Large-fruited and cold-resistant potato variety - Irbitsky: description and reviews

The history of the origin of the Irbitsky potato variety

The Irbitsky potato was developed by Russian breeders in 2009.
The variety is included in the State Register of Russia.

Recommended for cultivation in the Volga-Vyatka and West Siberian regions.

The table below presents data on the yield of other potato varieties:

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Potato storage

The keeping quality of tubers depends on many factors. This is affected by the following:

• Weather. If it was too cold and rainy during the growing season, then there will be quite large losses during storage.
• The soil. Root crops grown on sandy loam and chernozem soils are stored better than those grown from loamy soil.
• Fertilizers. If there is an excess of nitrogenous fertilizers, the tubers do not last long. They are most quickly affected by diseases. The same goes for root vegetables that did not receive enough potassium.
• Late blight. This disease can spread to tubers, so the potatoes will have less shelf life.
• Conditions. In order for root vegetables to retain their appearance until the next harvest, you need to know how to store Irbitsky potatoes and other varieties.

To ensure the right conditions, it is necessary to dry the tubers after digging up the crop. Before putting them away for storage, the harvest must be sorted. All cut, disease-damaged, small specimens are removed. Tubers without visible damage are used for storage. The shelf life depends on the size of the potatoes. For the middle period, large potatoes are selected. Medium specimens are used for long-term storage. Everything else is used immediately after selection.

Description and characteristics

The Irbitsky variety is characterized by an average height of the bush, which is quite compact. It is a semi-erect plant with an intermediate growth habit. The leaves are medium in size and wavy along the edges, rich green in color.

The inner surface of the corolla is painted azure. The skin of the tubers is pink-red, they are round in shape. The eyes of Irbitsky are medium-sized, and the flesh is yellowish in color. One nest contains up to 6-8 tubers, each weighing 110-190 g. The pulp contains 13-16.5% starch.

One hectare yields a yield of 250-400 centners of starchy potato tubers. The variety is unpretentious: drought-resistant and little susceptible to damage, after which it quickly recovers. It is highly resistant to many dangerous diseases that affect potatoes.

How to dig and store

How do you know when it’s time to harvest? The most important sign of fruit ripeness is the yellowness of the tops. As a rule, this period begins within the second half of August - early September. To improve the quality of potatoes, you need to cut off the tops a week before digging. This helps accumulate many additional nutrients and forms a thick skin on the root crops, which protects them from mechanical damage.

After digging, the crop should be dried for a couple of days in a sunny place, and then transferred to the shade for about 2-3 weeks. After all the procedures, the fruits can be cleaned of soil residues and sorted into food, planting and defective. Only large root vegetables should be used for food, smaller ones should be left for planting, and fruits with identified defects and infections should be rejected and disposed of. The sorted fruits should be taken and placed in a dark place (ideally, a basement or cellar is suitable).

Description and characteristics of the variety

Irbitsky is an unpretentious mid-season potato variety intended for cultivation in temperate and northern climate zones. From the beginning of germination to the digging of tubers, it often takes from 70 to 90 days, this makes it possible to obtain a harvest even in areas with short summers. The plant was bred not so long ago: in 2009, the variety was first submitted for industrial testing, after which it instantly conquered the modern market of fruit species. The authors of the plant were Russian breeders from the Ural Research Institute of the Russian Agricultural Academy.

This potato has typical morphological features: it is a medium-sized herbaceous plant, with a semi-erect stem and an intermediate growth pattern. The height of the plant is within 50–60 cm. The leaves are large or medium in size, of intermediate type, the color of the leaves is rich, bright green. The leaf blade is unpaired and consists of 3–7 lobes. The variety blooms amicably and abundantly. At this time, small flowers with anthocyon color on the inside develop on the bush. After flowering, fruits appear on the bush - multi-seeded berries of a light green hue, about 2 cm in diameter.

In their shape and structure they are similar to tomato fruits. The berries are poisonous, so they are not used as food. The tubers of the variety are round, slightly oblong, with red-yellow skin. Small dark red eyes develop on the tubers. When cut, the pulp of the tubers is dense, watery, and has a rich pale yellow hue. The size of the tubers is average, the weight of the average specimen does not exceed 190 g.

The crop yield is high: under optimal growing conditions, you can harvest from 25 to 40 tons per hectare. The taste of potatoes is increased; the tubers are characterized by a fairly high starch content and low sugar content. This makes the pulp moderately rich in aromatic substances and pleasant to the taste. In turn, dishes made from this potato have a moderate potato taste, which makes it universal for preparing any dishes and side dishes.

Harvesting and storage

Irbitsky potatoes ripen in the first half of August. During this period, a sharp withering of the shoots occurs. Harvesting should be done in dry weather. After this, the potatoes must be kept in the garden for 2-3 hours, and then placed indoors for further drying for 3 weeks.

Before storing in the basement, the tubers need to be sorted by size. Optimal storage conditions: temperature +4-6 degrees, humidity 80-85%.

Important! Planting potatoes should be stored separately from the rest of the crop.

Pros and cons of the variety

Irbitsky potatoes are the pride of Ural breeders, and therefore are considered among the elite varieties of fruit and vegetable crops.

Advantages of the variety:

• The plant is resistant to climatic conditions.
• The variety is distinguished by its yield and is grown for industrial purposes.
• Good taste.
• Duration of storage of root crops.
• Natural immunity to viral or fungal diseases.
• Potatoes of the Irbitsky variety are widely used in the food industry and cooking.
• The variety is not demanding on soil and care.
• The seed material does not degenerate.
• Strong, large root crops can withstand long-term transportation.

Important! No serious deficiencies have been identified in this potato variety. But with improper care or unfavorable climatic conditions, crop yields decrease.

Advantages and disadvantages of Irbitsky

Irbitsky has long won the title of one of the best varieties for cultivation. Many gardeners give it the status of “Elite”.

And this title is not just big words. Irbitsky has a number of advantages, thanks to which gardeners praise it. In particular, the positive aspects of this variety include:

• Everyone who grew Irbitsky notes its exceptional adaptation to any growing conditions.
• Also, the variety is famous for its high and stable yield.
• Another advantage is the high commercial quality of the tubers.
• The variety is excellent for commercial production, since the safety of the tubers is within 97%.
• Irbitsky has fairly good immunity, which protects it from most potato fungal diseases.
• The variety is not prone to degeneration.
• Unlike some varieties, Irbitsky can be cut when planting. This does not affect the yield in any way.
• Irbitsky is easy to care for.
• Tubers are resistant to mechanical damage.
• Small root vegetables are very rare.

There are no disadvantages as such. Disease damage and poor yields may occur, and then only with a complete lack of care.

Landing

If the planting material is of good quality and the planting dates are determined correctly, then a good harvest is guaranteed. The techniques for preparing tubers for planting are as follows:

For planting, an open, sunny place without drafts with any soil composition and soil acidity pH = 6 is allocated. Naturally, the best harvest can be obtained on fertilized, fertile soils. The planting pattern is traditional: 60x35 cm to a depth of 10 cm in pre-dug furrows.

Planting should be as early as possible, but the soil temperature should be +7-8°C. In such conditions, potatoes quickly take root and grow. Typically, planting time is mid-May. There are “two pitfalls” here: planting tubers in unheated soil leads to their rotting, and late planting with a delay of 2 weeks reduces the yield by 20%. Therefore, it is important to correctly determine the timing for obtaining early nutritional products.

The video clearly demonstrates the landing rules:

When and how to plant

The main condition is the quality of the planting material itself. For planting, you need to choose healthy and undamaged tubers, without visible defects, cuts, or growths. It is worth paying special attention to proper soil preparation.

• Firstly, the area should be light and ventilated, because in the shade and stuffiness the potatoes will simply bend.
• Secondly, you should pay attention to the type of soil, and although the variety grows in literally any soil, ideally loose, non-oxidized, fertile soil is suitable for it.

Planting material should be selected from the previous harvest. A month before the planned planting, potatoes need to be sent for germination - it is necessary to select small tubers without visible damage and put them in a warm, bright place until the first sprouts appear.

Summer residents do not recommend growing potatoes for more than 3 years in the same place. The ideal option is to replace the planting site every 2-3 years.

Care

The main approaches to cultivating the Irbitsky potato variety are traditional and applicable, as for any potato crop. This is loosening the soil and destroying weeds. It is difficult to develop a universal scheme for the entire growing season, since much depends on climatic conditions. But since Irbitsky potatoes are unpretentious, they can withstand weather disasters and produce a good harvest in any conditions.

Hilling and fertilizing

Hilling is necessary for the growth of lateral underground shoots on which tubers develop. This is a necessary procedure for any potato variety. Additional watering will not harm it, especially if the summer is hot and dry.

These agrotechnical activities are carried out in the following sequence:

• when the tops grow, the first deep (10-12 cm) loosening is carried out, then the soil is loosened 2 and 3 times to a depth of 6-7 cm;
• when the potatoes reach a height of 15-17 cm, the bushes are ready for hilling; an earthen ridge of 18-20 cm is poured onto the plant;
• when the tops are closed, the Irbitsky variety needs the following (repeated) hilling;
• On average, three waterings are carried out per season, which are more convenient to combine with fertilizing, especially on poor soils.

Fertilizers are applied even before potatoes are planted; ash containing phosphorus and potassium, which are important for the development of the tuber, is added to the holes. And nitrogen is necessary for its growth: it is added in the form of ammophos or mullein.

When growing Irbitsky potatoes, the following fertilizers are used:

In the fall, after harvesting, add a bucket of humus or compost, 15 g of potassium salt and 30 g of superphosphate per 1 m2 of area.

Important! An alkaline environment is not suitable for potatoes. It needs acidic soil: only in such conditions will the variety bring a good harvest and large, crumbly tubers.

Features of growing and caring for potatoes after planting

When growing potatoes, the most attention should be paid to soil care. To achieve large tubers, plantings require periodic weeding, loosening and hilling. It is recommended to combine loosening and weeding - this way you can remove weeds from the beds and also saturate the soil with oxygen. The first time weeding and loosening is necessary 3-4 weeks after planting the tubers, to a depth of the top layer of soil up to 10 cm.

Important! The Irbitsky variety does not require mandatory watering. But in order to increase the quality of tubers, the beds should still be irrigated during drought (no more than 3 times per season). Potatoes need to be watered generously so that moisture can reach the lower horizons of the soil.

In the future, weeding and loosening should be carried out as necessary, to a depth of no more than 7 cm. Hilling is the main condition for the formation of a large root system on which the tubers will develop. Without this, potato yields decrease and potato sizes decrease by 2–3 times. The first hilling should be carried out when the plants reach a height of 16 cm, the next ones - during the period of tops closing and after flowering.

Potatoes do not need additional feeding. With proper soil preparation, fertilizers applied in the fall and early spring should be sufficient to provide the plantings with all the necessary nutrients and minerals.

Diseases and pests

Irbitsky potatoes practically do not suffer from common potato infections. If diseased bushes do appear, then treatment with insecticides is necessary.

If the number of pests on potatoes is insignificant (for example, the appearance of the Colorado potato beetle, potato moth or wireworm), it is possible to treat with folk remedies that will not cause damage to the soil and other inhabitants of the garden plot.

Reviews from gardeners

Irbitsky potatoes are quite popular in our country, reviews of this variety are most often positive. The variety, according to vegetable growers, belongs to the “super-elite” category and is very large-fruited. There is a fairly abundant formation of tubers on potato bushes. A full harvest of highly marketable potatoes can be obtained in a little more than two months. The economic and biological characteristics of the variety indicate good taste and low boilability of potatoes according to the BC type.

Reviews about the variety from those who planted

The presence of a “young” age did not prevent the “Irbitsky” variety from becoming popular among gardeners and farmers. Each bush provides quite a large number of root vegetables of different sizes, approximately eight large tubers. An excellent harvest is guaranteed in a fairly short growing season. Reviews from gardeners indicate consistently large yields under various weather conditions.

The Irbitsky potato variety is quite promising; it has excellent characteristics that deserve the attention of vegetable growers. Despite its relatively short lifespan, it occupies a leading position in the ranking of the best varieties of Russian selection.

Agrotechnics of cultivation

As a rule, the quality of the future harvest is most influenced by 2 factors:

• Quality of planting material;
• Choosing the right landing site.

Care in this case is a corrective procedure and allows you to improve plant growth on poor soils. If planting material is purchased for the first time from a nursery, then there is no reason to worry about a high-quality harvest. When the material is formed from tubers selected for planting from the previous year's harvest, a preparatory stage is necessary.

Potatoes Irbitsky

Description of preparing tubers for planting:

1. 20-25 days before planting, potatoes must be removed from storage;
2. Each fruit is inspected; rotten or bad specimens must be thrown away;
3. Potatoes are placed in a dark place with a temperature of +15˚C...+20˚C for germination. Direct sunlight should not fall on the tubers;
4. If the tubers are very large, then they can be divided into parts. Each slice should have 3 sprouts;
5. For preventive purposes, planting material can be treated with anti-pest drugs, for example, Commander, Prestige or other varieties with a similar spectrum of action;
6. It is allowed to spray tubers with growth stimulants.

When choosing a planting site, you should pay attention to the illumination of the area. The more sunlight that reaches the ground, the better the potatoes will grow. The absence of wind and draft is also an undeniable advantage. When the optimal site has been found, you can examine the soil:

• The optimal level of soil acidity is 6 Ph; on more acidic soils it is necessary to liming using dolomite flour. However, this variety does not like highly alkaline soils. Root vegetables grown in an alkaline environment significantly decrease in size and lose their taste;
• There are no special requirements for the composition of the soil. Chernozem is the best option, but sandy and clayey compounds are also suitable. The fertility of the site can be increased by applying fertilizers. Sandy soils can be sown with lupine a year before planting. On other types of soils, oats are the best precursor. It disinfects the soil.

Planting work can begin when the soil warms up to +8 ˚C. This temperature is optimal for the development of the root system. The Irbit variety loves early planting, and the yield can increase 6 times. In cold soil, potatoes will also germinate, but the period of emergence will last for 1.5 months. In the southern regions, potato planting begins in mid-April, in the middle zone - in mid-May.

Potatoes love early planting

Fertilizer application is carried out in 2 stages:

1. In the fall, the field is dug up with the simultaneous application of manure. You can use both fresh and rotted. Application rate – 6 kg/m2;
2. During spring tillage, humus (10 l/m2), ash (1 tbsp/m2) and nitrophoska (2 tbsp/m2) are added.

The Irbit variety is most often planted in holes. In the field, boletus is cut with a row spacing of 0.35 m. The tubers are placed at a distance of 0.6 m from each other, the planting depth is 0.1 m.

Caring for potatoes includes the following procedures:

1. Loosening. This potato variety thrives in dry soil, but the soil must be kept loose. Loosening is usually combined with hilling and weed removal. The first hilling is done when the seedlings are 15-18 cm high. First, the soil is loosened to a depth of 10 cm, weeds and roots are removed. Then the bush is covered with loosened soil. When the tops have grown significantly and the plant branches begin to intertwine with each other, you can do a second hilling. During this period, you need to loosen the soil no deeper than 5-7 cm. Additional loosening should be done when the top layer of soil is significantly compacted. The depth of loosening should be no more than 5 cm. This will be enough for the roots and tubers to gain access to oxygen, but at the same time eliminate the possibility of injury to them;
2. Watering. Irbit potatoes are drought-resistant varieties. At the same time, during the period of bud formation and flowering, it is necessary to maintain soil moisture. These periods are the most important in the development of the plant; it is at this time that the active formation of the future harvest occurs. On average, 2-3 waterings per season are enough for potatoes. The first time - at the time of planting, the second time - during the budding period, the third time - in the active flowering phase. If the summer turns out to be extremely dry, you should water more often, since a critical lack of moisture reduces the yield by a quarter;
3. Feeding is an important component of any care. The best way to apply fertilizers is together with watering. It is best to apply nitrogen fertilizers at the time of planting and during the development phase of the bush, since nitrogen affects the growth of green mass. At the moment of fruit formation, much attention should be paid to potassium and phosphorus fertilizers, in particular, wood ash. It is these components that help the fruit gain weight and accumulate nutrients;
4. Irbit potatoes are not afraid of diseases and pests. In very rare cases, the Colorado potato beetle or potato moth appears on the bushes, and wireworms rarely appear in the soil. Preventive treatment of tubers before planting helps reduce the risk of infection to a minimum. When insects appear on the plant, you can treat the leaves with insecticides (Fitoverm) or folk remedies (potassium permanganate, copper sulfate). Also, complex preparations have become very popular, which have the properties of both fungicides and insecticides, and, therefore, fight both pests and diseases at the same time. The most famous products of this group are: Celeste Top, Matador-Ultra, Emesto Quantum. An effective method against wireworms is to add protection soil when planting. It is laid out in a thin layer on the bottom of the planting hole. This soil contains a predatory nematode that effectively destroys wireworms. Do not forget about observing crop rotation. The probability of infection increases many times over when using the same plot for more than 3-4 years and when choosing a plot where Solanaceae (tomato, pepper and others) were grown in the previous year;
5. Harvest begins in August. The signal to start harvesting is the yellowing and drying of the tops. A week before digging up the potatoes, the tops are cut off. A sunny day is most suitable for harvesting, so that the tubers can dry under the sun's rays before storing them. Potatoes can lie in the sun for no more than 3 hours, after which they need to be moved to a dark, well-ventilated room. After 2 weeks, the potatoes need to be sorted. Rotten potatoes should be thrown away immediately; chopped or crushed potatoes can be used as livestock feed. The remaining potatoes are sorted into 2 parts. The most ideal, even, uniform in size fruits are deposited as seed material for planting next year. The remaining tubers are used for food. Sorted potatoes are stored in a cool, dark place.

How to grow this variety

The Irbitsky variety is cultivated both on large areas for industrial use and on small garden plots.

Since the variety does not require care and can be grown even in unfavorable climatic conditions, it can be easily grown in your garden.

Dates, scheme and rules of planting

Three weeks before planting, potatoes are taken out of storage and sorted, removing diseased or rotten tubers. To germinate, they are left in a warm and bright place. Large tubers are cut so that each cut part has 2-3 eyes. They are treated with growth stimulants and drugs to protect against pests and diseases.

Important ! For Irbit potatoes, acidic soil is more suitable than alkaline soil.

Potatoes are planted in an open, sunny place without drafts. The planting scheme is as follows: 60 cm are left between plants, 35 cm between rows. The tubers are placed in pre-dug furrows to a depth of 8-10 cm. Ash containing phosphorus and potassium, as well as ammophos or mullein, sources of nitrogen, are added to the holes. These substances are necessary for the development of the tuber and plant growth.

Planting tubers in unheated soil leads to their rotting and late germination (after about a month and a half), and being late in planting just a couple of weeks reduces the harvest by 20%. Therefore, determine planting dates with maximum accuracy.

Early planting is preferable, but the soil should already warm up to +7...+8°C. This time falls approximately in mid-May, not earlier. The best predecessors for this variety are legumes, cucumbers and pumpkin.

Care

Since in most regions hot and dry summer days alternate with cool and humid ones, it is not easy to develop a universal care scheme for the Irbitsky potato variety. However, there are agricultural practices that are standard for any weather. This includes loosening and removing weeds, hilling (it is necessary for the growth of lateral underground shoots on which tubers develop), watering and fertilizing with organic and mineral fertilizers.

The first loosening (before emergence) is deep - 10-12 cm. The second and third - no deeper than 6-7 cm.

The first hilling is when the plant height is 15-17 cm, the height of the soil ridge will be 18-20 cm. The second hilling is before the tops are closed.

It is recommended to combine watering and fertilizing with each other. It is enough to carry out these agrotechnical activities no more than three times per season:

• 2 parts chicken manure and 30 parts water. Before fertilizing, the soil should be moist so as not to burn the roots;
• 2 parts of chicken manure or mullein are diluted with 30 parts of water. This feeding is carried out during the formation of buds;
• 4 tablespoons of ash are mixed with 1.5 tablespoons of potassium sulfate per 1 linear meter. Treatment is carried out during flowering of plants.

One potato bush requires 1 liter of fertilizer solution

Nuances of cultivation and possible difficulties, diseases and pests

The Irbitsky variety deserves all 5 points on a 5-point scale for resistance to pests and diseases. However, some difficulties during cultivation cannot be ruled out:

1. Colorado beetle. For prevention, tubers are treated before planting and/or bushes before flowering with the preparations “Alatar”, “Aktara”, “Prestige”, etc.
2. Wireworm. Before planting, “bait” (pieces of potato, cake) with poisons are scattered over the area.
3. Late blight. Brown spots appear on the leaves on top, and a white coating appears on the bottom. The disease affects all parts of the plant and occurs towards the end of summer, when the air temperature drops sharply and it rains. The virus quickly spreads from leaves to stems and tubers. The tubers become covered with hard brownish areas and then rot. To prevent the entire crop from being lost from this disease, diseased bushes are sprayed with a solution of Bordeaux mixture.
4. Ring rot . The fungus attacks the vascular tissues of the stem and tubers. It looks like cream-colored circles with transparent glassy inclusions nearby. Careful selection of planting material and its treatment with fungicides is the best prevention of this disease.
5. Scab. Irregular ulcers with a dry rim appear on the tubers. The fruits are stored for a long time, but dry out over time. Control measures include maintaining crop rotation, planting high-quality material and using fungicides in case of infection.

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Features of the variety

Description:

1. Mid-season variety. Young potatoes can be dug up after 2 months. Full maturation occurs after 3 months;
2. The tops are of medium size, do not grow much, the main branches grow straight upward. The leaves grow densely, are medium in size, bright green in color and have a carved edge. The flowers are blue in color;
3. The fruits are smooth, oval with a dense pink skin and sparse small eyes. The pulp is a delicate yellow shade. The taste and aroma are pronounced and intense.

Characteristics of Irbitsky potatoes