List of potato varieties with names, descriptions, and photos

Potato

Early, mid-season, and late potato varieties (Solanum tuberosum) are planted by potato lovers in their summer cottages and gardens in Russia. They are also grown commercially for sale and processing into food products. Beginning gardeners will be interested to know which varieties are edible and which are for industrial or forage use. Not everyone, even experienced gardeners, is familiar with the characteristics of the potatoes they grow in their garden year after year. You'll find photos and descriptions of them in our gallery.

Classification

According to the State Register of Russia, there are over 300 varieties of root crops approved for use in various regions of the country. Their number increases every year. The number of foreign-bred seeds approved for sale in our country is also growing.

All varieties are divided into several types according to their characteristics:

by potato type: table variety, technical, fodder, universal in use;
by ripening period: ultra-early, early, mid-season and late ripening;
types of soil for growing: sandy, clay soils;
productivity;
degrees of resistance to diseases;
resistance to natural disasters (sudden cold snaps);
taste;
presentation;
shelf life.

These indicators play an important role when selecting seed. Gardeners can use varietal data to determine which potatoes are best suited for growing in their plots with different soil types. They also calculate the expected yields and how to properly care for the plants to avoid losing some of the fruit due to improper planting practices.

The best varieties

On large plots of land dedicated to potatoes, gardeners plant potatoes of varying maturity dates. This allows them to harvest fresh vegetables for seasonal consumption and for winter storage.

Early

The earliest potato variety ripens in late July. In southern regions, early-ripening and super-early hybrids can be harvested in early July. In the central zone, if planted early in May, they can be eaten as early as mid-August.

Table 1

Name	Ripening time from planting to first fruits (days)	General characteristics
Ultra-early potato varieties: Timo, Veneta, Impala	40	A table variety with a long shelf life. They are resistant to canker, tuber and foliar blight, and nematodes. The yield per hectare averages 350 to 600 centners. The marketable appearance is well preserved during transportation. The potatoes are uniform in size, oval in shape, covered with a light skin, and have creamy flesh. Each fruit weighs 90-160 g.
Early maturing: Zhukovsky early	40-60	The oval tubers weigh up to 150 g and contain 15% starch. The skin is light beige, and the flesh is white. The bushes are resistant to cancer, nematodes, and scab. The fruits have a long shelf life (until April). Excellent flavor is noted.
Early potatoes: Lazurit, Krepysh, Kholmogorsky	55-80	Plants with tubers weighing up to 130 g, covered with light skin. The fruit's yellow or white flesh does not soften when cooked or turn black when cut. Yields range from 210 to 400 centners per hectare. The storability is up to 98%. High resistance to scab, but weak to late blight of tubers and tops.

Attention!

Two weeks before harvesting potatoes, you need to remove the tops from the area to avoid possible fungal diseases of the tops.

Mid-season

Mid-season varieties make up the bulk of the list (listed alphabetically) of this root vegetable. There are at least 200 varieties in total. The growing season to ripening of the first fruits lasts 95-110 days. According to experienced vegetable growers and agronomists, the following varieties occupy the top spots in the rankings:

Table 2

Name	Productivity (centners per 1 ha)	Characteristics
Aurora	400-550	The tops are tall with large, dark green leaves. The tubers are large, yellow with red spots. A single plant produces up to 20 potatoes, each weighing 150 grams.
Blakit	300-490	This versatile variety was developed in Belarus. The skin and flesh are yellowish, and the flavor is average. The potatoes don't overcook and have a long shelf life.
Kolobok	330-400	The tubers are round. The yellow flesh has an excellent flavor. The plant has low disease resistance and is sometimes susceptible to nematode infestation. The plant's shelf life during transportation and winter storage is 98%.
Picasso (Lemon)	300-500	The bright yellow tubers have a thick skin and eyes surrounded by red spots. This hybrid is more of a commercial variety and doesn't cook well.
Adretta	380-450	This is a German potato variety. It is susceptible to late blight and scab. Its high starch content means it cooks quickly, has a moderate flavor, and is better suited for livestock feed.
Breeze	300-350	A table hybrid with a medium flavor that cooks well. The tubers and flesh are yellow with small eyes on the surface.
Vector	400-450	This variety was developed in Russia. The flesh and skin are creamy. Suitable for growing in gardens and homesteads.
Rodrigo	400-520	The oval-shaped tubers are slightly pointed at one end. These tasty red potatoes with pink skin are distinguished by their excellent shelf life during transportation and storage.
Blue-eyed	200-230	The cream-colored potatoes are covered with blue-red spots on the eyes. These potatoes are not suitable for long-term storage, but they receive high marks for flavor.
The Black Prince	100-120	The dark purple skin makes it extremely unusual, but it is not yet listed in the State Register. Its yield is low, but the flavor is excellent. This potato is best suited for growing in summer cottages and private gardens for seasonal consumption.

Attention!

See the photographs after each table. They depict the best representatives of the indicated varieties.

Late

Mid-late and late tubers are grown for winter storage. Their fruits keep better until mid-April. The percentage of spoiled fruits is no more than 7-10% of the total storage volume. Potatoes reach full maturity 110-140 days after planting.

Table 3

Name	Average yield (centners per 1 ha)	Characteristics
Asterix	300	The bushes grow up to 85 cm tall, with a medium spread. This Dutch variety grows well in the Volga region and the Far East. The tubers are oval and red. The potato has excellent flavor and a long shelf life.
Crane	600	Ripens 110 days after planting. Compact bushes grow up to 65 cm tall. The tubers are red, like the petals of the flowering bushes. The fruits are round with a small number of eyes. The plant is resistant to sudden temperature fluctuations. It has weak immunity to late blight of the foliage and tubers.
Lightning	500	The bushes reach a height of no more than 60 cm. The inflorescences are red-violet, and the tubers are red, weighing up to 120 grams. The growing season lasts 120-140 days. The plant grows well in heavy soils and is resistant to dry periods. It has weak immunity to late blight, but is resistant to scab, nematodes, and canker.
Zdabitok	320	The red tubers, weighing up to 120 grams, have a high starch content (28%), making them easy to mash. A single plant produces up to 15 elongated, oval-shaped fruits. The plants are resistant to many diseases, including canker, late blight, scab, and nematodes.
Lorkh	350	This Russian-bred variety has been tried and tested for centuries. The bushes grow up to 80 cm tall. The large yellow tubers weigh 110-120 g. The potatoes contain 20% starch, cook well, and store well until early harvest. They have poor resistance to canker and scab, but are rarely susceptible to other diseases.
Saturn	280	This industrial variety is suitable for processing. It produces starch, which accounts for 21% of potato starch. The tubers are small, round (up to 100 g), and have a long shelf life. It has excellent transportability. It has strong immunity to almost all potato diseases.
Gull	400	The plant's growing season lasts 120 days. The tubers and flesh are yellow and low in starch (15%). This table variety is used for first and second courses. The potato's flavor has received high marks. The plant is cancer-resistant, but can be damaged by late blight and scab.
Atlas	650	Ripe tubers form on the plant's roots 120 days after planting. The potato skin and flesh are light yellow and contain up to 21% starch. The potato has an excellent flavor and is suitable for a variety of dishes. The plant is resistant to sudden temperature fluctuations and is resistant to late blight, scab, and nematodes.
Robin	200	The bushes grow up to 80 cm tall, do not lodge, and bear vibrant red-violet inflorescences. The tubers have a raspberry hue. The fruits are oval or round, flattened on the sides. The flesh is white and has an excellent flavor.
Violet	210	This new variety (included in the State Register in 2014) has an unusual skin and flesh color. Small tubers weighing up to 80 g contain up to 14.5% starch. Flavor is average. Its enemy is the golden nematode, but it has strong immunity to other diseases.

Attention!

A single potato field can accommodate 2 to 5 potato varieties. Flower pollination does not affect the varietal characteristics of the tubers.

For different types of soil

When choosing planting material, consider the soil conditions potatoes prefer. Tubers form on the roots, making them part of the plant's root system. Soil composition and structure are important for the normal growth and development of tubers. These factors cannot always be changed. Plant breeders have developed hybrids that can produce good yields in difficult soils.

In sandy areas it is better to plant potato seeds: Latona, Red Scarlet, Rodrigo, Typhoon, Rosara, Volzhanin, Ramona.

Clay soils will not be a problem for the following varieties: Gatchinsky, Cleopatra, Nevsky, Lasunok, Lugovskoy, Lukyanovsky.

Dependence on climate zones

Our country's territory is located in four climate zones: arctic, subarctic, temperate, and subtropical. The arctic and subarctic zones are unsuitable for growing root crops due to severe frosts, even in summer.

In subtropical regions (the Caucasus and the Black and Caspian Sea coasts), potatoes can be planted twice a year. The warm, mild climate promotes high yields of various potato varieties. In the temperate climate, which covers most of Russia, regions are divided into several zones with slight, but distinct, weather conditions.

From the variety of seeds for planting, it is better to choose zoned selections:

For central Russia (Moscow region, Volga region): Arosa, Adretta, Belaroza, Orbita, Vesna, Zarya. Early varieties for the Moscow region include Vyatka, Domodedovsky, and Slavyanka.
For the Urals: Alena, Veneta, Zhukovsky early, Lorkh, Lyubava, Nevsky, Rosara.
For Siberia (West Siberian regions): Meteor, Zekura, Nevsky, Adretta.

Seed potatoes are zoned for the above-mentioned regions and are noted for their high tolerance to low temperatures. All varieties are early- to mid-season ripening. Bushes begin to bloom in June, and ripe fruits appear no later than August-September. The stages and phases of potato development occur at an accelerated pace due to the improved varietal qualities of the "parent" varieties from which the new hybrids were derived.

Attention!

To grow a bountiful potato harvest, vegetable growers must fulfill three key requirements: purchase high-quality seeds appropriate for their location, and adhere to crop rotation and proper cultivation techniques.

High-yielding

The most productive potato varieties are determined experimentally over a long period. These data are included by the originators in their applications for inclusion in the State Register. A yield of 300 centners of tubers or more per hectare of potato planting is considered high.

These include: Aurora, Kolobok, Adretta, Atlas, Seagull, Zhuravinka.

The most stable and resilient

Disease and pest resistance are important factors when selecting seeds. Potato varieties resistant to the Colorado potato beetle are prioritized for marketing, as it's better to grow potatoes that are resistant to the beetle.

According to the originators, these are: Lasunok, Zarevo, Temp, Kamensky, Early morning.

The most beautiful

Any gardener can identify these fruits by their appearance. These tubers should be medium to large in size, without many eyes on the surface, smooth, even, and attractive to buyers.

Vegetable growers who have tested many potato varieties on their plots consider the following varieties to be tubers: Irbitsky, Rodrigo, Lasunok, Nevsky, Zhukovsky, Red Scarlet.

The most delicious

According to the originators, potatoes with a high starch content are considered the most delicious. They are used in first and second courses (soups, mashed potatoes, casseroles). The highest starch content is found in tubers—over 20 percent.

The champions in taste are: Picasso, Tuleevsky, Zhuravinka, Kiwi, Kolobok, Impala, Fairy Tale.

The newest

The State Register of Plant Seeds is updated with new potato varieties every year. In 2018 and early 2019, the following were added:

early: Gulliver, Capri, Christelle, Mishka, Madison, Sandrine;
mid-season: Babushka, Arktika, Elena, Granada, Smolyanochka;
late: Masai, Kazachok, Tserata KVS.

Potatoes undergo testing in various regions of Russia for at least 10 years before being included in the register. During this time, some gardeners have already had the opportunity to test the quality of new varieties in their gardens.

Elite

Domestic selection: Lux, Romano, Slavyanka, Zarnitsa, Udacha, Gala, Nevsky, Zhukovsky, Rosara, Golubizna.

Foreign selection:

Holland - Evolution, Prior, Sante, Red Scarlet;
Germany - Karatop, Sprint, Vitara, Rosara.

Planting material for different potato varieties is purchased through retail outlets, online stores, and from friends and acquaintances. It's crucial that these sources are reliable and that their offerings match the varietal characteristics of the declared variety. A Certificate of Quality for seeds sold in-store serves as a guarantee.