February 1, 2001

NDSU Releases Dakota Rose, New Red Potato Variety

The North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station announces the release of Dakota Rose, a potato cultivar with good yield potential and capable of producing excellent color and sized potatoes.

Dakota Rose has a medium-early maturity and is somewhat later than Red Norland. It has smooth oval tubers with a bright red color, according to Jim Lorenzen and Gary Secor of the North Dakota State University potato varietal development project.

Yield potential is good for a potato in this maturity class. In 11 trials in eight years in North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota, the U.S. No.1 yield of Dakota Rose at 154 hundredweight per acre was 26 percent higher than that of Red Norland in non-irrigated trials. Its yield in 14 irrigated trials over the same time period was about the same as Red Norland at 304 hundredweight per acre.

Tuber size distribution of Dakota Rose is desirable for red potatoes, with few oversize tubers and a high percentage in the U.S. No.1 class. In two years of the North Central Regional Potato Varietal Trial, Dakota Rose out-performed Dark Red Norland in terms of merit as a tablestock variety and was one of the highest rated selections in 2000.

Lorenzen notes that growers have observed the cultivar is slow to green in retail displays and retains skin pigmentation in storage better than most cultivars. "The exceptional color and attractive appearance of this cultivar will reward producers and retailers," he says.

In trials, Dakota Rose showed moderate resistance to scab, but no resistance to prevalent diseases such as late blight, early blight, Verticillium or potato viruses. It has normal symptom expression with regard to PVY and ring rot.

Dakota Rose has several characteristics that will require care in management, Lorenzen notes. It is more susceptible than other cultivars to skinning when harvest immature. Consequently, producers will need to manage this cultivar to allow full maturity, allowing for adequate time between vine kill and harvest. Dakota Rose has a relatively short dormancy and will require cool storage temperatures or sprout inhibitor for long-term storage.

Dakota Rose is the progeny of two North Dakota selections, ND1196-2R and NorDonna. It was tested under the experimental number ND3574-5R.

Seed of Dakota Rose is commercially available

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Source: Jim Lorenzen, (701) 231-7074, jim_lorenzen@ndsu.nodak.edu
Editor: Tom Jirik, (701) 231-9629, tjirik@ndsuext.nodak.edu