Seed potatoes in Chelyabinsk and Chelyabinsk region

Ermak potatoes are a non-standard variety. In fact, it was not created separately. This is simply an improved version of the Early Rose variety, by selecting “elite” tubers. As a result of the work, the “Ermak improved” variety was obtained. It is under this name that it was included in the State Register of the Russian Federation in 1978.

The variety is recommended for cultivation in the West Siberian region. However, there are no restrictions on cultivation. Today Ermak is actively cultivated not only throughout Russia, but also in countries bordering the Russian Federation.

In the article we will introduce you to the amazing Ermak variety, present its detailed description, photos and reviews from summer residents who have been familiar with the large, frost-resistant tubers of this crop for many years.

Characteristics of the variety

Despite the fact that Ermak is preferable for growing in Western Siberia, it tolerates heat well. Also, tubers are not afraid of mechanical stress, and, therefore, are suitable for mechanical harvesting and transportation over long distances.

As for tubers, these are 90-117 g root vegetables with a starch percentage of 10-12%. That is, during heat treatment, potatoes retain their structure and do not crumble.

The skin of the tubers is pink, the flesh is white with characteristic red dots. The taste of the pulp is excellent. It does not darken during cleaning and heat treatment. The tubers are ideal for making salads, fried potatoes, French fries, and chips. Due to its low starch content, the variety is not very suitable for making purees.

The variety is classified as mid-season. Tubers ripen on the 70-80th day of planting.

Productivity is high - up to 470 centners per hectare. On average, with normal care, at home you can get at least 350 c/ha.

Ermak's bushes are of an erect type, the stems are very sparsely covered with leaves. The flowers are painted in a pale purple hue. On average, 1 bush produces up to 15 medium potatoes.

Ermak has average immunity, which, unfortunately, does not completely protect him from most fungal diseases. The crop has average resistance to late blight (tops and tubers) and scab.

Characteristics of Chugunka potatoes

According to official characteristics, the Chugunka variety ripens within 70-75 days, the yield is average - up to 200 c/ha. At the same time, there are many tubers on a bush - up to 11 pieces, each of them can reach a weight of 130 grams. The appearance of Chugunka potatoes has the following characteristics: the skin is dark, purple in color, the shape of the tuber is oval, slightly elongated, the pulp of the variety is light cream, almost white, and does not darken after cooking and cutting.

Cast iron, as an early variety, prefers light soils and is dug up only after a full period of ripening. Chugunka potatoes are not included in the official register, but at the same time they are actively cultivated on private farms.

Pros and cons of Ermak

Ermak has a number of advantages, thanks to which it was able to spread not only in Siberia, but even in neighboring countries. Among the main advantages of Ermak are:

• Good taste of root vegetables.
• High yield.
• Heat resistance.
• High shelf life – up to 93%.
• Resistance to mechanical damage.
• Versatility in terms of cooking.

Along with this, there are several disadvantages:

• Firstly, Ermak has a rather controversial immunity. On the one hand, the variety is moderately protected from late blight and scab, but on the other hand, it very often suffers from potato cancer.
• Ermak is not suitable for making purees due to its very low starch content.

Description and characteristics

Ermak potato bushes are erect, the stems branch rather weakly. The corollas of the flowers are very beautiful - painted in a pale red-violet color.

And the tubers are distinguished by a pinkish skin color. The eyes are small in size; there are not very many of them on the smooth peel.

The flesh is white when cut, sometimes there may be reddish inclusions near the eyes. It does not darken when cut and cooked.

Attention! The starch content in Ermak potato tubers ranges from 10 to 12%. The tubers do not become too soft when cooked and retain their shape well.

The tubers are large in size from 90 to 120 grams each and have an oval-round shape. In this case, from 8 to 20 tubers are formed in each potato bush. In addition, the tubers of this variety have a fairly high marketability, which means the percentage of marketable tubers compared to all others grown on the bush. Marketability is about 88-90%.

Therefore, the Ermak potato variety is considered high-yielding - from one bush you can collect from one to two kilograms of tasty tubers.

On an industrial scale, where yield is measured in tons per hectare, this value is 35-47 t/ha.

The Ermak potato variety can safely be classified as early ripening - the tubers ripen already 70-90 days after the appearance of the first shoots.

At the same time, potatoes are stored very well, especially for such early ripening periods. The safety percentage is 94%.

The taste qualities of Ermak potatoes are recognized by most experts as excellent - the potatoes are really very tasty, which is important in comparison with many modern varieties, especially of imported origin. The purpose of the variety is table, the use is universal - delicious vegetable salads are made from Ermak tubers, it is suitable for frying and baking.

Comment! The tubers of this variety make excellent potato chips and French fries.

The Ermak variety exhibits average resistance to the main potato scourge - scab, as well as to most fungal, bacterial and viral diseases. But its resistance to potato cancer is very low.

But the Ermak variety tolerates heat well and responds with large yields to regular fertilizing and irrigation.

Planting work

Only high-quality seed material is selected for planting. These should be medium tubers (70-80 g) without external defects. There should be no ulcers, growths, rot or any other stains on the surface of the tubers.

A month before planting the seed material, vernalization is carried out. This is the process of germination of planting tubers. To do this, potatoes are placed in boxes or laid out on the floor in a warm room with good lighting. During vernalization, it is systematically necessary to spray potatoes with water to support the normal process of fouling of the fruit with sprouts.

Vernalization is not a mandatory measure. But when it is carried out, the tubers take root in the soil faster, and it also becomes possible to select low-quality planting material with thin and weak sprouts.

The ideal site for planting Ermak is soil on which garlic, onions, legumes or pumpkin were previously planted.

Potatoes are planted when the soil has warmed up well. The temperature to which the soil should warm up is +8 degrees Celsius. Previously, our grandmothers were guided like this: “If the buds on the birch trees opened, then we could start planting root crops.” In general, in the southern regions of the country they begin planting Ermak in early May, in the central part closer to the middle, but in the north - closer to the beginning of summer.

Landing is carried out as follows:

1. Make holes up to 10 cm deep.
2. The distance between rows is maintained at 60-70 cm. Such a large distance plays a very important role. Firstly, the bushes are not shaded by each other and are well lit. Secondly, natural, normal air aeration is ensured. Thirdly, in the future it will be much easier to hill up the rows.
3. The distance between the holes is maintained at 35-40 cm.

It is worth noting that if the soil is poor enough, then during planting it is advisable to add a handful of wood ash, or, in extreme cases, humus, into each hole.

Cultivation care

Caring for the crop is quite simple. It is only important to carry out systematic watering and hill up the bushes on time.

Irrigation

Ermak is not one of those varieties that quickly “die” without water. Moreover, even in a drought without watering, Ermak can produce quite a good harvest. But still, if you don’t want to take risks and want to get the most out of the crop, then you need to follow a number of rules:

1. Firstly, you cannot water the potatoes until the tops appear. Ermak is watered for the first time when the tops have grown to 10 cm.
2. The bushes are watered the second time immediately after flowering begins.
3. The third is when the flowers begin to disappear.
4. It is not recommended to water potatoes after flowering. The explanation is simple. After flowering ends, the ripening phase begins. That is, Ermak’s already weak immunity becomes even weaker. But late blight, on the contrary, is becoming even more active.

Hilling

Many gardeners neglect this procedure. But experienced summer residents understand that it is better not to water the potatoes once than to skip hilling. Moreover, you only need to hill up the bushes 2 times a season.

The reason for the importance of hilling lies in a number of positive properties, in particular:

1. When hilling, the soil is loosened. It is saturated with oxygen and allows the root system and root crops to develop normally.
2. Hilling allows you to remove weeds from the garden. Thanks to this procedure, you can even avoid weeding, of course, if the area is not heavily covered with weeds.
3. And the last, most important advantage is that hilling promotes the formation of additional stolons. When hilling, stolons are formed on the lower part of the stems, which increase the yield of Ermak by up to 30%. It would be stupid to lose such indicators.

Hilling is carried out twice per season. The first time is when the tops have grown to 15-20 cm, the second time is just before flowers appear on the tops.

Features of planting and growing

Ermak is planted in the traditional way in open areas and garden beds. Be sure to take into account crop rotation and predecessors: the best are legumes, pumpkins, green manure.

Preparing for landing

Activities include selection of equipment, preparation of soil and planting material:

1. Tool . Planting is done using markers, planters or cones. This will allow you to create even grooves and ensure easy maintenance. Hedgehog cultivators, walk-behind tractors, and special plows are used to form ridges.
2. Planting material . 3-4 weeks before planting, select healthy, undamaged tubers. Healthy seeds are sorted by size. Selected tubers are germinated: laid out in a lighted room with a temperature of 12-16°C. Afterwards, large potatoes can be cut into two or four parts, leaving 2-3 eyes.
3. The soil . The variety loves loose chernozem soils supplemented with sand. Before planting, add a shovel of humus, 2-3 g of phosphorus-potassium mixture, and a glass of wood ash into each hole.

Before planting, seed material must be soaked in a disinfectant solution (1% potassium permanganate, boric acid or “Fitosporin”), liquid fertilizer (400 g of superphosphate and 400 g of nitrate in 10 liters of water), activators “Zircon”, “Agate”, “ Seedling", "Heteroauxin".

Important. Preparatory measures will speed up the formation of tubers and increase the yield by 10-20%.

Dates, scheme and rules of planting

Ermak planting time depends on the region:

• in areas with a temperate climate - this is the first half of May;
• in the southern regions – mid-April;
• in Siberia and the Urals - mid or late May.

Weather conditions and natural clues are excellent helpers when choosing a planting date. Many vegetable growers claim that the appearance of a greenish haze on birch trees signals the start of work.

Planting pattern : distance between rows - 70-75 cm, between holes - 30-35 cm. Planting depth depends on the type of soil: in loose, light soil - 8-10 cm, loam and dense chernozem - 6-8 cm, heavy clay - 5-6 cm. If spring is hot and dry, then the seed planting depth is increased by 2-3 cm. If it is rainy, then reduced by 3-4 cm.

Features of cultivation

They include proper planting care. Ermak is a variety with low immunity and additionally requires regular hilling and fertilization . Simultaneously with watering, fertilizing and pest control, it is necessary to loosen the top layer of soil and remove weeds.

Loosening will ensure breathing for the root system, and weed control will minimize the appearance of harmful insects.

Watering mode

Ermak does not require regular watering . It is not one of those varieties that quickly die without liquid. Water procedures are required only before the first hilling and during the formation of inflorescences. If the summer turns out to be dry, artificial irrigation with drip systems is used.

For maximum results, follow a number of rules:

1. Avoid watering until the tops appear. Perform the first water procedures when the bushes have reached 10 cm in height.
2. After flowering begins, water a second time.
3. After the flowers disappear, water a third time.

Watering is stopped after flowering, when the ripening phase begins . If overhydrated, Ermak's weak immunity may not be able to resist diseases.

Top dressing

Adding nutrients can increase yield by 20-25% . Experienced farmers use:

1. Biological infusions of herbs with chicken droppings and ash: dilute 1 part of weeds (burdock, nettle, dandelions, gooseberry) and 1 part of chicken droppings in 2 parts of water.
2. An infusion of mullein, droppings and wood ash.
3. Complex compositions “Ammophos”, “Nitroammofoska” - use strictly according to the instructions.

Important! The frequency of fertilization depends on the type of soil and the preferences of the farmer. The universal feeding regime is three times a season during the period of sprout formation, flowering, and tuber development.

Disease and pest control

Ermak is weak against potato cancer and nematode , and is attacked by the Colorado potato beetle. Potato cancer is easy to detect: the leaves are covered with a bubble mesh. Methods of combating diseases include the use of drugs "Ridomil Gold", "Quadris", "Previkur", "Alyette".

the
tops with “Commander”, “Mospilan”, “Confidora”, “Regent”, “Prestige”
will help to eliminate the Colorado potato beetle and its larvae Biological products are less dangerous for bushes - “Agravertin” and “Fitoverm” have proven themselves positively. Prevention and methods of disease control :

1. Before flowering, spray the plantings with Ridomil Gold, Quadris, Previkur, and Alyette. Repeat the procedure after two weeks.
2. If fungal damage to the stems is detected, treat with systemic fungicides.
3. Remove diseased plants and burn them.

Attention! Negligence towards the above-ground parts of potatoes can lead to the destruction of the crop. To prevent the plant from attracting pests with its juicy greens, it is enough to plant calendula, marigolds, basil, garlic, celandine, and tobacco between the rows to repel the beetles.

Prevention and methods of controlling Colorado potato beetles:

• treat the bushes with “Fundazol”, “Fitosporin”, “Gamair” or “Alirn”;
• collect adults and larvae by hand into special containers;
• Weed the area in a timely manner.

The Ermak variety has an even more unpleasant enemy . This is a golden potato nematode that lives on the root system. By attacking the roots, these small worms prevent the stems and roots from developing normally. The bushes turn yellow, wither, and do not bloom. During harvesting, small rotten tubers are found in the hole or they are completely absent.

Chemical preparations “Bazudin”, “Nematicide”, “Nemabakt”, “BI-58” will help fight the nematode

Attention! The nematode is a quarantine pest that poses harm and danger to humans. If large lesions are detected, you should immediately contact the phytosanitary service.

Pests and diseases

As noted earlier, Ermak is basically a potato cancer. But manifestations of late blight and scab are also common.

In order not to catch this infection, it is recommended to spray the bushes with a solution of Fitosporin for preventive purposes.

If the bush cannot be saved, then it is necessary to uproot it and burn it. And treat the place where the infected crop grew with special fungicides.

As for insects, the biggest problem for Ermak is the Colorado potato beetle. You can fight it in two ways:

1. Dedovsky. Collect parasites, their larvae and eggs and drown in soapy water.
2. Chemistry. Purchase special insecticides on the market and treat the crop with them.

Harvesting and storage

A week before harvest, experienced summer residents recommend mowing the tops. Firstly, this will protect it from possible damage by late blight. Secondly, in this way the tubers will ripen better, since all the nutrients will get into the root crops, and not into the green part of the crop. And thirdly, it will greatly simplify harvesting.

We recommend reading: “Description of the potato variety Elizaveta”

After harvesting, the tubers cannot be immediately transferred to a permanent storage location. You need to leave them in the fresh air for several hours so that they have time to dry. Afterwards, they are sorted, selecting damaged and infected root crops. Only after this can the potatoes be taken to the basement or cellar.