Homemade potato variety "Nikulinsky": cultivation, description of the variety, characteristics and photos

Potatoes are a regular guest on every table, highly valued for their nutritional qualities. Rich in vitamins and microelements, this root vegetable is an indispensable part of the Russian diet. The abundance of varieties existing today provides a choice of root vegetables for every gastronomic taste.

A real pearl of domestic potato farms is the Nikulinsky variety, developed in the early 90s. In the article you will find a description, characteristics, photos and detailed rules for caring for this crop.

Growing areas

The Nikulinsky potato variety was included in the state register of the Russian Federation in 1996 under number 15-078-99. The originator of the subspecies is GNU VNII. The patent belongs to the A. G. Lorch Potato Farm.

The subspecies grows in the Northern, Middle Volga, and Central regions. Often found in garden plots in the Moscow, Yaroslavl, Ivanovo, Vladimir, Perm, and Nizhny Novgorod regions. Grown in Altai and Krasnodar regions. Suitable for cultivation in the Urals and Siberia.

Also found in Belarus, Kazakhstan, India, China, Ukraine, Moldova. Able to withstand cold gusts of wind and changeable weather. Withstands prolonged spring rains, drought, hail.

Rules of care

Nikulinsky, like most potato varieties, is not particularly demanding in terms of care. However, if all agrotechnical rules are followed, the chance of getting a high-quality harvest is almost 100%.

Basic rules of care:

• Do not allow the area to be contaminated with weeds. This is especially true during the period when potatoes are just beginning to develop. Weeds significantly inhibit its development.
• Be sure to hill up the rows. Hilling can increase yield by 20-30% due to the formation of new stolons, on which tubers are born. In addition, in addition to this function, hilling allows you to loosen the soil, saturating it with oxygen, and remove the same weeds.
• Be sure to water the potatoes. Potatoes are a strong crop that can survive without watering (purely on natural precipitation). However, then the tubers will not be as juicy and large. Potatoes need to be watered at least three times: after the tops appear, during flowering and before it ends. It is not recommended to water the bushes after they have bloomed, as there is a risk of contracting late blight, which is active during this period of time.
• Loosen the soil. Ideally, it is necessary to loosen the soil after each watering or rain. Tubers that do not receive enough oxygen and grow in hard soil develop very poorly. In addition, due to the density of the soil, they often become deformed, losing their attractive presentation.

We recommend reading: “Description of the Gornyak potato variety”
The final formation of root crops begins after the tops dry. It is during this period that the tubers form a dense shell and accumulate starch. Many gardeners mow the tops immediately after flowering to promote faster ripening of the tubers. However, it has already been proven that this procedure reduces yields by 15-20%. Instead, it is necessary to mow the tops 7-10 days (maximum) before the planned harvest. Then the yield will remain at the same level, and the tubers will be better prepared for long-term storage.

The ideal temperature for storing crops is +2-3 degrees Celsius.

Potatoes Nikulinsky: variety description

The bushes of the plant are very tall. They can reach a height of 80 cm. The stem is erect with a large number of branches. The branches are heavily leafy. The leaves are elongated, emerald green. They have a jagged edge. The corolla is burgundy-lilac. It has a snow-white color on the inside and outside. The anthocyanin color of the buds is very weak. The tubers are elongated and round. They have a snow-white tint.

The peel of the fruit has a mesh structure. The eyes are miniature, colorless. They are located on potatoes in very large quantities. The pulp is snow-white. The fruits do not darken when cut. One tuber can weigh 70-120 grams . The largest specimens reach 135 g. The starch content is standard 12-21%.

The taste of potatoes largely depends on the amount of starch in its tubers. In the table below you can see what this indicator is for different varieties:

Harvest and storage

The most pleasant and desirable moment for every farmer is harvesting. But it’s worth doing this according to all the rules if you want to preserve the fruits of your labors for a long time.

How and when to collect

Nikulinsky is a frost-resistant variety with a fairly long ripening period (about 120 days), so potato harvesting begins at the end of September - early October.

Tubers are harvested in dry weather. Bushes with pre-collected tops are carefully dug up, the root crops are removed, thoroughly dried in the dark, and sent to a place prepared in advance for storage.

Storage features, keeping quality of the variety

Tubers have a high shelf life, averaging 95%. When stored properly in a dark, cool, dry place, they keep well for six months. Even in the case of abundant application of fertilizers during the growing process, the percentage of shelf life of root crops does not decrease, and the taste qualities are fully preserved.

Productivity

Potato variety Nikulinsky characteristics: the subspecies belongs to late-ripening varieties. From the first shoots of seedlings to technical ripeness, 115-120 days pass.

The harvest is completed at the end of September - beginning of October . The subspecies has high stable productivity. From 10 sq. m. 30-45 kg of fruits are collected. 170-300 centners of potatoes are harvested from 1 hectare. The maximum yield is 410 centners. Commercial quality varies from 70 to 95%. The variety is suitable for wholesale and retail sale. But in most cases it is sold to consumers only in vegetable markets.

Keeping quality is very good, equal to 95% . Potatoes can be stored in cool vegetable stores for more than 6 months. Can be stored in private homes, basements, closets. Read more about terms, temperatures, places and storage problems. About how to properly store potatoes in winter, in the cellar, on the balcony, in boxes, in the refrigerator, peeled.

You can compare the yield and keeping quality of a variety with others using the table below:

When applying fertilizers, the yield increases by 1.5 times. The preservation of tubers and the table quality of the fruit do not deteriorate.

Read more about how to feed potatoes, when and how to apply fertilizers, how to do this when planting, what are the best fertilizers and what are the benefits of mineral fertilizers.

Important! After harvesting, it is recommended to plant green manure on an empty plot of land.

Landing

Sprouted material is used for planting. At the beginning of April, the tubers are sorted and discarded. Potatoes with spots, damaged by pests and nematodes are not suitable. The average suitable fraction size is 6–8 cm. Larger potatoes are cut into pieces, leaving 3 to 5 eyes on each. The sections are dusted with ash.

Potatoes are pre-treated:

• disinfection (40% formalin, 1% potassium permanganate);
• spraying with fungicides and copper preparations against fungal pathogens (Zummer, Emistin, Alirin, Metaxil);
• soaking tubers in an insecticide solution to protect against the Colorado potato beetle (Calypso, Prestige, Tsimbush, Inta-vir).

The site is selected in sandy loam, sandy, chernozem, transitional soils. Loams are suitable after adding sand and peat to improve looseness and aeration. It is advisable to sow green manure in the future field: vetch, alfalfa, phacelia, mustard, oats.

Good predecessors for potatoes: cucumbers, pumpkin, salads, greens, carrots, beets, parsnips, cabbage.

Purpose

The fruits have excellent taste. They have a table purpose . The fruits are very crumbly. You can make mashed potatoes and casseroles from potatoes. This variety is suitable for preparing first and second courses.

Suitable for making French fries, potato balls, country potatoes, chips. Fruits can be boiled, fried, baked, steamed and microwaved.

Potatoes of this variety are suitable for industrial processing . Dry products are made from it - flour, starch, puree. The variety is also suitable for processing into granules.

Read useful articles about the properties of potatoes. Why is solanine dangerous, why do they eat sprouts and drink potato juice, and is it possible to eat these root vegetables raw?

How to properly care for the variety

The Nikulinsky type of potato is one of the most versatile in terms of growing conditions. The main quality that ensures this fame is the stability of the crop, independent of weather conditions. However, this culture also needs to follow a few simple rules of care.

Features of watering

The heat-resistant variety Nikulinsky loves warmth and moist soil. In total, plants are well watered about five times a season; in drought or extreme heat, the number of waterings increases.

One of the main guarantees of a good harvest is adequate watering.

In order for the soil to retain moisture longer and not dry out, mulching is performed between the rows and individual plants.

Feeding and fertilizing

The peak of fertilizing occurs at the height of the growing season. Herbal infusions, diluted compost, a solution of exclusively stale chicken droppings and agricultural chemicals are used. All these fertilizers are applied in liquid form, organic matter is applied in the proportion of 1 liter of waste per 10 liters of water.

Some gardeners replace watering with this. However, it is not recommended to allow the soil to dry out or to make the number of fertilizing applications prevail over the amount of soil moisture when replacing them. After fertilizing, the soil is usually watered with clean water.

Additional Information! Timely fertilization of Nikulinsky potatoes increases the yield by one and a half times, contributing to better preservation of the table properties and durability of the tubers.

Hilling and weeding

The beds of potato bushes are regularly and deeply loosened between the plants, improving the permeability of the soil. Shortly before the start of budding, they begin to hill up. These measures prevent the spread of weeds; when hilling, the soil must be moistened. After this, it is mulched between the beds with matured wood shavings, crushed wood chips and humus.

Features of cultivation

The agricultural technology of this variety is quite standard. Weed, loosen, and hill up the potatoes in a timely manner. If necessary, additional watering will not hurt, and mulching will help in the fight against weeds.

Read more about whether you need to hill up potatoes, how to do it - manually or using a walk-behind tractor, and whether you can get a decent harvest without weeding and hilling.

Important! No more than 47,000 bushes should be placed per 1 hectare. When planting closely, a reduction in yield may occur.

Advice from experienced gardeners and reviews about the Nikulinsky variety

The variety has a lot of fans who note its unpretentiousness and high yield. However, this variety is not suitable for everyone in terms of taste.

Irina, Voronezh: “The tubers boil quickly and well during cooking, do not lose their appearance when exposed to air and are easy to clean. For me, this is the optimal variety, since throughout the entire season the plantings did not suffer from any disease and did not cause any trouble.”

Mikhail, Novosibirsk: “Nikulinsky is a good variety, but attracts the Colorado potato beetle. This is not the first time I have struggled with this scourge, but beginners may get confused. The beetle destroyed half of all the plantings of our neighbors in the country.”

Valentina, Krasnodar: “My advice to you is that if you plant Nikulinsky at your dacha, add fertilizer immediately to each hole. Then the tubers will be larger and the bushes will definitely not hurt. I sprinkle ash, then feed it two more times during the season with complex fertilizers and watering.”

Diseases and pests

Late blight
Variety Nikulinsky is highly resistant to cancer.
Moderately resistant to leaf blight. May be affected by late blight of fruits, blackleg and scab. Viral diseases - Alternaria, Fusarium, Verticillium are very weakly affected. Susceptible to all pests except the Colorado potato beetle.

Requires preventive spraying treatments. It is recommended to use chemicals that do not affect the quality of the tubers. also periodically check the bushes for the presence of pests .

Read more about measures to combat mole crickets, wireworms, potato moths, and aphids in the articles:

• How to get rid of wireworms in the garden.
• We fight mole crickets using chemistry and folk remedies.
• Getting rid of potato moths: part 1 and part 2.
• Effective control of aphids.

Nikulinsky potatoes have comprehensive protection against various diseases . Has a high stable yield. Can grow on all types of soil.

Withstands changeable weather. It reaches a height of more than 80 cm. It has excellent keeping quality and excellent commercial qualities.

Advantages and disadvantages

Pros:

• undemanding to soil type;
• complex resistance to infections;
• tolerance of adverse factors;
• stable, friendly harvests;
• long storage;
• high level of starch and valuable components (vitamins, minerals);
• culinary versatility;
• long shelf life (up to 8–9 months);
• resistance to mechanical damage during transportation.

Minuses:

• lack of immunity to pests (potato fly, Colorado potato beetle).

Reviews from vegetable growers

You can hear both positive and quite negative reviews about the Nikulinsky potato variety. The complaints mainly concern the taste characteristics of Nikulinsky potatoes. Many potato growers fell in love with this variety for its unpretentiousness and fairly high resistance to adverse weather factors.

Each bush produces approximately 9-11 tubers aligned in shape and size, and the total yield of this drought-resistant variety is about 45 kg/10 sq. m. meters. It is noted that the tubers fully ripen in three and a half or four months.

Characteristics of the variety

The Nikulinsky vegetation lasts from 115 to 120 days. The bush is tall, often reaching 80 cm. The stems are abundantly covered with elongated leaves. During flowering, flowers of a red-violet hue with bluish notes are formed. The root system of the bush is very well developed. One plant, on average, forms up to 12 tubers weighing 70-130 g. There are specimens whose weight reaches 150 g.

The shape of the root crops is round, the shell is light beige in color. On the surface there are small eyes that have the same color as the potato shell. The eyes lie at an average depth.

The flesh is creamy in color and does not darken when peeled or cooked. The starch content in the pulp ranges from 12-21%.

The variety has high yields. State tests have shown that the yield is in the range of 170-294 centners per hectare of plantings. The marketability of the harvested crop reaches 71-95%, shelf life – 95%.

Nikulinsky is very often used in the production of freeze-dried mashed potatoes, potato flour or starch.

Description of culture

The result of the work of breeders over the past decades has been the emergence of new potato varieties. They are more resistant to environmental conditions and are immune to diseases and pests.

The potato plant forms bushes of varying heights, under which tubers are formed on stolons (fruit-forming shoots of the root system). After the budding phase, flowering begins. At its end, white, pink or purple flowers turn into small green round fruits. The seeds ripened in them are used for sowing.

Potatoes Nikulinsky

In this case, large tubers can be obtained two years after sowing: during the first harvest, small nodules are dug up, which are stored until spring and then planted in the ground. Only by the autumn of the second year, with proper care, can you count on getting large tubers. Without wasting time, tubers can be bought in specialized stores. Potatoes are represented by a variety of ultra-early, early, mid-late and late varieties.