treat the planting material with special means based on copper, zinc, boron or manganese, and also to carry out etching with special fungicidal preparations. It will not be superfluous to treat the seeds with a gibberellin solution.
Planting potatoes
There are several ways of planting potatoes, but as a rule, two main ones are used - this is a ridge or smooth method. With the ridge method, first you need to prepare the soil - carefully dig up the selected area, then clear the soil of weeds and level it with a rake (crushing large pieces of earth). If the soil is not too fertile, and also to increase the yield, it is advisable to fertilize the soil with humus or manure.
Then you should trim the soil with a rake. Then it is necessary to make holes for planting tubers using a shovel or cultivator. According to the technology, it is best to plant from 5 to 7 tubers per one running meter. With this planting, the maximum yield can be obtained from the Laura variety. After the tubers are placed in the soil, you can add a little water (only if the soil is dry). After watering, the soil should also be trimmed.
Proper care of potatoes
When the first shoots sprout, the post-emergence treatment of the bushes begins. For this purpose, the harrowing method is used. At this stage, it is important that the plantings are not overgrown with weeds, from which the potatoes need to be peeled periodically. At this stage, it is important to feed the bushes with nitrogen substances. The next important care measure is the replenishment of fertilizers containing potassium, since it is often not enough in the soil, which means that the growth of the crop can slow down significantly, and this will affect the yield.
As the most popular potash fertilizer, potassium magnesium can be used for this purpose, which has a good effect on the yield and quality of fruits at the ripening stage, increasing the level of starch in them, and hence the taste. You can also treat the planting several times per season with various anti-late blight drugs, such as cuproxate. Spraying with kinmix can be used to counteract the Colorado potato beetle.