Description of the Granada potato variety
Granada is a potato that belongs to the mid-late, high-yielding varieties. The height of the plant bush directly depends on the fertility of the soil. On depleted soils, the Granada bush can barely exceed 30 cm, while on fertile soils it can reach 0.8-1 m. The bush can have up to 8-10 erect stems. The leaves are wide and light green in color. Inflorescences have 6-8 buds. The flowers are white. From one bush you can collect up to 20 tubers.
Tubers of Grenada, as the variety is also called, have an almost regular oval shape. Thin peel of a pleasant yellowish color. The pulp is light and creamy in color, it is dense and does not change color when cut. A few ocelli are located superficially. The weight of the tuber varies from 175 to 250 g.
Granada potatoes originated in Germany
For your information! Potatoes, the Granada variety, are valued by farmers for their high yields. The manufacturer claims a yield of up to 600 centners per hectare. However, the practice of growing this potato variety has shown that from 1 hectare the yield is about 300-310 quintals of potatoes. On infertile soil, the yield will not be lower than 130 centners per hectare.
The marketability of the Grenada potato variety is 88-94%. The keeping quality of this variety is 97%, which is a record among similar varieties. The percentage of spoiled products during the storage period does not exceed 3. If the storage rules are followed, Granada potatoes will not germinate.
Potatoes of this variety have excellent presentation
Potato pulp has a high taste quality. Starch content 16-19%. This means that the potato boilability is average or below average. The color of the tubers does not change during heat treatment. The versatility of this variety allows it to be used for making purees, salads, as well as frying and baking.
Advantages and disadvantages
Despite the fact that this variety has been grown in Russia for just over a year, summer residents have already managed to highlight a number of main advantages. Among them:
- Good yield.
- Commercial appearance of tubers.
- Small, superficial ocelli.
- Unpretentiousness when growing.
- Pleasant taste.
- Ability to tolerate drought.
- Keeping quality – 94%.
There is only one drawback. Granada does not have the strongest immunity, which is why it can be affected by known potato diseases.
Preparing for landing
Preparations for planting potatoes begin as soon as the crop has been harvested. Only the largest tubers are selected, without signs of fungal diseases or mechanical damage.
About a month before planting, the tubers are placed in a wooden or plastic box and sprinkled with a peat-earth mixture. Next, the box is covered with film and placed in a bright place. In this case, the ambient temperature must be at least 12 °C. Germination will begin in 14-20 days.
Note! Before planting, it is necessary to remove weak or thin sprouts from tubers with hatched eyes, leaving the two strongest and most viable ones.
How to store
The crop produces good yields three months (90 days) after planting; full ripening occurs four months later, almost at the end of August.
After harvesting, root crops must be sorted:
- the best tubers are taken as seed material for the next season;
- good root vegetables are left until winter;
- small or damaged ones are used as quickly as possible.
Seed and food fruits are stored separately, in cool, dark rooms, maintaining a temperature of 4 degrees. The harvest is examined monthly and spoiled specimens are removed. To better preserve potatoes, before sending them to the basement or cellar, they should be sprayed with a solution of copper sulfate.
Hilling and weeding
Granada is planted when the soil warms up to 8-10 °C. Simultaneously with the creation of holes, fertilizing is applied, for example, wood ash or potassium phosphate fertilizer. Mulching the rows will prevent the spread of weeds and will retain moisture during dry periods.
Hilling up potatoes is a very important procedure that can significantly improve the quality of the crop. This is due to the fact that it stimulates the development of shoots. In addition, hilling helps solve a number of other problems:
- knocks down the bush, preventing it from falling apart;
- promotes the formation of new shoots, thanks to which productivity can increase by 30%;
- improves soil aeration;
- reduces the number of new weeds.
Hilling Granada helps solve many problems and improve the quality of tubers
Origin and distribution
Grenada potatoes are one of the newest varieties that have appeared recently. Cultivated in the European Union. In 2015, it was bred by German breeders .
At the moment, the subspecies is undergoing research and state certification. In the Russian Federation, the variety will be registered in the second decade of 2017. The spread across the country is very low.
Most of the plantings occur in Germany, Austria, Holland, France and Italy. The variety is resistant to bad weather. Can withstand prolonged drought, rain, hail . Recommended for growing in open ground.
Watering
Potatoes are a crop that requires a special approach to watering. On the one hand, it does not tolerate dry periods well, on the other hand, waterlogging of the soil is fraught with damage to the bush and root system by fungal diseases. Therefore, you should adhere to the universal rules that were developed by breeders and tested in practice by experienced farmers.
Grenada potatoes should be watered several times per season:
- watering is first carried out when the first shoots appear;
- the next time Granada is watered is when the bud formation has finished;
- The last time you need to water the potatoes is when flowering has ended.
Important! Subsequently, the lack of moisture is compensated by precipitation. If Granada potatoes are grown in the southern regions, where drought is a common occurrence, nothing needs to be done, since the variety is perfectly adapted to such climatic conditions.
Basic care requirements
The main stages of agricultural technology remain the same as for other varieties. Potatoes "Granada" are unpretentious varieties with a high degree of drought resistance and adaptability to growing conditions. The main stages of high-quality care for the Granada variety:
- Hilling. Until the Granada potatoes reach their ripeness, it is necessary to carry out this procedure at least twice. The first is when the height of the bush is 15-16 cm, the second - before flowering begins. To do this, use the soil between the rows, raking it to the base of the bushes. It is not recommended to skip this step for several reasons. Firstly, hilling will allow you to form a neat bush and prevent it from falling apart. Secondly, it will improve the yield of Granada potatoes due to the formation of additional underground stems, Thirdly, it will protect the seedlings from possible frosts.
- Nutrition. The first time you should feed potatoes is after planting, a month later. Use a mixture of mineral fertilizers: urea, potassium sulfate and superphosphate in a ratio of 1:1:2. Where 1 is 10 g, respectively, 2 is 20 g. This amount should be taken per 10 liters of water. If more is needed, then increase the amount of minerals. The mixture is diluted and watered over the potatoes. Organic is an excellent option. Granada potatoes respond very well to bird droppings. The main thing is to use it correctly so as not to burn the plants. The droppings are infused for at least a week, diluted with 0.5 liters in a bucket of water and watered over the potatoes. The plants are fed the second time when the buds appear, the third time after flowering.
- Watering.
For the Granada variety, you need to maintain moderate watering. Under normal climatic conditions, watering should be carried out no more than three times per season - after emergence, after budding, after flowering. In rainy weather, you may not need to water at all until flowering. Watering is considered to be of high quality if the soil is wet to 50 cm. - Prevention, control of diseases and pests. For the Granada variety, there is a danger of Alternaria blight, which affects all plant structures.
To prevent such a disaster, tubers are sprayed before planting. Biological products “Baktofit”, “Integral”, “Planriz” are suitable for prevention. The vegetative period requires treatment with a 0.2% solution of other drugs - “Profit”, “Kuproksat”, “Tanos”. To prevent Fusarium wilt of Granada potatoes, it is best to use Baktofit or Fitosporin.
These drugs must also be used during pre-sowing treatment. If this is not done, then the entire harvest will be at risk. This infection is very dangerous for Granada potatoes due to its rapid spread. During the period of illness, it is very difficult to save plants. Preventative treatments should also be done against different types of potato rot.
Among pests, the Colorado potato beetle is considered the most dangerous. The damage this pest causes is most noticeable. Also, click beetle larvae are dangerous. They are called wireworms. Measures to combat these pests are similar for all crops that are exposed to them.
With due attention to the variety, “Granada” will reward you with an unprecedented harvest.
Top dressing
Fertilizing potatoes is an important component of a rich harvest. Each cultivator has his own time-tested recipe for applying fertilizers. However, they can be reduced to general universal rules.
Autumn feeding consists of adding humus, superphosphate and potassium sulfate at the rate of 6 buckets/30-35 g/20 g. Spring feeding is the application of nitrogen fertilizers, which are contained in large quantities in manure.
Another feeding is required when the first shoots appear and the first hilling is carried out. Chicken manure is used for this. You need to make a solution of 1 part litter and 15 parts water. Let it brew for a day. The plant should be fertilized at the rate of 1 liter per bush.
Growing and care
The variety can be watered rarely, only during prolonged dry periods and during budding. It is advisable to carry out three waterings with warm water;
- 2 weeks after germination;
- during budding;
- at the end of flowering.
At the same time, fertilizers are added to the moist soil. The first feeding is a solution of an organic product, manure, humus or bird droppings. The second is mineral fertilizers with potassium and phosphorus, the third is a mixture of superphosphate and a small amount of mullein.
They regularly spud up the bushes, especially while they are young. This stimulates the formation of additional roots, and then tubers, and helps the plants not to decay. Loosen the soil and weed out weeds.
Diseases and pests
Granada potatoes are at risk of developing Alternaria blight, a disease that affects both the above-ground and underground parts of the plant. To prevent infection, before planting it is necessary to treat the seed tubers with a broad-spectrum antifungal drug. This will also protect the plant from Fusarium wilt. If preventive measures are not taken, the crop may be completely lost.
Fusarium wilt
Pests are another significant threat to Granada potatoes. Traditionally this is the Colorado potato beetle. In the fight against this insect, it is necessary to use both insecticidal preparations and manual collection of larvae and adults from bushes.
History of the variety
This potato variety was bred by breeders from a famous German agricultural company in 2014. The seeds of this potato came to Russia already in the next season, but Granada potatoes were added to the State Register of the country only in 2022.
Photo of Granada potatoes
Granada potatoes are a mid-season table variety; in Russia they are recommended for cultivation in the Middle Volga region, but even in such a short period of time since the variety was developed, farmers from other regions of Russia have already managed to appreciate it. Currently, experts call Granada potatoes one of the best table potato varieties.
Harvesting
Since the Grenada potato variety is a mid-late variety, full ripening occurs only at the end of August. Tubers are removed from the ground using a shovel. The bush is held by the tops and carefully dug up.
After the potatoes are dug, it is necessary to sort the tubers. The largest ones are selected for planting next year. Those fruits that show signs of disease are discarded and destroyed.
Note! Potatoes that have mechanical damage should be consumed first. The rest needs to be prepared for storage.
Preparation consists of treating the tubers with a solution of copper sulfate at the rate of 3 g per 10-liter bucket of water. It is advisable to carry out processing in such a way as to cover the entire mass.
Storage
Granada potatoes are stored at a temperature of 2-4 °C. If the temperature regime is disturbed, the taste of potatoes can be significantly reduced. In addition, if the specified parameters are exceeded, potatoes may begin to sprout.
To store tubers, organize a dark, dry, well-ventilated place. A cellar would be ideal. Potatoes are placed in cellular boxes and installed in such a way that they do not touch the walls of the cellar. This will allow air to circulate freely between the tubers, preventing putrefactive processes from developing.
The harvest is stored in a special container that allows air to pass through well.
Important! Grenada potatoes need to be inspected once a month. If rotten tubers are found, they must be destroyed immediately.
Reviews from experts
Tatyana Vasilievna German, agronomist, Astrakhan
On our farm, German and Dutch potato varieties have been selected for cultivation. Among them is Granada. This variety has not yet been certified, so it is under close attention. The productivity is extraordinary. I think the prospects for this variety are the most positive.
Anton Varyagin, farmer, Bodaibo
The “Granada” variety was planted on our farm for the first time. In just one season, we have already decided to make him a permanent “resident” of our site. The presentation is beyond praise, the yield more than justifies all the costs. Resistant to diseases with proper care, high taste. I recommend.
