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44 POTATO GROWER | APRIL 2017 44 POTATO GROWER | APRIL 2017 L et's take a closer look at Mountain Gem Russet—a long, medium to late maturity, fresh market or early process russet developed by the Tri-State Breeding and Research Program. Mountain Gem was released and PVP-issued in 2015. Mountain Gem Russet seed has been primarily grown in North Dakota and Nebraska, although more sources of seed should be available from the 2017 seed crop. Check www.pvmi.org for a full list of seed growers. Thanks go to Jeff Stark and Jeanne Debons for helping Potato Grower gather this information. S M O R GA S B OR D THE S M O R GA S B OR D MOUNTAIN GEM RUSSET MOUNTAIN GEM RUSSET PARENTAGE • A98292-2 × A98104-4 KEY ATTRIBUTES • High early- and late-season yields • Nice tuber shape and appearance • Excellent culinary qualities • Resistant to external defects • Short to medium dormancy • Specific gravities optimal within a narrow range • Good resistance to metribuzin when applied at labeled rates • Dormancy length about 70 days shorter than Russet Burbank; extended storage can succeed with sprout inhibitors EARLY HARVEST PRODUCTION • 160 to 180 pounds of nitrogen fertilizer per acre in areas with a 400 hundredweight per acre yield potential • 190 to 210 pounds of nitrogen per acre in areas with a 600 hundredweight per acre yield potential • Petiole nitrate levels for early fresh market should be about 18,000 parts per million (ppm) at end of tuber initiation; 12,000 to 14,000 ppm during mid-bulking; and 8,000 ppm during late bulking. FULL-SEASON PRODUCTION • 180 to 200 pounds of nitrogen fertilizer per acre for a 400 hundredweight per acre yield potential • 210 to 230 pounds of nitrogen per acre for a 500 hundredweight per acre yield potential • 240 to 260 pounds of nitrogen per acre for a 600 hundredweight per acre yield potential • Petiole nitratelevels for late-harvest production should be about 20,000 ppm at the end of tuber initiation; 14,000 to 16,000 ppm during mid- bulking; and 10,000 ppm during late bulking. 44 POTATO GROWER | APRIL 2017