Potato variety Gulliver: characteristics, cultivation techniques

In Russia they love potatoes, crumbly, with garlic and onions, with meat and cabbage; not a single main dish is complete without potatoes. Many varieties of this root vegetable have been bred by Russian breeders, each better than the other. The hero of our story, the potato variety Gulliver, is one of the best representatives of the varieties bred and zoned in different regions of our vast country.

Description and characteristics

According to the characteristics stated by the originators, the Gulliver potato variety has the following qualities:

• early ripening Gulliver potatoes, the first harvest is dug up 45 days after planting, table variety;
• potato bushes are tall, lodging, the leaves are large, rich green, the corolla of flowers is medium-sized with a weak anthocyanin color;
• the average yield varies from 160 to 290 centners per hectare (the yield record was 371 centners/ha);
• Gulliver's root crop has the shape of an elongated oval, the eyes are small, the peel is earthy-beige, the flesh is creamy, the average weight of one tuber is from 100 to 140 grams;
• the starch content indicator reaches 15%;
• yield of marketable root crops up to 98%, storage safety 95%;
• the taste is good and excellent;
• The Gulliver variety is resistant to potato cancer and golden nematode, weak resistance to late blight on tubers and average resistance to tops, quite resistant to potato mosaics: wrinkled and striped.

Attention! Before submitting an application for registration of a variety in the State Register, all vegetable crops undergo practical testing in different regions with different climatic conditions. The results obtained are analyzed and documented, and only after this information about the variety is included in the annotation attached to the application.

Characteristics of Gulliver potatoes

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In addition to describing the plant, it is also useful for gardeners to become familiar with the general characteristics of the Gulliver variety.

• The variety is drought-resistant.
• Gulliver does not grow well at low temperatures, and even short-term cold spells can delay the development of the bush.
• Root crops of commercial quality. Bad ones, unsuitable for transportation or sale, make up about 2% of the total harvest volume.
• Transportability is high.
• The immunity is strong, resistant to most potato diseases: late blight, potato cancer, nematode, alternaria.
• Keeping quality of tubers is 94%.
• Productivity 350-450 c/ha.
• Table type of potato, very tasty, universal type.

Choose a sunny, flat place with mineral-rich soil for planting.

Advantages and disadvantages

It is too early to talk about the pros and cons of the Gulliver potato variety; it has not yet become widespread enough. According to some reviews from vegetable growers posted on forums, they note the following advantages of Gulliver potatoes:

• large tubers of excellent presentation;
• ease of care;
• resistance to many potato diseases;
• high degree of transportability.

Potato growers are dissatisfied with the low level of preservation during storage; many Gulliver tubers dry out or rot before spring.

Harvesting and storage

After harvesting the ripe crop, it is dug up and dried, after which it is distributed for further storage. Gulliver has good shelf life, since the harvest is preserved by 94-95%.

It is recommended to store root crops that will later be used for planting a new crop in a separate room.

Gulliver is a recently emerged variety that is successfully grown both for young potatoes, since it has a short ripening period, and for various cooking methods when the tubers are fully ripened. It requires fertile soil, and the growing and care conditions are no different from most other potato varieties.

Landing

Gulliver potatoes are planted in the same way as any other variety of these root crops. Many gardeners who have been growing potatoes for many years know how to do this correctly, but for novice potato growers this process becomes a big problem. Having no experience in planting and growing potatoes, they make many mistakes that can be avoided if they approach the matter correctly. In the table, we noted quite common mistakes made by beginning gardeners, indicated their undesirable consequences, and answered the question: how to do it right?

Advice! Gulliver potatoes are the newest variety, the seed material of which is still difficult to find everywhere. When purchasing, beware of fakes and re-grades; purchase root vegetables only from reliable suppliers and distributors.

Reviews of the Gulliver potato variety

Only in rare cases can you hear a bad review about Gulliver potatoes. This is the elite among all kinds of varieties - productive, easy to grow and tasty.

• Nina Zuiko : “For beginning gardeners, which is what I consider myself to be, the Gulliver potato variety is the best! It grows quickly, care is simple, and the yields are large. I tried to grow other species, but they either get sick often or don’t give birth at all. So for me, Gulliver is the optimal one. Of course, the harvest is not enough for a long time, because we are starting to eat young potatoes, but this is for the best, since we do not have a large cellar for storage.”
• Nikolai Petrenko : “I never thought that Gulliver was suitable for long-term storage, but last year there was a very large harvest. I had to put some of it in the basement for storage. It lay without problems, the potatoes did not spoil at all. I don’t know exactly how long it can last, but in our case, the last one was eaten in February. The taste and quality were no worse than in the summer. So now we are planting larger quantities so that it lasts longer.”
• Pavel Shumeiko : “I grow the Gulliver variety to produce young potatoes. He has no equal in this category. Root vegetables are tasty, do not get overcooked, are suitable for frying and do not darken during cutting. As for growing, there are practically no problems. The main thing is that there are no strong cold spells after planting. And due to the early ripening period, it is rarely affected by diseases and pests.”

Care

After planting potatoes until the first shoots appear, no care is required for the plantation. After 2-3 weeks, the Gulliver variety produces the first friendly shoots, and after another week it is necessary to carry out the first hilling.

Hilling and feeding

It will be quite easy to care for Gulliver potato plantings if you have a mechanized tool for hilling; if you don’t have such a device, then use a regular hoe. The soil between the rows is loosened and raked up to the bushes almost to the very top leaves.

The first feeding of Gulliver potatoes is carried out before the onset of the second hilling, that is, after flowering, at the same time it is necessary to spray the rising bushes from the hated pest - the Colorado potato beetle. There are a huge number of chemicals available to combat it; you just have to choose the most effective one.

The best early ripening varieties

They are characterized by increased resistance to fungal and other diseases. They prepare for planting in early April - a month before planting in open ground. So, tubers with sprouts are planted in the soil in early May. As for the disadvantages, we can note the low or medium starch content, so the potatoes remain hard during cooking. The most popular varieties in this category can be found below.

Zhukovsky early

This is a variety developed by domestic breeders, which ripens in 60 days and gives an excellent harvest - from 400 to 600 centners per 1 hectare, and can grow in different soils and climatic zones. This potato has the following characteristics:

• oval shape;
• large sizes - from 100 to 150 g;
• starch content – ​​15%;
• smooth surface, pink or beige skin and white flesh that does not darken when cut and does not become soft when cooked;
• excellent product and taste qualities (great for making chips);
• resistance to cancer, golden nematode, common scab, rhizoctonia and other diseases;
• tolerates drought and low temperatures well;
• in conditions of moderate temperature and humidity it can lie until mid-spring.

You can plant potatoes even in early April, but in order to protect them from frost, it is worth covering the seedlings with agrofibre, which also perfectly helps maintain normal soil temperatures. It should be removed after threats of frost and a drop in air temperature.

Izora

Refers to table fruit varieties. Ripens in 55-65 days. The bushes grow of medium height, the leaves are slightly dissected. The corollas appear moderately and are white in color. The plant is distinguished by a thick stem, which is colored with anthocyanin along its entire length.

The variety bears fruit with white round tubers, which are covered with eyes of medium depth. The pulp is white. The starch level is from 9.8 to 12.1%, and the protein level is from 1.5 to 1.7%. Tubers can be stored for a long time, are highly resistant to cancer, but less resistant to viral diseases. Most often they suffer from late blight and rhizoctonia.

Antonina

Often grown in the West Siberian region. It is a table variety of domestic selection. The tubers are obtained weighing from 104 to 153 g, oval in shape with light yellow flesh and slightly rough skin. Productivity is average - from 210-300 to 426 centners per 1 ha. One bush grows from 6 to 10 tubers. The level of starch content is relatively high - from 15.9 to 19.4%. Potatoes can be stored for a long time.

Sturdy

Excellent for planting in the Central region. The bushes grow medium in height, semi-spreading and stem type. The leaves of the plant have a light green color, medium size and moderate dissection.

The variety bears fruit in smooth oval tubers weighing up to 130 g, which are covered with light beige skin with predominantly small eyes. The color of the pulp is creamy, and the starch content is up to 11.2%. From 1 hectare you can harvest about 276 centners of crop, with one bush producing 7-8 tubers. It is distinguished by increased safety - about 97%.

Anosta

This is a table variety of Dutch selection that bears fruit with marketable tubers. The bush is of medium height, moderately or well leafy. As a rule, the stem is green and colored with anthocyanin at the base. The color of the corolla is white.

The tubers are light yellow in color and round-oval in shape. They have small eyes. The pulp itself has a yellow tint. The weight of one fruit is from 71 to 134 g, the starch level is from 12.7 to 15%, and the protein content is from 1.3 to 1.9%.

Among the disadvantages, one can note the strong susceptibility of tops to late blight (tubers are more resistant). In addition, it is moderately resistant to scab and viral diseases. It is practically not affected by cancer and nematodes.

Arrow

Refers to high-yielding table varieties. It is distinguished by its excellent presentation, does not darken after cooking and does not become soft. The tubers are large and oval in shape, covered with a yellow skin, and the flesh itself is white. Dry matter concentration – 18%.

Tubers are rarely affected by late blight, common scab and nematodes. More often, the plant suffers from late blight of tops and Y-virus.

Kholmogorsky

This is an early-ripening table hybrid that blooms with lilac flowers and bears red tubers. They weigh up to 90-120 g, are oval in shape, smooth skin with superficial eyes and light yellow flesh that does not darken when cooked and cut. The yield is average - up to 392 centners per hectare.

The plant is not afraid of cancer, golden nematode and severe viral diseases. It has average resistance to common scab and rhizoctonia. Tops and tubers can be affected by late blight, so proper chemical treatment is required.

Diseases and pests

The Gulliver variety, as mentioned earlier, has increased immunity to many potato diseases, but can be susceptible to other fungal and viral diseases such as late blight, scab or formosa. The main pests that feed on potato tubers are wireworms, and the leaves and flowers are eaten by the Colorado potato beetle.

Signs of diseases and treatment

1. Late blight on potatoes.

   
   Signs: appear after the end of flowering, brown spots form on the leaves of the tops, fungal spores live on the back side of the leaf plate, in rainy weather they enter the soil and infect root crops. Treatment: planting only healthy seed material, hilling up to 3 times per season, treating the bushes with Bordeaux mixture, preparations containing copper.

2. Scab on potatoes.

   
   Signs: tubers are affected, ulcers and growths appear on them, the peel cracks, forming dark brown scales, fungal spores form on the stems of the tops in the form of a gray oily coating. Treatment: plots for potatoes must be alternated with other vegetable crops every 3-4 years, plant uninfected tubers, hill up 2-3 times during the entire growing season, treat seed material with copper sulfate before planting, and carefully discard diseased seeds.

3. Fomoz on potatoes.

   
   Signs: root crops and stems are affected, dark elongated spots appear on them, over time, the potato pulp dries out and rots in this place, the stems and petioles of the tops also become covered with elongated brown spots, this can be noticed during potato flowering. Treatment: disinfection of the soil before planting with Trichoderm, use healthy planting material, loosening and hilling, mandatory removal of tops before harvesting to prevent infection of the tubers.

Fighting wireworms:

• digging up the soil on a potato plot in late autumn or early spring to destroy beetle larvae;
• regularly reduce soil acidity by adding dolomite or lime;
• treatment of plantings with solutions of chemicals: Tubershield, Prestige, Provotox.

Attention! Spraying potato bushes with chemicals should be carried out before or after flowering and no later than 20 days before harvesting.

Gulliver potatoes are an early variety; the first trial digging of tubers begins at the end of June; at the beginning and until mid-July, the tubers are ready for the main harvest.

Features of cultivation

Since the fruits are underground, it is necessary to provide optimal conditions for the development of the root system and the successful formation of tubers. Also, an important condition for successful growth is lightness and looseness of the soil.

To grow the Gulliver potato variety, you need nutritious soil, chernozem.

Before planting, the seed requires additional processing - it is laid out in sunlight for a while so that it “greens up”. It is also recommended to germinate the seed, which will stimulate germination and contribute to an earlier harvest. To do this, a month before planting, the tubers that were selected for germination are laid out in shallow boxes in one or several layers and left in a well-lit room with a temperature of +15...+17˚C.

The readiness of the seed is determined by the presence of sprouts on the tubers and the green color of the peel.

Growing conditions

A number of conditions that will help ensure the growth and development of potatoes in the garden:

1. The soil. The optimal soil for growing Gulliver is chernozem, since it has a large amount of nutrients and minerals. The growing soil should not contain large amounts of alkaline substances. If the acidity of the soil is high, then it is reduced by adding lime to the soil.
2. Temperature. Seeds and seedlings of this variety are very sensitive to low temperatures and sudden temperature changes, so it is recommended to plant them in open ground only when the risk of frost returning to the soil has disappeared. It is permissible to germinate potatoes when the soil warms up to +5...+8˚C, but for the development and growth of the bush it is required that the soil is no cooler than +16...+18˚C.
3. Lighting. Growing seedlings requires a lot of light, so they are grown indoors with sufficient natural light and, if necessary, provide artificial lighting.
4. Humidity. The formation and development of the vegetative mass requires a large amount of moisture, so intensive watering is necessary for the bushes mainly at the time of tuber formation.
5. Soil aeration. Air access to the root system of potato bushes is a necessary condition for growing a good crop, so soil care involves performing regular work to loosen the soil.

Landing dates

You can start planting Gulliver in the ground only when the soil has warmed up sufficiently, which depends on the region of planting and weather conditions. The main thing is to eliminate the possibility of frost, which can destroy the seedlings. Tubers can be planted to a depth of 15 cm when the soil is heated to +8˚C.

Did you know? Indian tribes living in the region of modern Peru were the first to cultivate potatoes. Their civilization knew almost 200 varieties of this root vegetable.

Selecting a location and preparing the bed

The planting bed should be located in a sunny area of ​​the garden, since potatoes react very positively to good lighting. Soil preparation begins in the fall, when the soil is fertilized with humus or fresh manure. If such preliminary preparation of the soil has not been carried out, then nutrients must be added to each hole directly during the planting process. To do this you will need:

• loose humus;
• superphosphate;
• wood ash.

If groundwater is located close to the surface of the earth, then it is recommended to plant potatoes in high beds, since their root system is very developed and can suffer from excess moisture: prepared seed is placed in the earth furrows, which is covered with a soil ridge up to 15 cm high.

Before you start planting potatoes, you need to prepare the bed by first moistening the soil and loosening it.

Technology and planting scheme

The planting technology of this variety has no distinctive features and involves:

1. Preparation of furrows, the distance between rows should be within 70 cm.
2. Digging holes. At the same time, their depth should be 8–10 cm, and the distance between them should be 35–40 cm, in order to ensure the development of the root system and prevent deterioration in yield due to planting twisting. When digging the next hole, the previous one is buried.
3. A sprouted tuber is lowered into each hole.
4. After planting, the entire surface of the garden is leveled using garden tools, which helps retain moisture in the soil.

History of origin of the variety

Potato Nevsky is the fruit of the creative work of a team of employees of the North-Western Research Institute of Agriculture, now the Leningrad Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Agricultural Sciences. The initial varieties were Candidate and Veselovskaya. Since 1982, Nevsky has been included in the Russian State Register of breeding achievements approved for use. Let us note that this is the only one of the 426 potato varieties registered today that is approved for cultivation in all regions of the country. This indicates its unpretentiousness to soil and climatic conditions.

Nevsky is the only variety recommended for cultivation in all regions of the country

The best varieties for the Moscow region

When choosing currant seedlings for central Russia with low winter temperatures, it is important to take into account the structure of its infertile, acidic soil. And achieving a positive effect presupposes that when planting it must be “ennobled” with fertilizer, liming, etc.

p. This increases soil fertility, allows you to achieve the required degree of neutral or slightly acidic reaction (pH from 5.0 to 5.5)

And achieving a positive effect presupposes that when planting it must be “ennobled” with fertilizer, liming, etc. This increases soil fertility and allows you to achieve the required degree of neutral or slightly acidic reaction (pH from 5.0 to 5.5).

• Based on practice, many gardeners consider the best early varieties for the climatic conditions of the Moscow region to be such as Dachanitsa, Zhemchuzhina, Izyumnaya, Nara, Nester Kozin, Pygmy, Selechinskaya, Black Boomer, Exotica. The fruitful, self-fertile, winter-hardy Moscow plant, native to the region, also feels good.
• Among the varieties with medium ripening periods, Belorusskaya Sladkaya, Detskoselskaya, Dobrynya, Dubrovskaya, Izmailovskaya, Katyusha and others are worthy of attention.
• Late varieties such as Lazy, Vologda, Dochka are ideal for the Moscow region climate. It is characteristic that they can safely tolerate low winter temperatures and remain resistant to pests and diseases.

A characteristic feature of these options is that they are adapted to the specific climate of the region: drought resistance, spring sharp changes in air temperature.

Positive and negative aspects of the variety

Over the years, new, more promising varieties have not been able to displace the Lorch variety from the market. This is due to the fact that it has a number of advantages, including:

• High yields.
• The Lorch variety is not demanding in terms of care.
• Strong immunity.
• Lorch is not picky about the type of soil.
• The root system does not grow, so all the tubers are clustered in one place. This makes harvesting easier.
• Climatic conditions do not affect productivity.
• Potatoes can be grown even in northern regions.
• Excellent taste.
• High keeping quality.
• Resistance to mechanical damage.

But Lorch also has his own fly in the ointment. Among the disadvantages are:

• The variety does not tolerate drought well.
• Without watering, you won’t be able to get a good harvest.
• The variety is not protected from diseases such as potato cancer and common scab.